The main goal of this presentation is to demonstrate how through the social model, instead of the traditional medical scope, we can offer to intellectually disabled people new experiences that enhance their development and facilitate their social inclusion.

Social inclusion depends on two dimensions. On one side, we have to eliminate social pressure and prejudice, but also we have to renew the way we educate and bring up intellectually disabled children, adolescents, and adults. Families are the first input of this change, and professionals have to orient families towards social inclusion. At Stimulo A.C. we believe profoundly that this is possible and we relay on the creation of less challenging environments, where intellectually disabled people can act upon, with a higher functionality. The basic key of these environments, is the control of sensory overload, and the guidance through productive activities based on sensory support instead of cognitive learning. This method is applied into every activity at the center, and it works, because it allows our residents to function, act and learn, with a permanent support.

Based on the hypothesis that sensory-perceptual functions are the departure point of intellectual functions and development, we have created an environment, where every single instruction for an activity is sensory based.

This presentation introduces the complex challenges and possibilities of a novel Finnish approach called sociocultural multisensory work; a concept, which combines and applies theories of social pedagogy and multisensory methods. Since these approaches may not yet be generally known in UK, USA, Australia and other English speaking countries, their theoretical backgrounds and practical uses will be introduced through examples.

The overall purpose of sociocultural multisensory work is to increase quality of life. This means increased happiness which is achieved through empowering participation in inclusive multisensory and cultural activities at three levels: individual, community and society. The individual level is probably the most familiar one for caregivers and service providers. This seems to be the case since the individual level is often the level of focus in supporting people with profound and multiple disabilities, which is one of the most vulnerable groups and therefore a challenging service user group.

This group challenges all service providers, but especially those whose aim is to provide accessible multisensory and cultural experiences at community’s and society’s levels. In Finland, sociocultural multisensory work is used within special education, health and social care services, and it is so far most often practiced in purposefully built Multisensory Environments. Currently there is a growing interest in Finland in building inclusive multisensory and cultural environments also at the community and society levels. Keywords: empowerment, happiness, individuals with profound and multiple disabilities as service users, interdisciplinary team work, sociocultural multisensory work, participation

Often the abilities of children are underestimated when they are labelled disabled, medically or socially. Assumptions about ability/disability can be incorrect, and a different environment can redefine limited expectations. This paper presents data from a longitudinal, qualitative study of Canadian swimmers with different disabilities who competed on the Canadian national Paralympic teams. It includes the swimmers’ descriptions of the love of the sensory experience of the water, in their own words. It also illustrates how the water of the pool can be transformative in the lives of children and youth, both physically and socially.

Who Might Attend: This workshop is ideal for everyone; it is especially beneficial for people who live on the edge of burnout from stressful lifestyles, and /or keeping up with the demands of caring for others.

While providing and promoting quality of life to others, many caregivers operate on the brink of burnout. A few minutes of self care can go a long way in renewing one’s sense of well being. During this workshop participants will learn about, and. have the opportunity to practice, various relaxation techniques of mindfulness, movement, and hands-on care. We will also take a common sense approach to incorporating these techniques into your daily life. These easy-to-follow approaches to relaxation can be practiced within a few minutes during a break at work, in the luxurious privacy of your own home, or during everyday life situations as they occur.

Mindfulness: Participants will learn a variety of straightforward focusing techniques i.e. letting go of worry, affirming what you want, watching the breath, giving thanks, and guided imagery. These techniques of mindfulness are designed to relax the mind, promote mental discipline, stimulate mental clarity, and restore a positive outlook.

Skeleton Dance: This light-hearted approach to movement uses principles of perpetual motion balanced with moments of stillness to free up the skeleton. Particular attention is given to lubricating the joints, shaking out the limbs, and “laying down the bones”. All of these techniques help release tension, increase flexibility, encourage free self-expression and renew your vital life energy.

Hands-On Care: Focusing energy through the hands is an innate ability common to all people. Participants will learn about the basic principles of hands-on care, and have time to practice on themselves and others. Receiving and / or giving hands-on care promotes overall relaxation for the giver and the receiver. States of deep relaxation trigger the para-sympathetic nervous system, which awakens the body’s natural ability to restore balance on all levels.

Practical Applications For Daily Life: Relaxation techniques are an effective way to manage daily stress and rebalance your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy. Whatever your chosen lifestyle, all of these relaxation techniques are easy to learn and simple to practice, and can be applied in everyday situations. During the workshop ample time will be given to explore practical ways to incorporate what you learn into your daily life. In addition to learning how to prevent burnout, another practical benefit of this full day workshop can be related to the known principle that states that “what we learn we can also teach”. So, eventhough this workshop focuses on prevention of burnout and is intended to teach care givers how to take care of ourselves, the knowledge base and practical ability acquired during this workshop will also enrich participants’ “tool kit”, resulting in increased ability to also implement into, and use, these techniques in supporting the people we serve.

This is an invitation to a voyage into a forgotten land that opens a path to thinking of the Body’s teaching role. This workshop focuses on the non-verbal realm primarily through movement, guided by the senses, explorations of authentic and conditioned movement, attunement to unfolding “Body knowledge”, delving into re-experiencing experience, facilitated by the “Energetic Shofar” model. All may enhance “personal-practical knowledge” bringing forth wisdom that is often ignored, seen as irrational and therefore, irrelevant for well-being. "Reflecting in/on action", attending to the unfolding meaning of experience one may attend to learning processes in-action and the important role senses/sensory awareness have towards personal and/or professional growth.

The purpose of this experiential workshop is to discuss the therapeutic benefits of yoga for children with developmental challenges and to demonstrate the components of the yoga class. The registrants will have the opportunity to participate in or observe a yoga class suitable for special children. They will learn hatha yoga poses, eye exercises, specialized breathing exercises, music and sound therapy, relaxation and meditation techniques. Everyone is encouraged to participate and ask questions during the workshop.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can severely impair a patient's ability to communicate and socialize. Individuals with such disorders tend to have unique ways of learning, paying attention, and reacting to different sensations. The increasing number of children with ASD highlights the need to provide a full range of services, including dental care. This presentation will focus on the oral health status and dental needs of patients with ASD. Clinical behavior-management issues such as pharmacological and communicative techniques, desensitization as well as the affect of the dental office’s environment and appointment structure on a patient’s with ASD will also be discussed.

Key Words: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Oral Health; Pediatric Dentistry

Children with developmental disabilities often have a high level of sensory sensitivity, expressed by reluctance to participate in activities requiring them to touch and experience various materials and textures. At Israel Elwyn’s Stein Early Intervention Center we have developed a method for dealing with this through weekly group activities, also implemented in the classroom, which focus on sensory treatment that help each child cope with reticence to participate in sensory experiences. Over time, the method results in changes to receptors in the nervous system, regulates stimulation and enables the child to change habits, aiding him in reaching optimal functioning. The common professional language created has also improved staff cooperation.

In this paper I will recount my experience as the blind artistic director of the Inside Out integrated Theatre Company which I founded in 1992. Beginning with a chiefly therapeutic focus, Inside Out evolved into a bona fide performance group. Highlights will include the benefits provided the experience of theatrical performance by artists with disabilities, not only to the artists themselves, but also to the theatre community generally, and to the wider public.

This unique talk focuses on my personal challenges growing up on the autism spectrum and how I found very specific sensory stimulation helpful while other sensory stimulation painful. I will focus on how to understand the importance of the sensory environment from a personal perspective as well as a more general one. In past presentations I focused on how sensory challenges also could be seen in another perspective as abilities, even talents. I will touch upon this here while focusing on day to day sensory challenges and how different environmental factors from lighting to ambient noise can contribute to exacerbating negative symptoms or emphasizing positive qualities. I will share my understanding of why this is so and the inner workings of an autistic mind, an understanding of which can make a huge difference to those struggling to cope with sensory issues and their caregivers. This talk is especially helpful to caregivers, parents and researchers wanting to understand more about the unique sensory issues of autism as well as anyone on the spectrum looking for coping strategies.

There is considerable evidence that individuals with autism experience sensory processing difficulties, which can affect their ability to participate in functional activities. Professionals frequently recommend interventions that involve somatosensory (touch-pressure) stimulation to mitigate sensory difficulties and improve an individual’s ability to function.

Although somatosensory stimulation interventions are common, their effectiveness is not well-documented and the mechanisms by which these interventions may work are not well understood. This paper examines the theoretical rationale and evidence supporting somatosensory stimulation interventions for children with autism. Recent research on behavioural and physiological effects of weighted vests for children with autism will be incorporated. Strategies are provided to assist professionals and parents to intervene in an area with limited empirical support.

As designers of educational video games, we’ve encountered something we generically term “problems of the interface”. In other words, enormous resistance to the idea that staring at a screen and pushing buttons could be education in any worthwhile sense, and subsequently from those who imagine that the range of intellectual engagements enabled by contemporary digital technologies are as slight as their literal and observable manifestations in play. There is, however, a deep and rich universe of experiential educative engagements and possibilities afforded by playing digital games --- and this talk will illustrate some of these affordances.