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Sensory Diet Selector

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Lesson Plan

Session 1 Lesson Plan

Introduce the concept of sensory diets by identifying the five senses and practicing sorting sensory activities using picture cards and mats. Student will identify each sense and correctly sort at least one activity per sense.

Building awareness of the five senses lays the foundation for self-regulation through sensory diets. This lesson helps the student recognize sensory inputs and begin choosing appropriate sensory activities.

Audience

3rd Grade Autistic Student

Time

5 minutes

Approach

Hands-on sorting with visual supports.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Session Materials

10 minutes

  • Print and cut out the Sense Picture Cards.
  • Prepare the Sorting Mats, one mat per sense.
  • Laminate materials for durability if desired.
  • Place cards and mats on a tray for easy access.

Step 1

Introduction

1 minute

  • Greet the student and explain that today’s lesson is about the five senses.
  • Show a visual of the five senses and name each one.
  • Ask the student to name any senses they already know.

Step 2

Explore Sense Cards

2 minutes

  • Present the Sense Picture Cards one at a time.
  • Ask the student to identify which sense each card represents.
  • Provide prompts or modeling if the student is unsure.

Step 3

Sorting Activity

1.5 minutes

  • Lay out the Sorting Mats, each labeled with a sense.
  • Ask the student to sort a selection of picture cards onto the correct mats.
  • Offer gentle guidance and reinforce correct placements.

Step 4

Wrap-Up and Review

30 seconds

  • Review each mat with the student and praise correct sorting.
  • Ask the student to name one sense and an example activity for that sense.
  • Provide positive feedback and set the goal for the next session.
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Activity

Session 1 Activity: Sense Sorting Challenge

Objective:
Help the student practice identifying the five senses by sorting picture cards onto the correct sense mats.

Materials:

1. Set Up (30 seconds)

  • Lay out the five Sorting Mats in a row, each labeled with one sense (Sight, Hearing, Taste, Smell, Touch).
  • Place the stack of Sense Picture Cards face down on the tray.

2. Demonstration (30 seconds)

  • Pick one card (for example, a picture of an ice cream cone).
  • Think aloud: “I see an ice cream cone. I taste ice cream. That means this card goes on the Taste mat.”
  • Place it on the Taste mat.

3. Guided Sorting (2 minutes)

  • Invite the student to pick one card from the stack.
  • Ask: “Which sense do we use for this picture?”
    • If the student is unsure, offer a prompt: “Do we smell it, hear it, taste it, touch it, or see it?”
  • Have the student place the card on the matching mat.
  • Provide praise for correct choices and gentle guidance if they choose incorrectly.

Prompts to Support the Student:

  • “What happens when you hear thunder?” (Hearing)
  • “How do you know if something smells like flowers?” (Smell)
  • “Which sense helps us read this book?” (Sight)

4. Independent Sorting Round (1 minute)

  • Shuffle the remaining cards and ask the student to sort as many as they can on their own.
  • Count together how many cards landed on each mat.

5. Wrap-Up and Reflection (1 minute)

  • Review each mat: “Let’s look at the cards under Taste. Why did we put ice cream there?”
  • Ask the student to name one sense they like using the most and one sense they sometimes forget about.

Extension (if time allows):

  • Ask the student to draw one activity they enjoy for their favorite sense on a blank piece of paper.


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