In today’s fast-paced world, maintaining focus and self-regulation is crucial, not just in our daily lives but also when we are behind the wheel. Just as a car needs a well-tuned engine and a functioning speedometer to operate efficiently and safely, individuals also benefit from understanding and managing their internal “engine” to stay alert and focused. This is where the principles of the Alert Program, often likened to understanding how your “engine runs,” become incredibly relevant, even drawing parallels to the familiar concept of a speedometer cars use to gauge their pace.
The Alert Program, a renowned self-regulation tool, provides a framework to understand and manage different levels of alertness, much like a driver uses a speedometer to monitor and adjust their speed. Developed by occupational therapists Mary Sue Williams and Sherry Shellenberger, the Alert Program, also known as “How Does Your Engine Run?®,” helps individuals recognize their arousal states – whether they are feeling too slow, too fast, or just right – and learn strategies to reach an optimal level for the task at hand.
The Alert Program frameworks offer tools for individuals seeking self-regulation support.
Understanding the Alert Program: Your Internal Engine and Speedometer
The core idea of the Alert Program is simple yet powerful: think of your body like a car engine. Just as a car engine has different speeds, our bodies also operate at varying levels of alertness. Sometimes we are running on “high speed,” feeling overly energized or anxious. Other times, we might be on “low speed,” feeling sluggish or unfocused. And ideally, we want to be in the “just right” zone, where we are calm, focused, and ready to engage effectively.
This concept directly relates to the idea of a speedometer in cars. A speedometer is an essential instrument that tells the driver how fast the car is moving. It provides crucial feedback, allowing the driver to adjust their speed based on road conditions, traffic, and speed limits. Similarly, the Alert Program helps individuals develop an “internal speedometer” – an awareness of their own arousal levels. This self-awareness is the first step towards self-regulation.
The program emphasizes that just like a car engine needs to run at the right speed for optimal performance, our bodies and minds also function best when our alertness level is appropriate for the situation. Imagine trying to focus on a complex task when your “engine” is running too fast, making you feel restless and scattered. Or consider trying to learn something new when your “engine” is running too slow, leaving you feeling drowsy and unmotivated.
The Alert Program provides strategies to intentionally change our “engine speed.” It teaches that there are five main categories of sensory input we can use to modulate our alertness:
- Put something in the mouth: Oral input can be calming or alerting depending on what you choose.
- Move: Physical activity can be a powerful way to shift arousal levels.
- Touch: Tactile experiences can be soothing or stimulating.
- Look: Visual input can influence our alertness.
- Listen: Auditory input can also affect our arousal state.
By understanding these categories and experimenting with different sensory activities, individuals can learn to effectively manage their alertness levels, much like a driver uses the accelerator and brakes to control the speed of their cars speedometer.
Alert Program for Enhanced Self-Regulation and Focus
The Alert Program’s goals are to empower individuals – whether they are students, educators, parents, or even adults managing their own daily lives – to understand the critical connection between their internal states and their ability to pay attention, learn, and behave effectively. By recognizing this connection, individuals can proactively use Alert Program strategies to regulate themselves in various settings and tasks.
Just as we all need to self-regulate throughout the day when driving – adjusting to traffic, staying focused on the road, and reacting to unexpected situations – we also need to self-regulate in countless other daily activities. Think about waking up in the morning and needing to shift from a low arousal state to a more alert one. Perhaps you reach for a cup of coffee, engage in a quick exercise routine, or take a refreshing shower. These are all examples of self-regulation strategies we instinctively use.
The Alert Program makes this implicit process explicit. It encourages individuals to talk about self-regulation, understand the different strategies available, and practice using them intentionally. As understanding grows and becomes more ingrained, these self-regulation strategies become more automatic, just like driving a car becomes more intuitive with practice.
These self-regulation tools, grounded in the Alert Program framework, help organize an individual’s nervous system. By providing a common vocabulary, practical activities, and environmental considerations, the program equips individuals with the resources they need to manage their alertness and enhance their overall well-being and focus, much like understanding the instruments in speedometer cars helps drivers manage their journey.
Play-Based Activities to Explore the Alert Program
For children, play is the primary way they learn and explore the world. Therefore, incorporating play-based activities is a highly effective approach to introducing the Alert Program. Games and interactive activities are far more engaging and impactful for children than lectures or abstract explanations.
As Jean Ayres, a pioneer in sensory integration theory, stated, “Play is the work of children. Through play, children learn about themselves and the world around them. When all that they see, hear, and feel makes sense to them, a process of sensory integration occurs.” This highlights the importance of sensory experiences in learning and development, which is central to the Alert Program.
Using play in the Alert Program makes learning about self-regulation fun and motivating. It allows children to experience firsthand how different sensory inputs affect their “engine speed” and discover strategies that work best for them. This experiential learning is crucial for understanding and internalizing the program’s concepts.
The Alert Program emphasizes that fluctuations in arousal levels are normal throughout the day. Just as a car’s speed varies depending on the road and traffic, our alertness levels naturally fluctuate. There will be times of sensory overload, where our “engine” might feel like it’s racing, and times of low arousal, where it might feel like it’s idling. The program provides tools to navigate these fluctuations and maintain an optimal state of alertness, preventing sensory dysregulation and promoting balanced functioning.
For individuals who are particularly sensitive to sensory input and may experience sensory defensiveness, the Alert Program offers a gentle and supportive approach. Instead of relying on top-down strategies like verbal reminders or directives, the program focuses on bottom-up sensory motor approaches. For example, heavy work activities, which involve muscle and joint input, can be calming and regulating by activating the proprioceptive system and influencing brain stem functions.
The Alert Program uses various sensory systems – proprioceptive, vestibular, oral/gustatory, tactile, visual, and auditory – as tools for self-regulation. By providing activities that engage these systems, the program helps individuals find sensory input that supports their brain and body in achieving and maintaining an optimal level of arousal for learning, participation, and overall well-being. This is similar to how a driver uses different controls in speedometer cars to manage the vehicle’s performance.
Before diving into specific self-regulation techniques, it’s beneficial to introduce the basic concepts of the Alert Program through engaging activities.
Activities to Grasp Alert Program Basics
Introducing the Alert Program effectively requires creating “buy-in” and understanding. Here are some activities to help individuals learn the foundational concepts:
- Brainstorming Engine Speeds: Facilitate a group discussion where individuals brainstorm various methods to change their “engine speeds.” Encourage them to think about sensorimotor strategies that can be either calming (for a “too fast” engine) or alerting (for a “too slow” engine).
- Practicing Engine Speed Changes: Engage individuals in performing sensorimotor activities designed to elicit different arousal states. This allows them to experience firsthand how these activities affect their “engine speed.”
- Engine Speed Identification Worksheets: Utilize worksheets where individuals can identify behaviors associated with “fast,” “slow,” and “just right” engine speeds. This helps them develop a deeper understanding of the different arousal states and their corresponding behaviors. These worksheets can be compiled into a classroom or home poster as a visual reminder.
- “Engine Check Station”: In a classroom setting, create an “Engine Check Station” equipped with movement-based “engine break” options and feedback sheets. Students can use this station to take breaks and document how the activities affected their behavior and alertness.
- Alert Program Social Story: Develop a social story to support individuals who might struggle with understanding the program’s concepts. Review the story daily until comprehension improves.
- Speedometer Visuals: Use a large class speedometer or individual speedometers to help individuals visualize and label their own “engine speed.”
- Creating Personal Speedometers: Have individuals create their own speedometers using paper plates, markers, etc. They can then use these to chart their “engine speeds” throughout the day. This hands-on activity enhances their connection to the concept of an “internal speedometer,” similar to the speedometer cars rely on.
- “Guess That Engine Speed” Game: Play a game using magazine pictures depicting people in various emotional states or activities. Participants guess the “engine speed” of the individuals pictured, reinforcing their understanding of different arousal levels.
The Alert Program curriculum offers a wealth of activities to support each stage of learning and implementation. It provides resources to help individuals learn the “engine words” (fast, slow, just right) and develop a greater awareness of their own “engine speed,” promoting self-monitoring and self-regulation.
Alert Program Activities: Sensory Strategies in Detail
The Alert Program outlines five categories of sensory input for self-regulation. Here’s a deeper look at activities within each category:
1. Alert Program Activities: Putting Something in the Mouth (Oral Sensory Input)
The oral sensory system is rich in receptors and can be a powerful tool for self-regulation.
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Drinks and Chews:
- Milkshakes or sensory smoothies (cold and resistance provide extra input)
- Drinking through a water bottle
- Chewing gum, beef jerky, dried Twizzlers
- Hard candy, mints, pretzels, chips, nuts
- Ice pieces (with caution for dental work)
- Popcorn, cut-up vegetables, spicy dips
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Oral Motor Exercises:
- Tongue-in-cheek movements, sucking on the tongue, tongue movements
- Chewing on fidgets or pencil toppers
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Breathing and Blowing:
- Slow deep breaths (relaxation breathing)
- Blowing a whistle, kazoo, harmonica
- Humming
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Temperature and Texture:
- Carbonated drinks
- Coffee/tea/hot cocoa/warm milk
- Cold popsicles, pickles
2. Alert Program Activities: Movement (Vestibular/Proprioceptive Input)
Movement-based activities are often highly effective for regulation, especially for those who naturally seek movement input.
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Rocking and Bouncing:
- Rocking chair, wiggle cushion, therapy ball
- Leg bouncing while seated
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Changing Position:
- Shifting positions in a chair
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Gross Motor Activities:
- Running/jogging
- Bike or scooter riding
- Aerobic exercise
- Heavy work movement activities (lifting, carrying, pushing)
- Dancing, yoga, obstacle courses, stretching, shaking body parts
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Subtle Movements:
- Toe, heel, or foot tapping
- Body rocking
- Household chores (cleaning, laundry, sweeping, vacuuming)
- Yard work
3. Alert Program Activities: Touch (Tactile Input)
Exploring through touch is natural, especially for children. Tactile activities can be both calming and alerting.
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Self-Touch:
- Twisting hair
- Moving keys or coins in a pocket
- Gentle rubbing on skin or clothes
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Temperature and Textures:
- Cool shower, warm bath
- Massage
- Petting animals, playing with stuffed animals, getting under a blanket
- Sensory bins with various textures
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Fidgets:
- Straws, paper clips, buttons, pom poms, pennies, mini erasers, nuts/bolts
- DIY fidget toys, pencil topper fidgets, desk fidgets, zipper pull fidgets, necklaces, jewelry
4. Alert Program Activities: Visual/Looking (Visual Input)
While technology is often considered visual input, it can be over-stimulating. Intentional visual activities can be more regulating.
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Lighting Adjustments:
- Changing lighting, opening window shades, dimmers, covering fluorescent lights
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Calming Visuals:
- Watching a fireplace or fish tank (even screen versions)
- Oil and water toys
- Sensory bottles
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Visual Environment:
- Be mindful of over-stimulation from cluttered environments. Sometimes a break from visual input in a quiet, dark space is needed.
5. Alert Program Activities: Auditory/Listening (Auditory Input)
Auditory input for regulation is complex and individual. Finding the right sounds and timing is key.
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Music:
- Classical music, various genres (hard rock, country, pop, jazz) – experiment to find what is regulating for the individual.
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Spoken Word:
- Audiobooks, podcasts
- Listening to humming or singing
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Environmental Sounds:
- Working in a quiet room
- Moving to a noisier environment (depending on individual needs)
- Singing or talking to oneself
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Awareness of Negative Auditory Input:
- Being mindful of sounds that trigger negative reactions (scratching chalkboard, fire alarms, chewing sounds, snoring) and minimizing exposure when regulation is needed.
Self-Reflection and Application
Just as drivers need to be aware of their speedometer in cars and adjust their driving accordingly, we all need to become more attuned to our internal “speedometer” and learn to self-regulate effectively. Take time over the next few days to observe your own arousal levels and the activities you naturally use to self-regulate. Consider what works well for you and what you could improve. Understanding your own sensory preferences and self-regulation strategies is the first step toward effectively utilizing the Alert Program for yourself or those you support.
Victoria Wood, OTR/L, a contributor to The OT Toolbox, brings over 25 years of experience in pediatric Occupational Therapy. Her expertise spans hospital settings, school systems, and outpatient clinics. She is dedicated to helping children with sensory processing challenges and is the author of “Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes.”
