Supporting the Whole Child: Sensory Integration and PTACH’s Therapeutic Approach at Bais Yaakov D’Rav Meir’s Specialized Sensory Lab

By Sharon Tepper, OTR

When I first visited PTACH to provide teacher training, I was immediately struck by the atmosphere. The hallways were filled with joy, the classrooms with warmth, and the staff with genuine care. That spirit, combined with the teachers’ eagerness to learn, led to the development of therapeutic movement and sensory-based programs that are now woven into daily instruction.

As I helped establish PTACH’s occupational therapy program, I had the privilege of working closely with many students and their families and seeing firsthand how deeply PTACH understands the needs of each child.

PTACH’s specialized reading and writing instruction does not happen in isolation. The staff recognizes that successful learning depends on more than academics alone. Attention, sensory processing, and movement all play a critical role in how a child takes in information and responds to the world.

Children with learning or attention challenges often struggle with sensory processing. While all children have preferences, those with sensory integration difficulties may react so strongly to certain sounds, textures, movements, or visual input that it affects their daily functioning. Some children are overly sensitive and may withdraw or become overwhelmed; others seek intense sensory input and may appear constantly in motion. Many fluctuate between the two.

We are familiar with the senses of sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. But two internal senses are just as important:

The vestibular sense, which helps with balance, posture, and coordinating eye and body movements;

The proprioceptive sense, which helps a child understand where their body is in space and how much force to use.

When these systems send mixed messages, a child may seem clumsy, aggressive, inattentive, fearful, or easily frustrated—not because they choose to behave that way, but because their nervous system is overwhelmed.

Enter PTACH-D’Rav Meir’s specialized Sensory Lab

For children with learning challenges, everyday tasks can feel confusing or stressful. They may avoid activities that feel “too hard,” withdraw socially, or act out when transitioning between tasks. These behaviors are not defiance—they are communication.

PTACH’s approach is to intervene proactively, teaching children coping strategies they can use right away. Sensory supports and therapeutic activities, including Tomatis Listening Program, Sand Tray Therapy, and a ball pit, are carefully selected for each child. The goals are threefold:

• Help the child complete tasks successfully
• Teach the organizing, calming, or focusing effects of specific activities
• Build the neural pathways that support long-term learning and self-regulation

Through multisensory, movement-based interventions such as S’cool Moves, Brain Gym, Learning Breakthrough, Light Wall, and reflex integration, children strengthen the brain connections that allow the child to respond appropriately to the world around them. With practice, these skills become more automatic and children gain confidence, independence, and joy in learning.

If you think PTACH may benefit your child, call us today. Do not let struggles spiral out of control. Go to PTACH.org to read more about our programs, or contact our office at [email protected] or 718-854-8600.