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The Multisensory Handbook: A Guide For Children and Adults With Sensory Learning Disabilities

The document reviews The Multisensory Handbook by Paul Pagliano, which provides an in-depth perspective on multisensory development for individuals with sensory disabilities. The book is organized into two parts that lay the foundation for multisensory stimulation and apply this theory to a unified multisensory approach. Part I enhances understanding of how the senses interact for learning. Part II introduces applying multisensory stimulation in a structured environment, which could benefit orientation and mobility professionals working with clients who have multiple exceptionalities. Overall, the book is recommended for re-establishing understanding of multisensory stimulation applicable to the orientation and mobility field.

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105 views3 pages

The Multisensory Handbook: A Guide For Children and Adults With Sensory Learning Disabilities

The document reviews The Multisensory Handbook by Paul Pagliano, which provides an in-depth perspective on multisensory development for individuals with sensory disabilities. The book is organized into two parts that lay the foundation for multisensory stimulation and apply this theory to a unified multisensory approach. Part I enhances understanding of how the senses interact for learning. Part II introduces applying multisensory stimulation in a structured environment, which could benefit orientation and mobility professionals working with clients who have multiple exceptionalities. Overall, the book is recommended for re-establishing understanding of multisensory stimulation applicable to the orientation and mobility field.

Uploaded by

hermawan
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Multisensory Handbook:

REVIEW

A Guide for Children and


Adults with Sensory Learning
BOOK

Disabilities
ISBN: 978-0-415-59754-8

Paul Pagliano (2012). Routledge.

The Multisensory Handbook: A guide for children and adults with sensory learning
disabilities, while not specifically written for our field, is a relevant resource that provides
an in depth perspective on the importance of multisensory development. Dr. Pagliano, the
author, has experience working with individuals with vision impairments and provides
several examples specifically related to vision impairment throughout the book. The main
focus is on individuals with significant sensory disabilities such as individuals with multiple
challenges who need structured intervention. Refreshingly, however, Dr. Pagliano does not
present a deficit model, but rather encourages collaboration and thoughtful intervention to
build upon an individual’s sensory strengths. The book is organised into two parts, each with
six chapters. Part I lays the foundation for multisensory stimulation, and Part II applies this
theory to the presentation of a unified approach for working with individuals with sensory
learning disabilities within a structured multisensory environment.

Part I: Multisensory stimulation


From the perspective of orientation and mobility (O&M), Part I of the book is an
enriching read that enhances how we think about the interaction of the senses to gain and
use information. Part I is theory and information based that the O&M specialist will need
to consider how to apply to h/er practice. However, the chapters provide a more intricate
understanding of the senses and their relationship to learning than is typically discussed. Dr.
Pagliano goes beyond an isolated surface level discussion of the senses, and he structures
the chapters in a way that keeps reminding the reader of the main points from the previous
chapter and how they connect to the upcoming information. This style is useful in helping
the reader to meaningfully absorb the density of the information and consider its application
to practice.
Neuroplasticity and early sensory development, sensory processing, sensory thresholds,
multisensory communication, and avoiding learned helplessness are among the many topics
with related examples presented in the chapters that are relevant to enhancing our work as
O&M professionals. The discussion of sensory thresholds in Chapter 2 was particularly

International Journal of Orientation & Mobility • Volume 5, Number 1, 2012 53


interesting for me as an O&M specialist, highlighting that there are levels that lead to an
individual’s ability to gather information from the senses: one might detect sensory input,
then recognise what it is, then be able to differentiate its qualities from other input. This is a
concept we apply to collecting functional vision information, but I was reminded by reading
this book about how it applies to all senses and how strong of an impact it can have on a
person’s O&M skills. What our clients/students will perceive and understand in their travel
environments is linked to the concepts they have built through an ability to use multisensory
information at a differentiation level. When we are working with a client or student to select
a travel route, build concepts, or understand and explore a new environment, Part I serves
as a valuable read in that it reminds us of the importance of taking the sensory perspective
of the individual and provides an opportunity to more deeply think about how theory related
to multisensory stimulation can improve and enhance O&M outcomes.

Part II: A unified approach


In Part II, Dr. Pagliano introduces a unified approach for working with individuals with
sensory learning disabilities in a structured multisensory environment (e.g., Snoezelen
room). By interlacing what was learned in Part I, he introduces the reader to working
collaboratively, establishing a caring relationship, conducting assessments that will provide
a starting point for multisensory stimulation interventions, creating an environment that
meets the needs of the individual, and then using this environment to start a sensory
conversation and move the individual forward. While harder to directly apply this part of
the book to the type of instruction O&M specialists generally do in less controlled everyday
environments, aspects and concepts of Part II can still be very useful.
First, for O&M professionals working with students who have multiple exceptionalities,
this section is very pertinent since the starting point for developing concepts for O&M begins
with finding sensory thresholds, which for individuals with significant sensory learning
disabilities will need to be explored initially in a controlled environment. O&M professionals
may be working in teams to provide input into what a multisensory environment should
include and might benefit by working with students in such environments themselves. Part
II gives the reader a perspective on what these environments can provide and considerations
to make them as effective as possible. In addition, I found the forms provided in Chapter 8
on assessment to be a great reference for collecting sensory information and understanding
an individual holistically. This holistic perspective on the client or student can help to guide
O&M instruction and initial goals. Finally, the author highlights in this part of the book the
importance of establishing a caring relationship and gives practical considerations for doing
so. This concept extends beyond the walls of a multisensory stimulation environment and is
something of which all practitioners should be mindful.

Overall Resource
Overall, I would recommend this book to O&M specialists as a way to re-establish a
deep understanding about multisensory stimulation - a topic in general very applicable to

54 International Journal of Orientation & Mobility • Volume 5, Number 1, 2012


our profession. As a reader with an O&M perspective, I was excited about the connections
I made while reading and the ideas they inspired. A perfect “sequel” from my perspective
would bridge the practical application of working in a multisensory structured environment
to effectively transitioning to a more fluid environment where clients and students are
beginning to develop O&M travel skills.

Kim T. Zebehazy, PhD, COMS, CLVT, TSVI. Assistant professor in the department of Educational and
Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, University of British Columbia, 2125 Main Mall, Vancouver,
BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; e-mail: <[email protected]>.

International Journal of Orientation & Mobility • Volume 5, Number 1, 2012 55

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