Partial proceeds from this training goes to the Hidden Angel Foundation

Multi Sensory Environment (MSE) TrainingSENSORIUM 6

11/8/2009 1(c) Fornes, 2009

SENSORIUM 6

AFFECTING BRAIN AROUSAL

11/8/2009 2(c) Fornes, 2009

Brain Arousal Brain arousal is fundamental to all cognition and behavior (Pfaff,

2006). Nearly all health problems flow from over-arousal, under-arousal, or instability in the central nervous system.

Neural pathways are the underlying mechanism for brain arousal. Disrupting brain arousal mechanisms can cause problems ranging from mild loss of vigilance or sleep, to the devastation of a vegetative state.

The brain and nervous system has a capacity to determine if the stimulus is ◦ (a) relevant (or important), ◦ (b) valued (assigning a positive, negative, or neutral value to the stimulus), ◦ (c) properly modulated, referring to the ability of the nervous system to

regulate its own activity. Stimulation at the right level increases the level of fascination.

the key seems to be in finding the combination of sensory input that allows the individual to take control once the balance has been achieved

this balance is achieved through the chemical interaction that allows “self-regulation”, “motivation, “organization”, and “integration” to take place for the individual.

This maybe achieved through changing brain arousal

AROUSAL IS A DYNAMIC EVER CHANGINGPROCESS

RELATED TODIRECT & INDIRECT RESPONSES

TO INTERNAL & EXTERNAL STIMULI

5

AROUSAL IS MODIFIED AND ALTERED THROUGH:

1. The registration of the stimulus at the

2. The habituation process of the nervous system. It’s ability to depress synaptic transmissions to repeated non-noxious, irrelevant stimuli.

3. The neuron’s ability to react: by an increased response to stimuli that is intense and noxious, referred to as “sensation”.

4. The brain’s capacity to determine if the stimulus : a) RELEVANT (IT IS IMPORTANT)b) VALUED (ASSIGNING A POSITIVE, NEGATIVE OR NEUTRAL VALUE TO THE

STIMULUS.c) PROPERLY MODULATED: ABILITY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM TO REGULATE

ITS OWN ACTIVITY

(Pfaff, 2006)

AROUSAL INCREASES WITH:

Intensity

Complexity

Unexpectedness

Incongruity

Affective meaning

Novelty

Pfaff, 2006 7

AROUSAL DECREASES WITH:

Constancy

Repetition

Familiarity

Neutrality

Arousal level Activity Level Stimulation levelBalance

arousal level with activity level

low arousal* low activitystimulation to

arousal & activity level

high arousal high activity

match arousal level with meaningful stimulation to decrease high activity level

Look at it as Backward Chaining with their Sensory

Diet needs

low arousal* high activity

match activity level with increased

meaningful stimulation to

increase arousal level

Their Sensory Diet Needs

*can be people in shut down

either the person shuts everything out and closes down completely or they can be people who shut down by displaying

high activity in the form of self-injurious, self-stimulatory behavior

LMessbauer 03

Activity Level is the degree of one’s mental, emotional, or physical arousal. Activity level can be high, low or in-between.

Affecting Brain Arousal

To promote change, we must become conscious of the fact that our very presence is an element of change.

Human beings are organisms that respond to change, every sensation produces a potential for change.

Most of the time it is on an unconscious level. Our brain/mind and body just react to the change. ◦ For Example: when we get cold and shiver or chew our nails

because we are anxious, these are examples of the unconscious process.

This is on a dynamic continuum from being unaware to being aware of the process.

Affecting Brain Arousal We are also an element of the environment and we become a part

of the other human beings environment.

We influence everything about the environment for this person; from speaking directly to them or some else, to moving about, to humming a song, to picking up and turning the pages of the newspaper.

We are an element of change to be monitored by the other individual. Speaking or any noise interferes with the other person’s ability to perceive, adjust and control their own environment and experience.

If our goal is to allow the person opportunity for personal growth, learning or relaxation we must recognize that we are a part of the process and a part of their enviornment

Affecting Brain Arousal

If our true goal is to help someone achieve relaxation we must learn to “help” only where we are needed according to the person’s ability to “block out” unwanted stimuli; this includes us.

When we attempt to assist individuals with a disability, we seem to think that more instructions or directions will be helpful and necessary. We are uncomfortable with silence. And yet it is the very act of remaining silent that gives the other person control and uninterrupted time. How will we never know what the individual perceives if we are always blocking their view?

AFFECTING CHANGEWITH EFFECT WHEELS and MUSIC

By presenting abstract visual effects and music simultaniously, the user receives a pattern of rythum that they preceive as syncronizing both effects together.

Causing the brain to have more input through the sensory enviornment.

All group series of effect wheels are in a continuum from the least amount of arousal stimulation to the highest amount of arousal stimulation it will produce.

For example: Level I would be the least; while Level V or higher would be the most amount of arousal stimulation within that group.

Cassette and Effect Wheel Series of Stimulation

Cassette and Effect Wheel Series of Stimulation

Group Series 6” Liquid Effects Wheels:

Relaxation Group Series:◦ Level I: Soft Colors

◦ Level II: Aqua / Green

◦ Level III: Blue / Purple

◦ Level IV: Multicolored

◦ Level V: Red Pink

Cassette and Effect Wheel Series of Stimulation

Group Series

Cassette Relaxation Group Series:

◦ Level I: Stars

◦ Level II: Flowing Liquid

◦ Level III: Stained glass

Cassette and Effect Wheel Series of Stimulation

Group Series

Cassette Facilitation / Excitation Group Series:

◦ Level I: Kaleidoscope

◦ Level II: Webbed Sun

◦ Level III: Solar Burst

Cassette and Effect Wheel Series of Stimulation

Group Series

Cassette Motivation Group Series:

◦ Level I: #7116

◦ Level II: Aztec Sun

◦ Level III: Phoenix

Note: Each series and individual level can be increased along the arousal stimulation continuum by adding on another projector accessory such as distortion wheels, prisms, panoramic rotator or auto changer.

Wheel & Accessory Combinations for Increasing / Decreasing Arousal Levels

There are three and possibly four accessory changes that can be made to your projector to be combined with music options for changing arousal levels. This does not take into account changes that can be made in the environment to add options for changing arousal levels. For example: using a mirror ball to reflect the projector on, either while it is not moving or moving.

Cassette and Effect Wheel Series of Stimulation

Group Series

Passive / Active

Reality / Object Series

Number 1: Clouds

Number 2: Fireworks

Number 3: Deep

Number 4: Seascape

Number 5: Forest

Number 6: Wilderness

Number 7: Dawn

Number 8: Prehistoric

Number 9: Gifts

Cassette and Effect Wheel Series of Stimulation

Group Series Passive / Active

Reality / Object Series

Number 10: ButterfliesNumber 11: ShapelandNumber 12: JigsawNumber 13: Create-A-Wheel

Any wheel which displays an object, item or scene that is recognizable can be utilized for reminiscence therapy or memory games and illicit conversation with seniors or anyone. These also could be utilized for story telling and learning games as well as for pure imaginative fun with children.

Depending on what population you are serving and on how you configure the projector and its accessories the possibilities are almost endless. Remember in most cases you are using a wheel that your group can relate to by experiences they have had or as a focal point to introduce an experience. The intent is to use associations or build associations. An example follows:

Number 1: Clouds

Most people have experienced clouds.

Put Clouds on the projector, it turns slow and coupled with soft relaxation music will be perceived as relaxing. You need to do nothing more but, wait for relaxation to occur. If your intent or goal is to get people to talk, relate, become less agitated, stressed, then asking questions in a quiet manner maybe your next step. How you shape the experience depends on your goal and creativity.

Samples: What kind of clouds are these? Have you seen clouds like these before? Where were you? Can you think of songs with clouds in the title? Have you picnicked, gone to the park, beach, etc. under clouds like these? Do you see anything in the shape of these clouds? What? Remember if your intent is to get people to talk then you do not want just “yes” / “no” questions.

This can be accomplished by: Start the same as above to relax the students, with pertinent questions for three to five minutes. The aim here is to get their attention and quiet the group for good listening. Next, change the music to a nature tape of the sounds of the wind. Add a distortion wheel. The effect will change the appearance of the clouds. Continue to ask questions now making them more pertinent to your lesson.

Now lets say your intent is get kids excited and focused and they are going to be making kites to fly and your subject is weather. Plain Clouds just doesn’t do it, “boring”! Planning a lesson around this wheel can be effective if change the experience to be more novel and increase the arousal level of the students.

Ask more questions about clouds and there relationship to the weather. (Types and what they mean). What kind of weather do we need to fly kites? Do the clouds look like they are moving faster? What might make the clouds move faster? Is it the wind that makes our kites fly? Can you picture your kite in the clouds? What kind of kite will you make? What does your kite need to fly? (List the items). (Teaches taking turns and good listening skills.)

Pretending and imagination help learning and it is fun. If you wanted to teach cooperation and sharing you might want the students to pair up; one being the kite and one student the flyer. You could point out that there needs to be space between them so the string does not get tangled. You can create whatever scenario you wanted.

Add the panoramic rotator to the projector which will move your clouds around the room. This will increase the arousal level of the students again. You can ask more questions which now means the students will need to focus or attend more because there is more happening in the environment.

If you thought there was too much arousal starting to happen change the music again to something slower again. If you now want to add in some physical exercises or movement to the learning experience to demonstrate the behavior for flying a kite. Just ask a child to stand up and act like a kite and the touch the clouds.

Change the music to storms, add a red color wheel, have the kids reel in the kites. Change the order of the effect wheels to reverse the process and go back to clam skies. As a teacher you want to maximize the lesson to reach all your students whether they be auditory learners, visual learners or movement learners or any combination thereof.

Wheel & Accessory Combinations for Increasing / Decreasing Arousal Levels

Please remember that changes in arousal levels is not a static process but, a dynamic process. The environment will impact this process. Things like the size of the space you utilize, the noise levels, the temperature of the room, how dark or light the room is illuminated, the use of mirrors, other equipment and seating will all play a role in establishing your stage.

Below is Table One which can be used to establish a guide for selecting projection wheels and the level of arousal it will help to facilitate. Given a range of arousal, one through ten, where one is relaxation and ten is high arousal, fill in the blanks with the arousal number you experience. This is an exercise based on your sensory diet and history. If you use music as you try this, use the same music throughout for the first time.Next, try Table Two and Three following the same process.

Table One

Wheel #prismtwo

prism three

prism four

distortion one

distortion two

distortion three

Clouds

Fireworks

Deep

Seascape

Forest

Wilderness

Dawn

Prehistoric

Gifts

Butterflies

Shapeland

Jigsaw

Table Two: Liquid Effects Wheels

While doing this exercise ask yourself how you feel. Colors help change mood. Also you can change the effect of the scene or object wheel by not allowing the colored liquid wheel to rotate. Just don’t plug it into the motor on the projector.

Table Two: Liquid Effects Wheels

Wheel #Soft

ColorsAqua / Green

Blue / Purple

Red / Pink

Multi-colored

Other

Clouds

Fireworks

Deep

Seascape

Forest

Wilderness

Dawn

Prehistoric

Gifts

Butterflies

Shapeland

Jigsaw

Table Three: Try each wheel with the other accessories. Now try combinations with two or more accessories for the projector. Keep a record of what potential it has in changing your arousal level. See how many combinations can be made with your accessories.Combination example: Deep with Red/Pink, with panoramic rotator and deflector mirror.

Combination #1: ________________________________

Combination #2: ________________________________

Combination #3: ________________________________

Combination #4: ________________________________

Table Three

Wheel #mirror

deflectorPanoramic rotator

Combination #1

Combination #1

Combination #1

Combination #1

Clouds

Fireworks

Deep

Seascape

Forest

Wilderness

Dawn

Prehistoric

Gifts

Butterflies

Shapeland

Jigsaw

MSE Response ProfileName: ________________________ Date: __/__/__Completed by: __________________ Time of Session: ______

EmotionalBehavioral

ObservationsPrior to

Sessions20 Minutes

into SessionEnd of

Session20 Minutes

Post Session

Blood Pressure

Pulse

Happy / Content

Happy / Excited

Agitated

Sad

Indifferent / Neutral /No response

Follow Requests

Self Stimulatory

Fearful

Tentative

Relaxed

Observation of Sensory Diet at 15 Minutes into Session

Seeks / Enjoys:VisualLight TouchDeep Pressure TouchMovementVestibular / RockingConstant MovementBeing off the FloorBeing on the FloorSmellsSound InputSound OutputVibrationSitting / Position Change

Avoids / Dislikes:VisualLight TouchDeep Pressure TouchMovementVestibular / RockingConstant MovementBeing off the FloorBeing on the FloorSmellsSound InputSound OutputVibrationSitting / Position Change

Comments:

Total # of people in Snoezelen session including consumer: _________

Music used during the session: ________________

Sensory Profile Exercise:

Instructions: Find out as much information as possible about your partner by asking the following questions. Talk about the sensation and the association if there is one.

1. What scent, perfume, fragrance, cologne do they like? What smell or scent do they hate? Do these scents remind them of anything, event or anyone in particular?

2. What food is their favorite? Why? Does texture play a role in why they like it? Or the opposite, do they hate a particular texture or taste and do they associate it with anything special?

3. What kinds of touch do they like? Do they like any particular fabric over others? Do they have a favorite blanket, shirt, blouse? Why do they like that one the best?

4. Where is their favorite place to relax? What is it about this place that makes it a favorite? Describe the setting.

5. What do they do to keep calm when they are getting upset (crack knuckles, twirl hair?

Sensory Profile Exercise:

6. Describe a habit they have when they are nervous or stressed out. (Chew nails).

7. What do they do when they are really tired, but have to stay awake? (Like when you had to study).

8. What kind of music did they grow up listening to? Do they listen to the same music? Do they have a new preference? Does any particular music drive them crazy? Why?

9. Do they like amusement park rides? Which ones? What about the ride do they like?

10. Did they participate in a sport growing up? Do they routinely exercise now? If so, what?