Ashton — Classroom Guide

What's Going On

Ashton has a confirmed sensory-seeking profile (OT evaluated). His nervous system craves heavy proprioceptive input — deep pressure, resistance, weight-bearing. When he doesn't get enough of it, his body seeks it the fastest way it can: hitting and kicking.

The hitting is almost certainly not a behavioral choice. At 3.5, the prefrontal cortex can't reliably inhibit impulses — he can say "we don't hit" but can't execute it when dysregulated. The key is to keep his sensory tank full so the impulse doesn't fire in the first place.

We're doing a heavy work routine every morning before drop-off. He should arrive somewhat regulated. The morning loading lasts about 60–90 minutes, so he'll need sensory breaks throughout the day.

Quick Reference — What to Do When
SituationAction
He just hit or kicked "Let's do 10 wall push-ups together" or "Can you help me carry these books?" — redirect to heavy work, NOT running
Before a transition Give him a job: "You're the door holder" or "You carry the book basket." 5-min warning, 2-min warning, 1-min warning.
Before circle time / seated activity Crunchy snack (pretzels, apple slices, carrot sticks) + make sure he has his chewy necklace and weighted lap pad
Every 60–90 minutes Proactive sensory break: animal walk parade, group wall push-ups, or assign a heavy helper job (carry bins, stack chairs)
He seems escalated Calm-down corner (NOT as punishment): body sock, weighted blanket, playdough, breathing cards
Hands in mouth Redirect to his chewy necklace or offer a crunchy snack — his nervous system is asking for oral input
Drop-off Parents will communicate if he's had his morning heavy work. Plan first sensory break before the first major transition.
1

The Activity Framework

Not all movement is equal. The type of activity determines whether Ashton's nervous system gets more regulated or more dysregulated:

Red — Alerting (Avoid as intervention)
Running, chase, tag, spinning. These RAISE nervous system arousal. Sending him outside to run after hitting makes things worse — he comes back more dysregulated, not less. That's why the 5-minute outdoor break wasn't working.
Green — Organizing (Use these)
Heavy work, pushing, carrying, wall push-ups, animal walks, resistance activities. These REGULATE the nervous system by providing the deep proprioceptive input his body is craving. This is what should replace running.
Blue — Calming (Use to wind down)
Deep breathing, weighted blankets, slow rocking, playdough, quiet fidgets. These lower arousal. Good for after a GREEN activity or in the calm-down corner.
When he hits, do this:
  • "Let's do 10 wall push-ups together"
  • "Can you help me carry these books?"
  • "Let's do bear crawls to the door"
  • Guide him to the calm-down corner with squeezes
Instead of this:
  • "Go run outside"
  • "Go get your energy out"
  • Chase / tag / free running
  • Time out alone (without sensory support)
2

Proactive Sensory Breaks

Key Principle

Schedule these BEFORE he gets dysregulated, not after he hits. Every 60–90 minutes. Prevention is the whole strategy. Once he's hitting, we've already missed the window.

Group Activities (Whole Class Benefits)

  • Animal walk parade — bear crawls, crab walks, frog jumps around the room (2–3 minutes)
  • Group wall push-ups — "Let's push the wall down! Push for 10 seconds!" (everyone does it together)
  • Yoga poses before circle time — downward dog, warrior (weight-bearing on arms)
  • Simon Says with heavy work — "Simon says do 5 jumping jacks... Simon says push against the wall..."

Individual Heavy Helper Jobs

Assign these throughout the day — they give him proprioceptive input while being genuinely helpful:

  • Carry the snack bin from the kitchen
  • Push the book cart
  • Stack chairs after an activity
  • Move mats for nap time
  • Carry water jugs
  • Hold the door (isometric pressing)
  • Wipe down tables with firm pressure

Oral Sensory Support

He has a chewy necklace (silicone chew pendant) — please let him wear/use it throughout the day. When you see his hands in his mouth, redirect to the chewy.

Crunchy/chewy snacks before seated activities: apple slices, pretzels, carrot sticks, dried fruit. Chewing alone provides 15–20 minutes of organizing input.

Seat and Workspace Setup

  • Resistance band tied around front legs of his chair — he pushes/pulls with his feet during seated activities (quiet, self-regulating)
  • Weighted lap pad (2–3 lbs) during circle time and table work
  • Wiggle cushion on his chair (allows movement without leaving the seat)
3

Transition Support

Why This Matters

Transitions are likely one of his biggest triggers. Going from one activity to another is when he's most likely to lose regulation. Build in structure and give him a role.

Before Every Transition

  • Timed warnings: "5 minutes until we clean up... 2 minutes... 1 minute..."
  • Visual timer (Time Timer clock) — makes time concrete and visible
  • First/Then board: "FIRST circle time, THEN playground" — visual picture schedule
  • Give him a transition job: "You're the door holder" or "You carry the book basket" — this gives proprioceptive input AND a sense of control during the transition
4

Calm-Down Corner

This is NOT punishment

The calm-down corner is a self-regulation tool, not a time-out. Teach him to go there proactively when he feels his body getting "too big." It should feel safe and inviting.

What to Have There

  • Body sock (deep pressure cocoon)
  • Weighted blanket
  • Crash pad (pile of pillows he can safely fall/crash into)
  • Playdough (hand resistance)
  • Breathing cards with visuals
  • His chewy necklace

How to Guide Him There

  • "Your body seems really big right now. Let's go get some squeezes in the cozy corner."
  • "I can see you're feeling frustrated. Let's go use the crash pad."
  • Go WITH him the first many times — model using the tools
  • Celebrate when he goes on his own: "You noticed your body felt big and you went to the cozy corner! That's so smart!"
5

Replacement Behaviors We're Teaching

We're practicing these every night at home with puppets. Please reinforce the same three when situations come up:

  1. Stomp feet and say "I'm MAD!" — gives proprioceptive input + verbal expression (this is a win, not misbehavior)
  2. Go tell a teacher: "He took my toy!" — seeking help instead of hitting
  3. Take 3 dragon breaths — smell the flower in through the nose, blow out the candle through the mouth

If you see him use any of these instead of hitting, please praise it specifically: "You stomped your feet instead of hitting! That was so brave!" — and let us know on the report card. We reinforce it at home too.

6

Daily Report Card

What We're Tracking

Rate 2–3 times daily (morning, midday, afternoon) with a smiley face, neutral, or frowny:

  1. "Used gentle hands" (positive framing — not "didn't hit")
  2. "Used words when frustrated"
  3. "Followed transition directions"

Please send home daily. We'll use it for praise at home and to rehearse specific situations at bedtime.

Also note: What time of day incidents happen. We need to know if they cluster at specific times so we can adjust the sensory break schedule.