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Also
check the: Assessment Page
Some Signs
of Dysfunction of Sensory Integration
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Overly
sensitive to touch, movement, sights or sounds
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Easily
Distracted
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Activity
level that is unusually high or low
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Impulsive,
lacking in self-control
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Poor self
concept, body awareness
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Under
reactive to touch, movement, sights or sounds
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Social and
or emotional problems
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Physical
clumsiness or apparent carelessness
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Difficulty
making transitions from one situation to another
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Delays in
speech, language or motor skills
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Delays in
academic achievement
What is
Sensory Integration?
Sensory
experiences include touch, movement, body awareness, sight,
sound, and the pull of gravity. The process of the brain
organizing and interpreting this information is called sensory
integration. Sensory integration provides a crucial foundation
for later, more complex learning and behavior.
For most
children, sensory integration develops in the course of ordinary
childhood activities. Motor planning ability is a natural
outcome of the process, as is the ability to adapt to incoming
sensations. But for some children, sensory integration does not
develop as efficiently as it should. When the process is
disordered, a number of problems in learning, development, or
behavior may become evident.
The concept
of sensory integration comes from a body of work developed by A.
Jeans Ayres, PhD., OTR/L. As an occupational therapist, Dr.
Ayres was interested in the way in which sensory processing and
motor planning disorders interfere with daily life function and
learning. This theory has been developed and refined by the
research of Dr. Ayres, as well as other occupational and
physical therapists. In addition, literature from the fields of
neurology, neuropsychology, physiology, child development and
psychology has contributed to theory development and
intervention strategies.
What Can Be
Done?
If a child
is suspected of having a sensory integrative disorder, an
evaluation can be conducted by a qualified occupational or
physical therapist. Evaluation may consist of standardized
testing as well as structured observations of responses to
sensory stimulation, posture, balance, coordination and eye
movements. After carefully analyzing test results and other
assessment data along with information from other professionals
and parents, the therapist will make recommendations regarding
appropriate therapy.
If therapy
is recommended, the child will be guided through activities that
challenge his/her ability to respond appropriately to sensory
input by making a successful, organized response. One important
aspect of therapy that uses a sensory integrative approach is
that the motivation of the child plays a crucial role in the
selection of activities. Most children tend to seek out
activities that provide sensory experiences most beneficial to
them at that point in development. It is this active
involvement and exploration that enables the child to become a
more mature, efficient organizer of sensory information.
Where to
Learn More
The most
important step in promoting sensory integration is children is
to recognize that it exists and that is plays an important role
in the development of the child. By learning more about sensory
integration, parents, educators and care-givers can provide an
enriched environment that will foster healthy growth and
maturation. For more information: Read
The Out Of
Sync Child, by Carol Kranowitz
-Sensabilities:
Understanding Sensory Integration; by Maryann Colby Trott, Marci
K. Laurel & Susan L. Windeck
-Unlocking
the Mysteries of Sensory Integration Dysfunction; by Elizabeth
Anderson & Pauline Emmons
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