OARRRS

"Designed to increase motivation and decrease disruptive behaviors in the classroom."

During the COVID 19 pandemic, students across the
nation were forced to participate in school virtually.  The unusual
stress forced upon the students, as well as others living in their
homes, was evident upon the return to a traditional school model.
Reports of students’ perceived trauma during this time resulted in a
noticeable increase in disruptive behavior. 

During the days of the pandemic, escalation for an already traumatized population occurred. In December of 2021, a 190 MPH tornado made a 165.7-mile swath of devastation through Western KY, affecting numerous school districts.  Another tornado caused damage to Central Kentucky on the same night.  Later in July of 2022 Eastern Ky experienced over 600% of normal rainfall resulting in catastrophic flooding of the mountainous regions of Kentucky.  Unsurprisingly, students attempted to deal with a heightened sense of threat based on learned fear and isolation.  Disruptive behaviors of physical movement, vocalizations, and other behaviors increased dramatically and became disruptive to learning. 

To address this new phenomenon, schools in Kentucky began
implementing calming areas, sensory rooms and sensory spaces.  Trainings across the state ensued, instructing educators on identifying trauma and becoming trauma informed schools.  Simultaneously, there was an increased focus on increasing understanding of sensory processing disorders and the development of strategies to regulate and maintain homeostasis within the student.  Use of sensory strategies were found to be effective whether the student was experiencing a need for for sensation modification as a result of a sensory processing disorder or from anxiety.  With this emphasis on establishing optimal arousal for students, a new strategy emerged for classroom management that uses Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.

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This innovative approach includes reading, writing, and math instruction with sensory components embedded throughout the instructional day. This integration of sensory regulation and academic instruction uses sensory tool kits and techniques that are good for teaching all students, but absolutely essential for students that need sensory stimulation or reduction for homeostasis. This new approach to sensory needs and disruptive behavior reduction is OARRRS

   (Optimal Arousal Reading-wRiting-aRithmetic Strategies).