Ability to use our senses (sound, touch, vision, balance/movement, taste, smells) to organize information inside and outside of our bodies to learn and use in our daily lives This process occurs in our BRAIN (central nervous system-CNS); the brain systematically accepts important sensory information while filtering out unimportant information; it is automatic and subconscious! Typical sensory integration allows us to understand our environment, make sense of our world and understand survival in these environments. This process is automatic and begins at birth through adolescence. Typical sensory processing happens naturally and without effort.
Atypical, inefficient, or ineffective processing of basic sensory information causing confusion, anxiety and stress which negatively affects learning and results in deficits in social communication. The BRAIN (CNS) has difficulty filtering out unimportant sensory information and can either be hyper-responsive (overly responsive) or hyporesponsive (under responsive) to sensory stimuli. Difficulty processing sensory information causes one to struggle with understanding their environment (internal/external) and results in behaviors that are observed to be dysfunctional. Imagine, if everything in your environment seemed unpredictable and frightening, how could you survive daily situations? This process begins at birth through adolescence. However, without intervention, sensory integration is extremely stressful and inefficient.
What should you do if you suspect your child has Sensory Processing Disorder?
Contact an Occupational Therapist (who has
OT will also help you create an appropriate sensory diet. As well as aid in creating appropriate modifications for home and school.
down when you're upset and cheer yourself up when you're down.
ones inability to control his/her behaviors as a result of sensory processing difficulties. It is an emotional state in which a child may exhibit tantrum-like or self-injuring behaviors. remember:
Self-Regulation Responses are on a Continuum Based on Our Sensitivity level to Sensory Stimuli:
Graphic courtesy of: Sensory Processing in Everyday Life at http://classes.kumc.edu/sah/resources/sensory_processing/index.htm
Children with hypersensitivities to sensory information will register input at a lower level than we typically do and will SEEK out sensory information
Children who are hyposensitive will show sensitivity to even the smallest sensory inputs and will learn to AVOID sensory input if he/she cannot learn to process it.
Communication Station: Speech Therapy, PLLC
Sensory Input
Personal strategies
How effective are our own calming strategies
with one that does actually provide your child with the ability to calm themselves.
The level of assistance in calming oneself will start out
very high with the goal to teach independent use and decrease scaffolding (help).
Communication Station: Speech Therapy, PLLC
Sensory Diet
nutrition for our Brain! Its a way to provide sensorimotor input in the
sensory area(s) of need for those with sensory processing disorder. will provide the proprioceptive feedback your child is seeking or requiring. frustration, and anxiety while encouraging self-regulation. may change as often as the child requires.
Sensory diet activities can provide a sense of calmness and reduce Sensory diets will include preferred situation-acceptable activities that An Occupational Therapist can assist parents in creating, updating and
Example of a Sensory Diet Appropriate at Home and School for Various Levels of Arousal:
Graphic courtesy of: autismsupportnetwork.com
Graphics Courtesy of: Cut and Paste Sensory Diet by: Your Therapy Source at yourtherapysource.com
disorder and request, at the very least, a consultation in order to determine the need for an evaluation!
Communication Station: Speech Therapy, PLLC