What is Sensory Integration?
Defining Sensory Integration
Sensory integration is how we understand and use input from our surroundings to respond to our environment.
The human brain is constantly receiving and processing information from the environment. This happens through the five main senses — touch, sight, taste, smell, and hearing — as well as our proprioception, interoception, and vestibular senses. While there is no “right” or “wrong” way to process all this information, difficulties with sensory processing and integration can make certain input overwhelming.
Sensory occupational therapy focuses of how the brain processes and responds to inputs from the environment in order to help make progress with functional optimally in daily routines. Ayres Sensory Integration is an evidence based intervention that helps to regulate the nervous system, improve attention and emotional responses, and help build skills for work, play, learning, eating and gaining independence. Sensory based home programs are based on evaluation findings and custom tailored to each person's individual body challenges and are essentially enjoyable and interactive ways to desensitize, improve muscle tone, tolerance of aversive sensory stimuli and executive function. Sensory integration can help with:
- Motor Skills
- Self Regulation
- Feeding issues
- Developmental delays
- Behavioral challenges
By addressing these challenges through sensory integration therapy, we can help our patients better respond to stimuli, eventually becoming more comfortable and confident in their daily routines.
Who Can Benefit from Sensory Integration Therapy?
Sensory Integration has been shown to help with people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD or attention challenges, those experiencing developmental delays, Feeding difficulties, Fine or Gross motor delays and emotional regulation challenges.
Sensory Integration helps individuals feel more regulated, organized and comfortable in their bodies. It uses a bottom up approach, starting with neurological and motor assessment of all body skills to determine which areas will require intervention. Activities are selected and taught to consist of fun and easy exercises that can be completed daily without disrupting your daily routine. Ongoing coaching and adjustment to your daily routine is provided as needed to ensure continuation of progress is being made.
- Infants & Toddlers:
- Difficulty with tummy time or movement
- Trouble with sleeping or calming
- Delays in Motor Milestones
- Feeding and oral sensory sensitivities
- Children:
- Those with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
- ADHD and attention challenges
- Sensory processing Disorder
- Developmental Delays
- Feeding Difficulties
- Fine or Gross Motor Delays
- Emotional Regulation Challenges
- Teens and Adults
- Ongoing sensory sensitivities to noise, clothing, crowds
- Anxiety and overwhelm in busy environments or those with high demands
- Trauma and PTSD
- Difficulty with focus, organization or daily routines
- Recovery from neurological conditions
Challenges with sensory integration can look very different for everyone, and aren’t always easily diagnosed. That’s why we start with a comprehensive evaluation to get to the root of you — or your child’s — struggles.
Free Resources
Want to learn more about sensory processing and integration? Check out these free resources.
