About the Alert Program® ...."If your body is like a car engine, sometimes it runs on high, sometimes it runs on low, and sometimes it runs just right." When teachers, therapists, or parents use these simple words to begin the Alert Program®, they enter an exciting adventure with children. The journey unfolds easily with the program's clearly defined steps for teaching self-regulation awareness. The book, How Does Your Engine Run®? A Leader's Guide to the Alert Program® for Self-Regulation (Williams & Shellenberger, 1996), describes an innovative program that supports children, teachers, parents, and therapists to choose appropriate strategies to change or maintain states of alertness. Students learn what they can do before a spelling test or homework time to attain an optimal state of alertness for their tasks. Teachers learn what they can do after lunch, when their adult nervous systems are in a low alert state and their students are in a high alert state. Parents learn what they can do to help their toddler's nervous system change from a high alert state to a more appropriate low state at bedtime. Leaders of the program not only learn what they can do to support self-regulation, but how to share the underlying theory so all can understand the basics of sensory integration. By reading the book or attending a conference, adults increase awareness of their own self-regulation thereby improving their ability to facilitate students' optimal functioning. The Sensory-Motor Preference Checklist (for Adults) is a tool used to support this learning process. For example by filling out the checklist, adults may discover that before work, they may drink coffee, take a brisk walk, or listen to jazzy music to get their engine up and going for the day. Or others may find that they drink hot chocolate, rock in a rocking chair, or watch the glow of a fireplace to get their engine slowed down after a busy day. Bringing to awareness what most people do automatically in their daily routines, fosters the understanding of how important self-regulation is for students' functioning. Although the Alert Program® initially was intended for children with attention and learning difficulties, ages 8-12, it has been adapted for preschool through adult and for a variety of disabilities. If children are intellectually challenged or developmentally younger than the age of eight, the program's concepts can be utilized by staff to develop sensory diets (Wilbarger & Wilbarger, 1991) to enhance learning . Join the group of teachers, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, physical therapists, adapted physical educators, educational assistants, counselors, social workers, and parents who are enhancing children's lives using the Alert Program®.

Alert Program®

Therapy Works Children's Program: How Does your engine run?®

Alert Program Articles

Due to copyright regulations, TherapyWorks regrets that it is not able to supply copies of the following listed articles. Readers are encouraged to contact the publisher to obtain original copies.

 

Barnes, K., Schoenfeld, H, Garza, L, Johnson, D, & Tobias, L. (2005 June). Preliminary: Alert Program® for boys with emotional disturbances in the school setting. American Occupational Therapy Association School System Special Interest Section Quarterly, 12, 1-4.

Comment: This article describes a pilot study using the Alert Program® with children with emotional and sensory processing problems.
Contact: www.aota.org
 

Kerr, T. (1995, March 6). How Does Your Engine Run?®. ADVANCE for Occupational Therapists, 11, 12.

Comment: An overview of the Alert Program®, including the program’s development and application.
Contact: www.advanceforot.com
 

Laurel, M. (1997). Changing level of alertness to enhance life success. ADVANCE for Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists, 7, 10.

Comment: This article is from an SLP’s perspective and includes an overview of the program.
Contact: www.advanceforspanda.com
 

Laurel, M. (2000). Bringing sensory integration home: A parent perspective on the Alert Program® for Self Regulation. Autism/Asperger’s Digest Magazine, (March-April). 14-15.

Comment: A touching story from a parent’s perspective using the Alert Program, along with a one-page summary of the program.
Contact: www.autismdigest.com
 

McCrory, A. (2003, September 8). Teacher uses inflatable ball chairs to help pupils stay focused on work. Pensacola News Journal. p. C9-8.

Comment: This article describes how a teacher incorporated information from the two day Alert Program® lecture to support students in her classroom.
Contact: www.PensacolaNewsJournal.com/neighbors
 

Rynaski, H. (1994). How does your engine run®? OT Week, 8, 20-22.

Comment: Describes Williams and Shellenberger’s work in the Gallup NM Public Schools, the development of the Alert Program®, and an overview of the program.
Contact: www.aota.org
 

Salls, J. & Bucey, J. (2003). Self-regulation strategies for middle school students. OT Practice, 8, 11-16.

Comment: This article describes incorporation of the Alert Program® into a middle school curriculum.
Contact: www.aota.org
 

Samelstad, K. & Hacker, C. (1996). How does your engine run®? OT Week, 10. 14-15.

Comment: This article describes two occupational therapists’ successful experiences using the Alert Program® in a Michigan school and in a North Carolina private practice.
Contact: www.aota.org
 

Shellenberger, S. & Williams, M.S. (2002) “How does your engine run®?®”: The alert program® for self-regulation. In A.G. Fisher, E.A. Murray, & A.C. Bundy (Eds.), Sensory integration: Theory and practice (pp. 342-345). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.

Comment: This book contains information about the Alert Program® in Chapter 14: Alternative and Complementary Programs for intervention.
 

Stancliff, B. (1998, December). OT can help parents and teachers deal with ADHD: Understanding the “whoops” children. OT Practice, 3, 18-25.

Comment: This article defines ADHD with a case study perspective. One of the treatment modalities discussed is the Alert Program®.
Contact: www.aota.org
 

Trott, M.C. (2000). Teaching self-regulation techniques. The Ready Reader, 1, 4.

Comment: This one page article is a good overview of the program.
Contact: www.atready.com
 

Williams, M.S. & Shellenberger, S. (1994). The Alert Program® for self-regulation. American Occupational Therapy Association Sensory Integration Special Interest Section Newsletter, 17, 1-3.

Comment: This four page detailed article is designed to give occupational therapists a comprehensive summary of the Alert Program® and gives excerpts from the Leader’s Guide and Introductory Booklet.
Contact: www.aota.org
 

Williams, M.S. & Shellenberger, S. (2000). How Does Your Engine Run®? The Alert Program® for Self-Regulation. Autism-Asperger's Digest Magazine, March, 14.

Comment: A brief synopsis about the Alert Program® that precedes the article by Marci Laurel about the parent perspective on the Alert Program®.
Contact: www.autismdigest.com
 

Williams, M.S. & Shellenberger, S. (2002). Take five! Staying alert at home and school. Autism-Asperger’s Digest Magazine, (May-June), 24-26.

Comment: This three page article provides sample information about the Take Five! book in a manner accessible to all readers.
Contact: www.autismdigest.com







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