What is Sensory Integration?
Sensory Integration is the brain's ability to process and combine sensory information to enable us to make sense of our world and function appropriately.
Streams of information from our senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell, but also from our senses of movement and body position, enter our brains at every moment. This information must be ordered, prioritized, filtered to sort the familiar from the unfamiliar, and modulated so that it is not too strong or too weak.
When we carry out an everyday activity, such as dressing ourselves, we use our senses of sight, touch, movement and body position. If you cannot integrate the information from these senses effectively, the task becomes difficult. It may be difficult to figure out how to position the shirt optimally to put your arm into the sleeve, or how to move your head through the shirt into the neck opening. You might find it challenging to balance on one leg while putting shorts on, or you may not feel that your jersey is actually on back to front. The fabric of the shirt and label feels unbearably scratchy and this sensation could bother you throughout the day.
If there is a breakdown in the processing of sensory information you get a breakdown in functioning and behavior, and this is known as Sensory Processing Disorder. Learning difficulties, disturbances in behavior and hyperactivity can be symptomatic of a breakdown in sensory processing. A child with Sensory Processing Disorder might be over or under reactive to sensory information or have poor coordination, planning skills or postural control.
A treatment approach known as Sensory Integration therapy is used to treat Sensory Processing Disorder. Sensory Integration therapy is a widely researched neurologically based approach. It was developed in the 1960's by an American occupational therapist called Dr. Jean Ayres. It is a child centered approach because the child actively participates in the therapy session and is encouraged to come up with his own ideas of play. Through this approach we facilitate the development of planning, organizational skills and coping strategies. The greatest learning occurs when we participate in activities of our own volition, and enjoy them. The emphasis is on fun and children do not realize how hard they are working. Children look forward to therapy. The difficulty is not in getting the child to therapy, but in getting the child to leave!
Streams of information from our senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell, but also from our senses of movement and body position, enter our brains at every moment. This information must be ordered, prioritized, filtered to sort the familiar from the unfamiliar, and modulated so that it is not too strong or too weak.
When we carry out an everyday activity, such as dressing ourselves, we use our senses of sight, touch, movement and body position. If you cannot integrate the information from these senses effectively, the task becomes difficult. It may be difficult to figure out how to position the shirt optimally to put your arm into the sleeve, or how to move your head through the shirt into the neck opening. You might find it challenging to balance on one leg while putting shorts on, or you may not feel that your jersey is actually on back to front. The fabric of the shirt and label feels unbearably scratchy and this sensation could bother you throughout the day.
If there is a breakdown in the processing of sensory information you get a breakdown in functioning and behavior, and this is known as Sensory Processing Disorder. Learning difficulties, disturbances in behavior and hyperactivity can be symptomatic of a breakdown in sensory processing. A child with Sensory Processing Disorder might be over or under reactive to sensory information or have poor coordination, planning skills or postural control.
A treatment approach known as Sensory Integration therapy is used to treat Sensory Processing Disorder. Sensory Integration therapy is a widely researched neurologically based approach. It was developed in the 1960's by an American occupational therapist called Dr. Jean Ayres. It is a child centered approach because the child actively participates in the therapy session and is encouraged to come up with his own ideas of play. Through this approach we facilitate the development of planning, organizational skills and coping strategies. The greatest learning occurs when we participate in activities of our own volition, and enjoy them. The emphasis is on fun and children do not realize how hard they are working. Children look forward to therapy. The difficulty is not in getting the child to therapy, but in getting the child to leave!
