Is sensory training an "intelligence tax"?, Training institutions that often cost tens of thousands of yuan | children | IQ

In recent years, more and more parents have paid attention to their children's sensory integration ability, and the sensory integration training industry has emerged accordingly. Many children are labeled as having "sensory dysregulation" due to carelessness and lack of concentration

Most online communication groups for sensory integration training are established by sensory integration trainers. As long as parents indicate their children's situation in the group, the sensory integration trainers will attribute the cause to the child's sensory integration disorder and advise parents to conduct sensory integration training for their children as soon as possible

There are many irregularities in the juvenile sensory integration training industry: on the one hand, some children's training institutions and early education institutions create anxiety for parents under the banner of sensory integration imbalance; On the other hand, the quality of sensory training varies, with arbitrary pricing and high fees

To improve the quality of education and rehabilitation for children with special needs, it is necessary to strengthen the training of practitioners and comprehensively enhance their skills and abilities. At the same time, relevant departments should introduce a standardized management mechanism that can regulate sensory integration therapy

A 700 yuan sensory training course, in order to prevent 3-year-old children from looking left and right, the training teacher pulls their shoulders when giving instructions and requires them to look at each other with their eyes; After taking four classes, as long as the child stands in front of the classroom door, they will cry or even roar... This is the emotional training experience of the Lin Yue family in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, and they ultimately have to choose to drop out of class.

A year later, the child who was initially judged by the training teacher to have "sensory dysregulation" and concluded that "if we don't attend the training course immediately, we won't be able to sit still for 10 minutes in the future, and it's even more impossible to attend school well" gradually became able to sit still. "He can't move his seat for an hour by building blocks, and he is also very focused in a 90 minute drawing class.".

The experience of the Lin Yue family is not an isolated case.

In recent years, more and more parents have paid attention to their children's sensory integration ability, and the sensory integration training industry has emerged accordingly. Many children's training institutions and early childhood education institutions have also launched targeted improvement courses. Children are labeled as "sensory dysregulation" by training institutions due to carelessness and lack of focus. Some parents are willing to spend tens of thousands of yuan or even more to have their children attend training classes.

However, a recent investigation by a reporter from the Legal Daily found that there are many irregularities in the training industry for minors. On the one hand, some children's training institutions and early childhood education institutions are creating anxiety for parents under the banner of imbalanced emotional integration; On the other hand, the quality of sensory training varies, with arbitrary pricing and high fees. In addition, the entry threshold for the sensory integration training industry is low, and so-called sensory integration trainers may lack professional services and professional qualifications.

Widely rendering sensory dysregulation

Actually selling training courses

"Visual dysregulation, auditory dysregulation, tactile dysregulation, vestibular dysregulation, and proprioception dysregulation. Come and take a look at these five categories. Do not miss the best treatment period for sensory dysregulation!" The reporter searched online using the keyword "sensory training", and similar propaganda can be seen everywhere.

It is understood that sensory integration, also known as sensory integration, refers to the organization of sensory information from various parts of human organs, which is then integrated by the brain to respond to external perceptions. Sensory integration disorder, also known as learning ability disorder, is a condition of brain dysfunction commonly found in infants and young children during their growth process.

The reporter joined multiple communication groups related to sensory integration training. Through continuous observation, it was found that most of these communication groups were established by children's training institutions or sensory integration trainers with the aim of promoting their sensory integration training courses.

In a group of over 200 people called "Gan Tong Training Learning and Exchange Group," the group leader "Gan Tong Training Teacher Wei" posts his own recorded home Gan Tong training videos every day and also answers parents' questions.

"Can a 5-year-old child in kindergarten practice daydreaming and losing focus during class, missing or adding words to a reading question?" asked the group friend Xiaoji's mother. Teacher Wei, the group leader, immediately replied, "You can practice and intervene as soon as possible."

Seeing that Xiaoji's mother did not reply, Teacher Wei started "popularizing science" again: "The golden period of sensory integration intervention is from 0 to 3 years old, from 3 to 6 years old is the improvement period, and from 6 to 12 years old is the consolidation period. I hope parents pay more attention to their children's situation, detect and treat early, and do not miss the critical period of treatment!"

The reporter noticed that in the group, parents describe their children's situations differently, and some descriptions are also relatively vague. However, these so-called emotional integration trainers and group leaders will attribute the reason to the child's emotional integration disorder, and advise parents to provide emotional integration training for their children as soon as possible.

Lin Yue said that it was because her child couldn't sit still during early education classes and ran around aimlessly, coupled with the early education counselor's suggestion that her child had problems with sensory integration and recommended attending the sensory integration training course at her institution, that she embarked on the path of sensory integration training.

For this, Lin Yue paid over 20000 yuan in one go, with an average of over 200 yuan per class. At the beginning of the big class, the classroom activities included throwing and catching a ball, rolling a yoga ball, walking on a balance beam, and spinning on a swing.

However, the child's situation did not improve - they looked left and right when the training teacher gave instructions, and started running around while waiting in line. After attending three classes, the training teacher approached Lin Yue again and said, "The child's condition is very serious. It is recommended to take one-on-one courses, and the price has skyrocketed. After calculating, one class costs 700 yuan.".

The reporter noticed that in addition to selling offline sensory integration training courses, there are also some group owners and bloggers selling online courses: "You don't need tens of thousands of yuan for offline training fees, you can understand sensory integration disorders in just three days, and you can also help your child find the ultimate training secret at home!" Some bloggers said that parents can choose to study courses or train at home, that is, parents can become home sensory integration training instructors through training, and then purchase some teaching aids to train their children at home, which will greatly reduce the cost of such training.

Long courses and expensive fees

Expelling energy has no effect

The reporter consulted multiple relevant training institutions and found that sensory integration training courses are often time-consuming and expensive, causing a considerable burden on families. Sensory training includes five items: tactile training, vestibular balance training, and motor sensation training. Based on the specific situation of the child, a certain training method is selected, and a series of small games are used to intervene in the child's sensory dysfunction.

There are significant differences in fees depending on the teaching format, teaching location, and teaching content. If offline fees are higher than online fees, there are different charging standards for one-on-one sensory training and one-to-many; The fees in first tier cities are generally higher than those in second - and third tier cities; Inclusive training that accommodates children's various abilities is much more expensive than individual training. Overall, the cost of sensory training is mostly between 100 and 400 yuan per hour.

When the reporter visited and consulted as a parent, Teacher Wang from a children's training institution in Beijing introduced that the institution has a complete set of testing and scoring standards to determine whether children have sensory dysregulation and the degree of dysregulation. The degree of imbalance is divided into severe, moderate, and mild. Targeted training is arranged according to different levels, with a duration of 1 to 3 years and costs ranging from 10000 to 80000 yuan.

Teacher Wang said that the training frequency for mild dysregulation is about twice a week, and the annual cost is between 10000 to 20000 yuan. The training duration is about one year. For moderate disorders, it is necessary to evaluate the child's specific situation and determine the training plan. The training frequency is mostly 2-4 times a week, and considering various differences, the annual cost ranges from 30000 yuan to 50000 yuan. For severe dysbiosis, it takes 3 to 6 months to adjust to a moderate dysbiosis state, followed by approximately 1 year of training from moderate dysbiosis to mild dysbiosis, and then from mild dysbiosis to normal state.

The reporter randomly interviewed 15 families who had participated in sensory integration training, and the cost of classes exceeded 10000 yuan. The cheapest single class cost was 150 yuan, while the most expensive cost was 700-800 yuan. In these 15 families, most of them were labeled as "sensory dysregulation" by training institutions and recommended relevant training courses because their children had varying degrees of inattention, disobedience to instructions, and some were just timid and afraid of being unfamiliar.

But respondents generally reported that spending so much energy and cost has not had much effect, it is simply paying an "intelligence tax".

At the age of 4, Xiaoya, a boy from Beijing, was taken by his parents to a certain sensory integration training institution due to possible sensory integration disorders mentioned by a kindergarten teacher. "The more you report, the more you hoard, and the lower the average order price. The training teacher said that one class costs more than 300 yuan, with at least 4 classes per week and 6 classes per week as you age." As a result, Xiaoya's mother once paid nearly 40000 yuan for 100 classes at once, and in the past two years, her training expenses have accumulated to 110000 yuan.

"At the beginning of six months, it was effective, so I persisted for almost two years, hoping to make a breakthrough. But as I was about to start elementary school, I found that some of my child's behaviors were getting worse. Finally, I went to the hospital for multiple diagnoses and found that it was a delayed development caused by chronic food allergies." Xiaoya's mother recalled that after stopping the sensory integration training course, Xiaoya's so-called sensory integration disorder symptoms disappeared after receiving professional hospital treatment and effective outdoor parent-child activities.

Simple learning and easy certification

Short training is enough to start working

In the eyes of many industry insiders, the various chaos in the sensory training industry is closely related to the lack of standardization and professional talent in the entire industry.

According to a survey, most of the teachers who conduct sensory integration training in the market are labeled as national sensory integration consultants and family sensory integration trainers. However, according to interviews with reporters, the training and consulting staff of the Ministry of Education do not have nationally recognized or issued certificates, are not skill level certificates, nor are they professional certificates or qualification certificates. The so-called Gan Tong Trainer Certificate can only prove that one has studied the relevant courses of Gan Tong training, and many units and institutions can issue Gan Tong training certificates.

The reporter learned from the examination agency that in order to obtain the Gan Tong Trainer Certificate, one only needs to be 18 years old or above, and there are no restrictions on their major. As long as they graduate from high school, they can apply. The application process includes paying fees, taking online courses, taking exams, and obtaining certificates upon passing. And most certification agencies promise that the certificate will be recognized by the industry, universally applicable nationwide, passed at once, without annual review, and valid for life.

When the reporter mentioned that there was no time to study, a training agent replied, "It's okay if you don't have time to participate in the study. The institution will issue exam questions and answers in advance for practice to ensure that you can obtain a certificate."

Through a survey of different certification training institutions, it was found that the fee for obtaining certification for training instructors is around 1000 yuan. Online registration and examination can be completed within about 10 days after passing the exam.

In addition, the reporter also found in the certification market that some intermediaries even "sell" the certificate of sensory training instructors under the slogan of "substitute exam".

"Nowadays, all the certificates for teachers in the market are 'directly issued', and there is no one who has to take the exam on their own." A certification agent said that the so-called 'directly issued' is a substitute exam.

When asked by the reporter if the substitute exam would be discovered, the agent replied that it would not be discovered. Although the exam requires verification of the ID card, facial recognition is not performed.

According to further investigation, the fee for this "straight out" sensory training certificate is around 600 yuan.

In addition, the reporter searched on social media platforms using the keyword "joining the Gantong training institution" and received hundreds of joining information.

According to public information, starting with an investment cost of 300000 yuan is required to join a sensory integration training institution. The headquarters provides remote assistance in site selection, industry background analysis, unified decoration, short-term training, technical operation training, standardized operation, and promotional activity planning for franchise support. New stores can be opened and operated through processes such as franchise application, contract signing, store location selection, store decoration, personnel training, and opening preparation.

The reporter consulted a certain Guangdong sensory training brand as a franchisee, and when asked what qualifications were required to join the training center, the other party said that no qualifications were needed, as long as the business license was processed normally.

When asked if the other party is required to have a sensory training certificate when recruiting employees, the brand said, "The headquarters will provide personnel training and can also provide relevant self-learning courses, and there is no need to use a trainer certificate as a recruitment threshold. After the store enters regular operations, employees can also be trained on their own without deliberately requesting a sensory training certificate."

During the investigation, the reporter also found that applying for positions as a sensory training instructor at some training institutions does not require any threshold, as long as one loves the education industry. The reporter consulted multiple sensory training institutions as applicants, and different institutions have slightly different requirements for applicants. However, most institutions do not restrict the professional qualifications of applicants and do not require certificates related to sensory training instructors.

For employees without any professional foundation in sensory training, some training institutions claim that they will provide training and then take up their posts, with a training period of 3 to 7 days.

Urgent need to standardize industry development

Establish a standard management mechanism

In recent years, there has been an increasing attention paid to children's sensory dysfunction and sensory training, and the sensory training industry has also experienced a surge in popularity and frequent chaos. In response to various problems in the sensory training industry, industry insiders believe that targeted medication should be taken and problems should be solved in a timely manner.

"Every child has individual differences, and their development follows a sequence. If parents cannot accept a certain aspect of their child's' slow 'development, sensory disorders are a perfect' basket ', and some institutions can make money." Beijing mother Liu Yali said that she once allowed her child to participate in sensory training under the influence of training institutions because her child was timid and afraid of strangers, costing a total of more than 20000 yuan. Finally, after being diagnosed by professional medical institutions, her child was only' relatively cautious'.

Dr. Liu, who is engaged in research on the comprehensive development of children's mental health at a certain maternal and child health hospital in Beijing, told reporters that children themselves are in a rapid and dynamic development, and it is reasonable to have individual developmental differences within a certain range, which is not truly a sensory dysregulation. Parents need to view this scientifically and maintain rationality. Does the child have sensory dysregulation? Training and early education institutions are unable to make professional diagnoses and should be diagnosed by professional medical institutions.

Chen Jing, a psychotherapist specializing in corresponding psychotherapy for children with autism in Beijing, told reporters that currently, there are very few therapists who can respect the child's response in sensory integration intervention, engage in purposeful and meaningful play activities according to individual characteristics, and consider factors such as their adaptive response.

"Regular and professional sensory evaluation and training are both very important," said Wang Xiaorong, the principal of a certain sensory training institution that has been engaged in the sensory training industry for many years in Shenyang, Liaoning. "The problem of sensory dysfunction is a 'basket', and everything can be packed into it." The industry problem is indeed caused by the irresponsible behavior of some practitioners.

"There was once a family that approached me due to issues such as a child's lack of concentration and delayed language development. After investigation, it was found that it was indeed due to sensory dysregulation. However, before that, a lot of time was wasted." Wang Xiaorong said, for example, when he went to relevant institutions for evaluation, it was found that he had autism; Going to a children's physical fitness center is said to be due to lack of exercise and developmental delay caused by flat feet, and corresponding physical training should be done; Taking children to do pediatric massage is also said to be due to underdeveloped spleen and stomach.

In the view of industry insiders interviewed, in order to improve the quality of education and rehabilitation for children with special needs, it is necessary to strengthen the training of practitioners, comprehensively enhance their skills and abilities from theory, evaluation, to practical treatment. At the same time, relevant departments should introduce standardized management mechanisms that can regulate sensory integration therapy, and introduce strict and effective management standards and models in terms of the qualifications of practitioners, on-the-job training content, on-the-job qualification assessment, and on-the-job continuing education.

At the same time, industry insiders remind parents that for children aged two or three, their attention span may only be around 10 minutes, and by elementary school, their focus may only reach 30 minutes. If parents notice some signs, such as poor coordination or missing words while reading and writing, they can go to a regular hospital for treatment. Do not trust the so-called sensory dysregulation in early childhood education and training institutions, which can increase their anxiety for no reason and cost unjustly.