Occupational Therapy & Wellness Center
How Does Your Engine Run Alert Program for Self-Regulation
What is it? This program consists of lessons and fun activities that help children (and adults) learn to recognize, monitor and change their level of alertness appropriate to a given situation. Alertness is the ability to regulate one's level of arousal so that it is not too "high" or too "low." Arousal can be described as a state of the nervous system describing how alert one feels. In order to attend, concentrate, and perform tasks, one's nervous system must be in an optimal state of arousal.
This program is designed to teach self-awareness, confidence and self-esteem through learning to notice one's own level of alertness. Sensory-motor techniques and their applications are taught which allow an individual to self regulate their "engine" (level of alertness) required during daily activities.
Who can benefit from this program?
This program is suited for preschoolers to adults with attention difficulties or learning disabilities. Including those with ADHD, Sensory Integration, Asperger’s, and high functioning autism. The best age group to introduce this program is 7-11 year olds. However, we have introduced a new program geared towards children as young as 4 to address the issue early on. What type of setting is needed to run the program?
A clinician in any quiet setting can teach this program. Including in a school as well as ones home. It can be used to address an individual child’s needs and it can also be tailored to focus on small group of 4-6 children. What are the typical treatment techniques?
One can use overlays, worksheets, collages, movement activities with stop action, and home program activities for parent and child. How is success best measured?
One measures the success of the program with increased success in school and home life. It should also show decreased incidences of emotional outbursts and out of control behavior. Is there any literature?
“The Out of Sync Child” & “The Out of Sync Child Has Fun” by Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A. is a great resource.
"How Does Your Engine Run?", the Alert Program for Self Regulation by Mary Sue Williams and Sherry Shellenberger
You can purchase other resources on the subject at www.theraproducts.com (Therapro is based in Massachusetts, USA).
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P. B. Samara OT & Assoc d/b/a Barrett Family Wellness Center
76 Otis Street #7 • Westborough, MA 01545
508-898-2688 • nicole@barrettfamilywellness.com
