The Care and Development of the Senses

Part of the Healing the Impact of Technology Program

Children and Sensory Development

Many challenging behaviors arise in children from an overstimulated or an underdeveloped sensory system. There are many practical ways to support sensory processing so that a more harmonized experience can take place for your child(ren). In our technological age, children are being bombarded with sensory input that is increasingly difficult to digest in healthy and balanced ways. Developing the Self offers various opportunities for teachers, parents and community members to learn about the care and development of the senses as part of the Healing the Impacts of Technology Program.

“As humanity is rapidly being emancipated from engagement with the natural world, the vast majority of human beings are being raised more and more not only in a man-made world—in which the resources of the earth have been extracted and utilized for human evolution—but also in a man-invented world”

— from the book "Spirit-led Community"

For more information on how you can support your child’s sensory processing and digestion:

SIGN UP TO DOWNLOAD OR PRINT OUR GUIDE FOR THE CARE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SENSES.

For an individual conversation about (a) child(ren) contact one of our practitioners listed on this page.

Healing the impact of Technology for Older Children

The Healing the Impact of Technology Program, provides practical strategies, methods and tools for harmonizing the sensory system as well as working with technology at home and in school more

A link to a useful podcast about the impact of technology

In the Arts Program, artists works directly with school communities, wider communities, families and health practitioners. Bringing the arts into community life brings nourishment and breathing into the pace of work and daily life. The arts offer an experience which moves the inner world of thoughts and feelings in a new way. Such experiences are a great support especially to the growing child, who already speaks the language of inner experience most readily.

Storytelling Through the Grades

These stories from themes below can be done as part of a creative speech workshop or as a short storytelling performance for a class or group of classes.

Storytelling themes for school communities:

• Kindergarten - Fairy Tales

• 1st and 2nd - Fairy Tales/Fables

• 3rd - Old Testament

• 4th - Norse Myths

• 5th - Greece - hexameter

• 6th - Ancient Rome

• 7th - Arthurian Legend

• 8th - 12th - Shakespeare, Parzival, Antigone

This can be adapted or changed to meet each individual class and school community. We are happy to work directly with the class teachers and school administration to support their curriculum and students.

Please be in touch if you have other ideas or suggestions for stories that would best suit your school

Singing and Music Through the Grades

• Pentatonic songs for the earlier years

• Simple rounds for primary school

• Parts singing for high school

Music for Class Plays

• Work with a composer to develop songs for class plays / puppet shows

Professional Development for Faculty and Staff

• Creative Speech

• Singing for Teachers

 School and Community Performances

• The Passing of Arthur

• Fairy Tales

• Henry V

• Antigone

• Parzival

• Songs of Joan of Arc

• Live concerts of original music

 For more information please contact: contact@developingtheself.org

Visual Arts

For adolescents.

Practicing Artistic Perception

• Drawing, painting and art-observation as a way to deepen our understanding of qualities and to experience the subtleties of our sense perceptions.

•  Working with creative exercises as a way to experience the tension between freedom and unfreedom.

This program has  developed out of a holistic understanding of the human being. A holistic approach to puberty, gender and sexuality education is essential for our times in order to support young people. The program, aims to deepen young people’s awareness of themselves and others through the exploration of topics in the area of sexuality and gender. Working with child development profiles that take into consideration the whole child, the topics for each age-group explore content relevant to the emotional and physical changes of the children whilst placing these in the context of the larger social realm. The content brings the children to an awareness of the emotional and physical developmental changes that they are currently undergoing, as well a look at the previous developmental changes they have experienced and future changes yet to come. Beginning in New South Wales, Australia, the program has grown and is now being taught in schools across Australia and the United States.

Facilitators visit schools once a year and work with students, parents and staff members.  

Schools whose students are receiving the curriculum will also receive parent lectures to inform and support parents in regards to the content delivered to the students. The sample lectures are listed further down this page.

Class Sessions

Student education starts at 10 or 11 years old. The outer maturation of the body and inner maturation of the soul begins to develop towards puberty around this age.   As a result of this developmental shift, 8the individual is more ready to engage with and hear about, puberty and gender.

Collaborating Schools

In Australia

• Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School

• Freshwater Creek Rudolf Steiner, VIC

• Kamaroi Waldorf School, NSW

• Linuel School, NSW

• Lorien Novalis School, NSW

• Mansfield Steiner School, VIC

• Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School, VIC

• Mount Barker Waldorf School, SA

• Orana Steiner School, ACT

• Port Macquarie Steiner School, NSW

• Perth Waldorf School, WA

• Rainbow Ridge School for Steiner Education, NSW

• Samford Valley Steiner School , QLD

• Shearwater Rudolf Steiner School, NSW

• Sophia Mundi Steiner School, VIC

• The Armidale Waldorf School, NSW

• Tamar Valley Steiner School, Tasmania

• Tarremah Steiner School, Tasmania

• Trinity Gardens, SA

• Willunga Waldorf School, SA

  In North America

• Brooklyn Waldorf School, NY

• Davis Waldorf School, CA

• Camphill Academy, PA

• Camphill Village Copake, NY

• Camphill Kimberton Hills, PA

• Camphill Beaver Run, PA

• Cedarwood Waldorf School, OR

• Center for Anthroposophy, NH

• Chicago Waldorf School, IL

• Garden City Waldorf School, NY

• Berkshire Waldorf School, MA

• Green Meadow Waldorf School, NY

• Haleakala Waldorf School, HI

• Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School, NY

• Highland Hall Waldorf School, CA

• Honolulu Waldorf School, HI

• Housatonic Valley Waldorf School, CT

• Micha-el Waldorf School, OR

• Mountain Laurel Waldorf School, NY

• New Amsterdam Waldorf School, NY

• Portland Waldorf School, OR

• Primrose Hill Waldorf School, NY

• Rudolf Steiner School, NY

• Sacramento Waldorf School, CA

• Santa Cruz Waldorf School, CA

• Summerfield Waldorf School, CA

• Toronto Waldorf School, ON

• Urban Prairie Waldorf School, IL

• Waldorf School of Lexington, MA

• Waldorf School of Philadelphia, PA

• Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs, NY

• Waldorf Teacher Education Eugene, OR

• Westside Waldorf School, CA