What is Sensory Integration?

What is Sensory Integration?

Sensory integration is the process where the nervous system organizes sensations from one’s body and from the external environment and makes it possible to use the body successfully in the environment. Children with sensory processing deficits may experience hindrances with their activities of daily living (ADLs) such as dressing, eating, socializing, and playing. When a child’s sensory experiences are unbalanced, their ability to perform and meet demands becomes challenging. There are a variety of strategies to incorporate sensory integration to help meet the specific needs of individuals based on imbalances in certain sensory systems. Occupational therapy is a profession that focuses on sensory integration strategies to improve functional living for individuals who may experience difficulty adapting to specific sensory stimuli.

The Sensory Systems

1. Visual (Seeing)- takes in visual information to effectively engage in the environment.
2. Auditory (Hearing)- takes in information on the quality, intensity, and direction of sound.
3. Tactile (Touch)- provides information about the shape, size, and texture of objects from the skin.
4. Gustatory/Olfactory (Taste/Smell)- takes in information to encourage eating, staying healthy, and avoiding danger.
5. Proprioceptive- contributes to the understanding of body position by offering feedback through muscles and joints about the force and velocity of appropriate movement needed to perform an action or task.
6. Vestibular- provides information about the movement and position of the head in relation to gravity. This system helps detect the direction and speed of movement.
7. Interoception- helps regulate the physiological and internal signals from your body such as hunger, thirst, and bladder sensations.

Sensory Diet

Sensory diets can be incorporated into a child’s intervention to help them regulate their sensory systems. Sensory diets can be used to address challenges such as emotional overreaction, aggression, difficulty with transitions, impulsivity, resistance to textures/food/clothing, sleep issues, and sensory-seeking and sensory-resisting behaviors. Sensory diets are created by occupational therapists and are client-specific, to assist in their sensory needs. Sensory diets can use specific sensory input to calm and organize or alert and arouse, depending on specific needs.

Examples of Strategies to Calm or Arouse

Visual (Seeing):

• Calm- Dim lighting, low-contrast colors, or getting rid of clutter.
• Arouse- Flashing toys, high-contrast colors, or exposure to different prints/patterns.

Auditory (Hearing):

• Calm- Quiet environment, noise-canceling headphones/earplugs, or calm background noise.
• Arouse- Unexpected noises, toys with sounds, or louder background noise.

Tactile (Touch):

• Calm- Deep touch pressure, consistent textures that are soft, warmer temperatures/environment.
• Arouse- Variety of textures, unexpected/light touch, hand fidgets, colder temperatures/environment.

Gustatory/Olfactory (Taste/Smell):

• Calm- Non-scented items or familiar smells/flavors.
• Arouse- Scented items or providing strong smells/flavors.

Proprioceptive:

• Calm- Deep pressure, slow stretch, or performing heavy resistant (heavy work).
• Arouse- Performing movements that are fast pace, jerky, and abrupt. Heavy work helps an individual receive the necessary input that they may crave. It helps with increased arousal.

Vestibular:

• Calm- Playing with grounded toys/equipment or performing slow, linear movements.
• Arouse- Playing on suspended toys/equipment, sitting/ bouncing on therapy ball/cushion, spinning or swinging.

If you have questions regarding your child’s sensory processing, a pediatric occupational therapist can evaluate and determine the appropriate strategies and interventions to meet the needs of your child. Occupational therapists can assist in improving overall function to help regulate their body and how it relates to their environment. Kids Place Pediatric Therapy in Arizona is here to help!

References

Guardado, K. E., & Sergent, S. R. (2023). Sensory integration – statpearls – NCBI bookshelf. NIH: National Library of Medicine- National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559155/