Kelloggsville — As soon as Tedareis “TJ” Jones completed the sensory path and shouted “Blast Off!,” the kindergartner was greeted with cheers and applause from a group of other students walking by.
“Most behaviors tend to increase as the school year progresses, as it gets warmer and it is getting closer to summer,” said Grace Troyer, autism spectrum disorder teacher at Southeast Kelloggsville. “The sensory path helps students regulate their emotions.”
The path also provides a break from classroom activities, and is a place where students can get out some extra energy, she said.
Because students engage in activities like touching their toes or following a path, sensory paths are used to support the development of both fine and gross motor skills including balance, hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
Troyer explained that she created the path by printing floor decals and attaching them to Velcro, making it easy to rearrange the pieces and change the layout. Signs on the wall give students directions for each activity.
Troyer said the pathway has been popular with students and classes, which was evident with TJ. As soon as he had completed the pathway, he ran right back to the beginning to do it again.
The school installed the new sensory path as part of its Autism Awareness Month celebration.
This year was a trial run, Troyer said; the goal is to make it permanent and add more activities.
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