Exercises to show what SPD is like?

Hello,




I am doing a presentation on autism in a few weeks for my job, and I will be including a section on SPD. I wanted to get the listeners involved by doing some exercises or such that can maybe give them a bit of info into what SPD is like. I got a few ideas from a resource teacher (such as trying to tie your shoes wearing winter clothers), but there will be 6-7 small groups at the time, and I would like to have a few others as well to shake things up. Anything you can share would really be appreciated, thanks!



Comments for Exercises to show what SPD is like?

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Apr 08, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		This is a great idea!
by: Anonymous

I love this idea to raise awareness about SPD! Don’t forget to say that many people deal with this who are not autistic too, and just have SPD. Maybe pass out pins/buttons or pencils!

- give them a computer that has many many tabs open that they can’t close, 2 with loud music. It’s on the highest brightness setting. Now tell them they have to use this computer to fill out a questionare. It crashes. (Like our brain during sensory overload)

- give them each a book and make them read a passage of it while one person is tickling them, one person is talking to them, loud music is playing and flashing lights are on. Then make them repeat what they read.

- turn a dog with lyrics on, that everybody likes. Play it louder and louder intil you can’t make out the words anymore, or play it backwards or missing every other second.

- put on a video of someone talking but warp the sound to make it muffled. Or make the voice ringing. Or make the video and audio not aligned-auditory processing issues.

- do a science experiment where you get a bowl of ice water and a bowl of hot water. It’s called ‘Fool your Senses’. At the end you can’t tell hot from cold.
Jun 21, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		tactile under senstive
by: Anonymous

Try to perform tasks while wearing oven gloves , going to the toilet, writing their name and address, and doing their shoe laces, I did it to try and understand how my son felt when he was doing a task it was very difficult.
Jun 20, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I'd love to hear how it went
by: Crista

I've had such a hard time explaining to people WHAT SPD is let alone how it effects people.
Jun 09, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		here ya go
by: Anonymous

Have them write or draw a picture in the dark with a strobe light on. have them hunch over... run a strip of scotch tape from shoulder to shoulder... stand up straight... now function.
May 25, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Show them
by: Kim Sullivan

Great idea. I would start out with some loud music and a strobe light and give them a questionnaire to fill out that requires some thought. Ignore the fact that the music and light are on and just tell them to ignore it and focus on their paper to complete. Make the paper short so it doesn't make anyone leave. After, explain that many students feel like this ALL DAY long in the classroom because they don't sort our visual, auditory and other sensory information like most people. Ask if they had trouble focusing or being cheerful. Did anyone get angry, or feel angry.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to The SPD Q & A.