Environmental Complexity

Emily’s ability to manage environmental complexity is certainly a challenge. As mentioned in an earlier post, her ability to participate in the classroom improves significantly when there are fewer children present. The overall sensory qualities of the environment greatly impact her ability to maintain the just right arousal level for optimal attention, motivation, and social interactions. When more children are present in the classroom, the unpredictability of the environment increases as well as an increased level of sensory input which as we have learned increases anxiety and decreases attention. It has been interesting to really think about this child in relation to the specific content areas that we are covering in class.

This is a child who was performing fairly well in a specialized Early Intervention classroom that had smaller numbers of kids and high predictability by design (visuals schedules, built in sensory activities, teacher facilitation for social interactions and play). Because of the strengths demonstrated in this setting, she was transitioned to a setting with much more environmental complexity that was probably not considered and planned for adequately enough to facilitate a successful transition. At this point I feel as if we are back pedaling and adding the supports; if the supports were in place to begin with and then faded systematically, her transition would have been more successful. Many of the strategies that I discussed in the earlier post will also help to support thte challenges this student faces with environmental complexities.

I try to find positives in every situation. Realizing that Emily is transitioning into kindergarten in the fall, I feel this situation has brought to light important aspects that the team will be able to share with the district in terms of supports and strategies that will help Emily deal with the new environmental complexities that she will encounter in kindergarten.