Sensory Processing and the A SECRET framework
(SRF menu item - A SECRET) - 2.5 hours

Explains our eight sensory systems, and how our responses to them impact our emotional and sensory regulation levels. Highlights the challenges in EC settings for children who have strong reactions to sensory input and need support to regulate themselves.  Practical strategies and opportunities for reflection are offered.

Also introduces the A SECRET framework – the invention of Dr Lucy-Jane Miller of the STAR institute for Sensory Processing, Colorado. (The original version of this presentation was the result of a collaboration between STAR and Early Childhood Outreach). The framework is used to collate and record strategies to support a child to achieve a particular goal, or maximise their success in a new challenge area.  Fictional case studies are used to illustrate the practical use of the framework. The importance of having a detailed overview of the child’s current abilities and interests before completing an A SECRET framework is highlighted, and the All About Me is shown as an example of this.