An opportunity for special education and related service practitioners working in school-based settings to learn through a facilitated book study on the book, “Is It Sensory or Is It Behavior” by Carolyn Murray-Slutsky, MS, OTR, and Betty A. Paris, PT, M.Ed. This book, published in 2005 provides a foundational perspective from which to view sensory differences as they impact participation in schools.

At the completion of this course participants will be able to:
1. Differentiate Sensory Integrative Theory and Sensory Processing Differences.
2. Analyze behavior through the lens of obtaining or avoiding sensory input, social interaction, or communicative function.
3. Identify a format for designing sensory diets to facilitate self-regulation in sensory processing.
4. Discuss the integration of behavioral and sensory based interventions into the therapeutic process.

Course will be offered as an interactive, asynchronous discussion of topics based on chapters beginning June 1, 2020 and ending on August 9, 2020. Participants are expected to contribute to the discussion at least one time per week by responding to guiding questions after reading the chapter(s) assigned for that week.

Weekly Topics
Setting the stage-Differentiation
Sensory Integration and Sensory Processing D/O
Deviations in Development: The impact on Behavior
Basic Concepts, Analyzing Behavior
Sensory: Analyzing the Behavior
Analyzing Behaviors that are Not Sensory
Environmental and behavioral interventions
Handling Temper Tantrums and Challenging Behaviors
Sensory Diets
Pulling it all together-discussion of cases

Participants will need the book "Is It Sensory or Is It Behavior” by Carolyn Murray-Slutsky, MS, OTR, and Betty A. Paris, PT, M.Ed to participate in the course. The book can be purchased from SouthPaw for $68.00 (https://www.southpaw.com/is-it-sensory-or-is-it-behavior.html).