Sensory Tubs

Sensory Tubs for AWANA Sparks Club!!!

Previously on my blog, I shared with you all that I have a son who has been diagnosed with Autism. He is in first grade this year, so he's not new to Sparks Club, however, every year seems to present it's own set of challenges for him.

Last year we recruited an individual who agreed to be his "Buddy", and stay with him throughout club nights to give him support and direction where needed. We are so blessed that his Buddy agreed to work with him again this year, however, even with support his first club night ended up being very difficult for him.

After some conversations with his Buddy, we determined that the overall club environment just tends to over stimulate him to a point where he cannot focus and function as he does in a more typical environment. When he gets over stimulated his ability to maintain eye contact, respond to directions, as well as his overall behavior suffers, so it was clear that we had to do something to help him!

Our first step was to set up a quiet area where he and his Buddy could sit and talk or play before entering the main club room.  The main room where we all meet for opening ceremony is a big room with laminate flooring and lots, and lots of space to run around, which is great! However, for my son this environment tends to be too loud and seems to invite him to run around like crazy. Last week, we kept my son in his "small quiet space" until opening ceremony started, and this seemed to help a lot. By the time my son entered the room, all the other clubbers had settled down and were ready to do pledges and sing the AWANA song, so we basically just skipped exposing him to all the chaos in the beginning.

We also brought in a Sensory Tub that he could use as a quiet escape if he needed it throughout the different club segments. His Buddy was thrilled with the results.  Turns out, the tub worked great and my son really seemed to like it. He ended up using the tub during transitions and "pick up" time, when things tend to get louder and there is more movement among the other clubbers. 

For our Sensory Tub, we used dried beans as a base and added little Sonic The Hedgehog figurines, because my son really likes Sonic The Hedgehog. We also added little gold Bible verse coins from Oriental Trading, and a shovel.

Our tub is small because it is intended for individual use, so it is very portable, but we decided to place it in a corner of the room that was somewhat shielded from the florescent lighting and noise. This space worked great because it allowed my son to get away from some of the overwhelming stimuli in the room, while also offering him a sensory activity that helps him to regulate. 

I love the Sensory Tub because the items can be easily exchanged over time and can also be used as a fun way to explore bible verses and lesson activities. Sensory tubs or other activities may not work for every child, but I thought I would go ahead and share our success with it.

If you have any ideas or tips for including Children with Special Needs in AWANA club, please share! As a parent, I thrive on sharing ideas and learning from others, so I invite everyone to share their successes so that we can all benefit from them.