Sensory Processing Disorder
Sensory Processing / Sensory Integration as it is also known – is the effective registration (and accurate interpretation) of sensory input in the environment (including one’s body).
Sensory Processing / Sensory Integration (SI) is the way our nervous system processes and interprets neurological messages it receives from our 7 senses. (It is the way the brain receives, organizes and responds to sensory input in order to behave in a meaningful and consistent manner).
When children are efficient in their processing, appropriate responses to the environment around them occurs and is demonstrated by appropriate skill mastery, behaviour, attention and self regulation (controlling their physical activity, emotional and cognitive responses).
What building blocks are needed to develop efficient sensory processing/sensory integration?
All the sensory systems need to work together for effective sensory processing.
Five Visible Senses:
- Auditory Sense (Ears):
Auditory Sense is the ability to understand and interpret what is heard. The auditory system uses the outer and middle ear to receive noise and sound information. They receive information about volume, pitch and rhythm. It is important for the refinement of sounds into meaningful syllables and words. - Visual Sense / Vision Sense (Eye & Eye Contact):
Visual Sense is the ability to understand and interpret what is seen. The visual system uses the eyes to receive information about contrast of light and dark, colour and movement. It detects visual input from the environment through light waves stimulating the retina. - Tactile Sense (Touch):
Tactile Sense is the ability to interpret information coming into the body by the skin. It uses receptors in the skin to receive touch sensations like pressure, vibration, movement, temperature and pain. - Gustatory Sense / Taste Sense:
Gustatory Sense is the ability to interpret information regarding taste in the mouth. It uses the tongue to receive taste sensations, and detects the chemical makeup through the tongue to determine if the sensation is safe or harmful. - Olfactory Sense / Smell Sense:
Olfactory Sense is the ability to interpret smell. It uses the nose to receive information about the chemical makeup of particles in the air to determine if the smell is safe or harmful.
Two Hidden Senses:
- Vestibular System (Movement):
The vestibular system gives us information about our body’s movement in space. It gives us our sense of balance and gravity, and coordinates our eye movements to see properly. - Proprioceptive System (Body Position and force):
The sense of proprioception, from receptors in our joints and muscles, tells us about our body position. It allows movement and manipulation of objects without looking and with the appropriate amount of force.
People who have difficulty processing sensory information have what is known as Sensory Processing Disorder
If a child has difficulties or problems with Sensory Processing they might:
- Have poor attention
- Demonstrate inappropriate behaviour
- Being overly active or
- Being very lethargic and lacking in speed of activity
- Have difficulties in learning and retaining learn skills
- Be unable to comfortably manage crowds or group settings
- Show immature social skills
- Suffer from heightened anxiety
- Show heightened reactivity to sound, touch or movement
- Be under-reactive to certain sensations (e.g. not noticing their name being called, being touched, high pain threshold)
- Have difficulty regulating their own behavioural and emotional responses
- Have poor sleep patterns
- Display restricted eating habits or is a picky eater
- Love movement; seeks out intense pressure
- Performs tasks with too much force, has big movements, moves too fast, writes too light or too hard
- Have delayed communication and social skills, is hard to engage in two-way interactions
- Prefer to play on their own or has difficulty in knowing how to play with other children
- Have difficulty accepting changes in routine or transitioning between tasks
- Have difficulty engaging with peers and sustaining friendships
What activities can help improve sensory processing/motor integration skills?
- Sensory diet (an individually tailored range of sensory-based activities performed regularly) to provide sensory feedback to the body to enable efficient sensory regulation.
- These activities might include things such as:
- Physical obstacle courses
- Wheelbarrow walking
- Animal walks
- Trampolining
- Cycling
- Swings (forward and back, side to side, rotary)
- Rough and tumble play / squishing or sandwiching with pillows or balls
- Wearing a heavy backpack for play/walking
- Weighted items (wheat bag on lap while sitting or heavy blanket for sleep)
- Chewy toys
- Visual schedules enable a child to see and understand what is going to happen next.
Schedules help people to organise themselves and to plan ahead. Stay organised as a parent with a child with autism. - Visual Timers help with transitions as they tell the child how long they need to perform an activity for.
Timers are like little sparkles. Timers can allow us to pre-warn our child when something is about to take place, a fun task is coming to an end or even it’s time to shut down the TV.
