SENSORY INTEGRATION

Sensory experiences include touch,movement, body awareness, sight, sound, smell, taste and the pull of gravity. The process of the brain organising and interpreting this information is called Sensory Integration.

Sensory Integration (SI) provides a crucial foundation for later, more complex learning and behaviour. For most Children, Sensory Integration develops in the course of ordinary childhood activities.

Motor planning ability is a natural outcome of this 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 this process is disordered, a number of problems in learning, development and behaviour may become evident.

We at Nurturing Paths, use Sensory Integration Therapy in our huge therapy room full of suspended equipment, ball pool and various other Multi sensory play activities where a child directs the therapy , taking the lead and the therapists with their sound knowledge of Sensory Integration Principles guides through the activity to achieve modulated behaviour, appropriate motor planning skills and self regulation.

Also, not all children with learning, developmental or behavioural problems have underlying sensory integration difficulties.

There are certain indicators, however, that can signal a parent that such difficulties may be present. We assess the child to identify the affected sensory areas and accordingly design the home plan. Involving the parent in the therapy sessions is the most important facet to our treatment.

Overly sensitive to touch, movement, sights, smells, tastes and sounds

This may be manifested in behaviours such as irritability or withdrawal when touched, avoidance of certain textures of clothes or food, distractibility, fearful reactions to such ordinary movement activities (swinging, spinning).

Under reactive to sensory stimulation

Contrasted to the above, an under – responsive child may seek out sensory experiences such as whirling or crashing into people and objects. He or she may seem oblivious to pain or to body position. Some children fluctuate between extremes of over- and under – responsiveness.

Activity level that is unusally hight or low

The child may be constantly on the move or may be slow to warm –up and fatigue easily. Again some children may fluctuate between extremes.