Course Description
This session offers an in-depth exploration of the Sensory Pyramid of Learning, breaking down each tier to examine how foundational sensory and motor skills influence student behavior. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how challenges at different levels of the pyramid can manifest in the classroom, affecting attention, emotional regulation, and overall academic performance.
Practical strategies for identifying and addressing these challenges will be discussed, empowering educators to create more supportive and effective learning environments.
Learning Objectives
1. Learners will describe each tier of the Sensory Pyramid of Learning
2. Learners will identify the relevance of the Sensory Pyramid of Learning to student behavior.
3. Learners will identify at least three sensory-based strategies to address behavioral challenges in the classroom.
Your Instructor
BrieLynn Sturm, MS, OTR/L
BrieLynn Sturm, MS, OTR/L (she/her/hers) is a School Based Occupational Therapist after earning her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Ithaca College in 2017. This is her 7th year as a School-Based OT with the Van Buren Intermediate School District in Southwest Michigan. It’s an honor to support students participate within the school environment by working directly with the students, teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators. BrieLynn was a presenter at the annual AOTA conference in 2019 where she presented original research, "The Effects of Yoga on Occupational Therapy Students".
In 2024 she presented at the MiOTA Annual Conference her "PromOTing Big Ideas for Little Hands Presentation" and at the VBISD Behavior Conference "Understanding Behavior + Sensory: A Learning Pyramid Perspective Presentation." Outside of working in the schools, BrieLynn teaches a few hot yoga classes a week, runs a monthly babywearing group, loves playing with her husband and two young boys in almost any activity but especially running, yoga, and downhill skiing. One more fun fact about BrieLynn is her love of rainbows and flowers hoping to bring joy and light into the room and someone's day.
Contact Hours
This course is 1.5 hours in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs)
OTSchoolhouse.com is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development, #0252.
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
As an AOTA-Approved provider of professional development, OTSchoolhouse.com courses are accepted by NBCOT® at a rate of 1.25 NBCOT PDUs per each hour of course content.
NBCOT® is a registered trademark of The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.
Find The Collab Membership that’s Right for You
Whether you’re just getting started in school-based OT or looking for CEUs, mentorship, and implementation support, The Collab has a membership tier built for your needs.
Essentials
CEUs (including this one), core resources, and community for school-based OTPs
$249 / year
Perfect for OTPs looking to keep up with evidence through school-based specific CEUs and core resources
Learn
-
Access to this course & 40+ live-online and recorded AOTA-Approved CEUs ($1500+ value)
-
The A–Z School-Based OT Course ($399 value) (9.5 hours of CEUs)
-
Earn 50+ hours worth of CEUs
Support
-
Access to the "OTP Lounge" forum to ask experienced OTPs for support without judgement
Implement
-
Access resources directly tied to accessible CEU courses
Not included in Essentials:
-
Live Mentorship Collaboration Hours
-
The Back to School Conference
-
The OT Schoolhouse Goal Bank
-
The Caseload-to-Workload Course
-
Custom-trained AI tools to save you time & energy
-
Our Library of over 100 ready-to-use school-based OT resources
Impact
Full Access to ALL Resources, CEUs, Mentorship, & Back to School Conference
$499 / year
Designed for OTPs seeking for support implementing the most recent evidence and best practices
Learn
-
Access to this course & 40+ live-online and recorded AOTA-Approved CEUs ($1500+ value)
-
The A–Z School-Based OT Course ($399 value) (9.5 hours of CEUs)
-
The Back to School Conference ($419 value)
-
The Caseload-to-Workload Course ($299 value)
-
Earn Professional development by listening to the OT Schoolhouse Podcast (ultimate time saver)
Support + Mentorship
-
The "OTP Lounge" to ask experienced OTPs for support without judgement
-
Live-on-Zoom Q&A sessions (Collab Hours) with Jayson and the OTS Team
-
Non-CEU events and discussions (eg. Journal club calls, assessment reviews, etc)
-
Opportunities for 1:1 mentorship calls with Jayson and the OTS Team
Implement
-
Access ALL downloadable templates, tools, & checklists ($299+ value)
-
The OT Schoolhouse Goal & Treatment Bank ($99 value)
-
Curated evidence abstracts and links
-
Access to AI tools to save you time
most popular
Start simple. Grow when you’re ready.
Many school-based OTPs join Essentials for CEUs and core resources, then upgrade to the Impact Tier when they want mentorship, advanced tools, the Back to School Conference, and deeper support.
Members often tell us that the tools and mentorship they receive within the Impact Tier finally allow them to feel supported as school-based OTs.
Agenda
0–5 minutes – Introduction
5–15 minutes Introduction to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Exploring its relevance to the Sensory Pyramid of Learning and its foundational role in supporting sensory and behavioral needs.
15–30 minutes – The Sensory Pyramid of Learning: Detailed explanation of each tier and how it connects to sensory processing and learning.on.
30–45 minutes – Behavior vs. Sensory Processing Disorders: Defining behavior and distinguishing it from sensory processing challenges.
45–60 minutes – Tantrums vs. Sensory Meltdowns: Key differences, triggers, and how to respond effectively to each
60–75 minutes – Strategies for Supporting Sensory Needs: Practical approaches for sensory-sensitive, sensory-avoiding, sensory-seeking, and under-reactive individuals.
75–85 minutes – Behavioral Support Techniques & Quick Tips: How to identify, understand, and address challenging behaviors in a supportive way and actionable strategies for teachers, administrators, and staff to create a sensory-friendly and inclusive environment.
85–90 minutes – Questions and Answers
Registration
To access this course and others, become a member of the School-based OT Collaborative.
The Collab is an online community dedicated to providing school-based OT practitioners with highly valuable professional development and interactive support to implement learned strategies. In The Collab, we learn together, support and encourage one another, and celebrate our achievements as a collective whole.
Click here to learn more about the School-based OT Collaborative and watch this course inside our dedicated community of school-based OT practitioners.
Instructional Methods
A combination of speaker presentation with a slide deck and both synchronous & asynchronous Q+A with the presenter.
Target Audience
& Educational Level
This is an introductory level course intended for occupational therapy practitioners working in school systems or with a goal to better understand occupational therapy in school systems.
Course Completion Requirements
To receive a certificate for this course, you must watch the recorded course in its entirety. Then, you will need to take a learning assessment test and earn a score 75% or higher. If you pass, a certificate will be automatically generated and sent to your email.
Special Needs Requests
This course will include closed captioning and a transcript may be available upon request. You may also rewatch the course or sections of the course as needed. Additional accommodations may be requested by reaching out to us via email.
Financial & Non-financial Disclosures
Speaker Disclosure
Brie is receiving an honorarium for this course.
Sponsor Disclosure
The OTS Collaborative Community is a product of the OT Schoolhouse.
Content Disclosure
This learning event does not focus exclusively on any specific product or service.
Schoolhouse Education, LLC is proud to be an AOTA Approved Provider of Professional Development
AOTA-Approval for this Professional Development Opportunity is in progress.
Stay Tuned!
Terms and Conditions
Schoolhouse Education, LLC will keep a record of your completed CE courses. When applicable, transcript services may include reporting to professional associations and/or state licensure boards. While Schoolhouse Education, LLC will make all reasonable efforts to offer CE credit for its courses, it is not responsible for state or national, or regulatory current policies or changes in CE requirements that may make courses ineligible for CE credits.
Participant Agreement
By registering for or attending any event or activity associated with the Schoolhouse Education, LLC and OT Schoolhouse, I agree to the following:
Professional Development/Information Disclaimer
The material presented in this course is not intended to represent the only or the best methods appropriate for the occupational therapy and/or medical condition or professional development issues being discussed but rather is intended to present the opinions of the presenters, which may be helpful to other health care professionals at arriving at their own conclusions and consequent application. Attendees participating in this professional development education program do so with full knowledge that they waive any claim they may have against the A-Z School-Based OT Course, Schoolhouse Education, LLC, and OT School House and its staff or representatives for reliance on any information presented during these educational activities.
Waiver of Liability Agreement
I release Schoolhouse Education, LLC, OT Schoolhouse, and its staff, presenters, and any other individuals or entities associated with this course from any and all liability connected with my participation, as well as from any liability related to changes to the schedule, events or activities. I acknowledge and agree that I am participating on my own choice and assume all risk in connection thereof and that in the event that a need for emergency medical service arises, I authorize and consent to such services being provided at my own expense.
Cancelation & Refund Policy
In the event that Schoolhouse Education, LLC must cancel the event for any reason, participants will be offered a credit toward the rescheduled event. OT Schoolhouse Collaborative subscribers may cancel their subscription at any time.
Find the Membership that’s Right for You
Whether you’re just getting started in school-based OT or looking for CEUs, mentorship, and implementation support, The Collab has a membership tier built for your needs.
Essentials
CEUs (including this one), core resources, and community for school-based OTPs
$249 / year
Learn
-
Access to this course and over 40 live-online and recorded AOTA-Approved CEUs ($1500+ value)
-
The A–Z School-Based OT Course ($399 value)
Support
-
Access to the "OTP Lounge" forum to ask experienced OTPs for support without judgement
Implement
-
Access resources directly tied to accessible CEU courses
Not included in Essentials:
-
Live Mentorship Collaboration Hours
-
The Back to School Conference
-
The OT Schoolhouse Goal Bank
-
The Caseload-to-Workload Course
-
Custom-trained AI tools to save you time & energy
-
Our Library of over 100 ready-to-use school-based OT resources
Impact
Full Access to ALL Resources, CEUs, Mentorship, & Back to School Conference
$499 / year
Learn
-
Everything in Essentials, plus:
-
The Back to School Conference ($419 value)
-
The Caseload-to-Workload Course ($299 value)
Support + Mentorship
-
Access the OTP Lounge, plus:
-
Live-on-Zoom Q&A sessions (Collab Hours) with Jayson and the OTS Team
-
Opportunities for 1:1 mentorship calls with Jayson and the OTS Team
Implement
-
Access ALL downloadable templates, tools, & checklists ($299+ value)
-
The OT Schoolhouse Goal & Treatment Bank
-
Curated evidence abstracts and links
-
Access to AI tools to save you time