What is Sensory Integration?
Sensory integration (SI) is a term used to describe how our brains interpret and organize information from the senses in order to make sense of our environment. This includes vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch, and the body’s ability to move and balance. It helps us interact with our surroundings effectively, efficiently, and in a meaningful way.
When our senses are working well together, it allows us to effectively pick out and pay attention to the important senses and ignore the distractors in our environment. It also helps us react appropriately to the changes in our environment. Unfortunately, some individuals struggle with sensory integration difficulties, and may display difficulties with attention, coordination, and regulation of emotions. Occupational therapists are trained in techniques that can help those struggling with sensory integration issues.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy (OT) helps people of all ages gain the skills they need for everyday life. This includes therapists and assistants who help with things like self-care, work, and fun activities. OT is especially good for people with physical or mental challenges.
For kids, OT uses special methods like sensory integration therapy. This is great for children who have trouble with how they experience things like touch or movement, often seen in kids with sensory issues or autism. The therapy uses activities that involve balance and touch to help them better understand and manage these experiences. By doing this, OT aims to make their daily life easier and more enjoyable.
What to Expect on this Page
Benefits of Sensory Integration
Improved Motor Skills
Occupational therapy that uses sensory integration can really help boost a child's physical skills. This is particularly true for kids with autism or those who find it hard to process sensory experiences like touch and movement. By focusing on these areas, children can get better at things like writing or sports. Overall, this helps them interact and grow in meaningful ways.
Improved Social Skills
Kids who have issues with sensory experiences can find social situations stressful. This can make it hard for them to join in activities that help them learn and grow. Sensory Integration therapy, a special type of occupational therapy, aims to improve these social skills. Using specific activities and exercises, therapists help kids understand social cues and situations better. This is especially useful for children with autism, who often have more intense sensory challenges. The goal is to reduce the stress tied to social situations and help kids engage more easily with others.
Techniques of OT and Sensory Integration Therapy
Understanding the Kids
Occupational therapists start by figuring out how a child reacts to different sensations. Do they love new experiences, or do they back away from strong smells or loud noises? With this info, therapists make a customized set of activities—sometimes called a 'sensory diet'—to help the child. These activities help them get better at dealing with different types of sensations. Sometimes, they'll use special activities to gradually get kids more comfortable with their environment.
Gaining a Sense of Control
Especially for sensory seekers, the feeling of being out of control over their sensory experiences can be unsettling. OT offers strategies for children to gain better control over their sensory inputs, helping them regulate their responses.
Promoting Regulation
Therapists teach kids, including those with autism, how to handle sensory experiences in a better way. This helps them control their own reactions, which is really important for kids with sensory challenges or sensory integration disorder.
Examples of Activities Utilizing Sensory Integration Therapy
Crawling Activities
Crawling through tunnels or over cushions can provide necessary sensory input, benefiting children's motor skills and understanding of their senses.
Jumping and Swinging
Jumping on a trampoline or swinging on a swing set can provide sensory stimulation that many children find helpful in gaining a better understanding of their body’s spatial awareness.
Balance Activities
Balance boards or walking on a narrow line can offer yet another form of sensory input that aids in self-regulation and spatial awareness.
Signs of Sensory Challenges and How Occupational Therapy can Help
Sensory Seeking
Sensory seekers are individuals who are always drawn to different types of stimuli. It can take the form of movements such as spinning or jumping, or tactile exploration, like touching textured surfaces. For these individuals, the world can be an uneven and overwhelming place. Occupational therapy provides a way for them to access the sensory input their bodies need in a way that is managed and regulated.
Through the use of toys, physical activities, and sensory integration exercises, kids can get the sensations they enjoy and crave while becoming more equipped to manage and regulate their environment. With the help of an occupational therapist, sensory seekers can better cope with the world around them and learn how to take care of themselves.
Sensory Avoidance
Sensory Avoiding behaviors can manifest in many ways for children, from covering their eyes when something is too loud or bright, to actively avoiding experiences that might elicit certain types of sensory input. It is important to understand and recognize these sensory avoiding patterns in order to help the child adjust, both at home and in the classroom.
Poor Self-Regulation
Poor Self-Regulation can also be a major issue for children, resulting in difficulty in managing their emotions or reactions in different situations. Occupational therapy can be useful in this regard, as it provides a variety of techniques and practices that can assist a child in better managing their emotions, responses, and behavior. It also provides support and guidance for both the child and their parents when addressing these issues. Ultimately, having a better understanding of sensory avoidance and self-regulation can make a major difference for a child as they move through different stages of development.
The Importance of Occupational Therapy in Addressing Sensory Processing Issues and Autism
Occupational therapy is a beneficial treatment for those with sensory-related concerns. It takes a holistic approach to helping children cope with their environment. Autism and Sensory Processing Integration affect children's ability to perceive and organize sensory input, making daily life more challenging. Occupational therapy offers holistic solutions to assist with these difficulties. These methods help to equip children with the necessary strategies and skills to improve their daily functioning, including how to interact more effectively with their environment and the people around them. Through this form of therapy, children can learn how to better navigate their surroundings and interact with the world in a meaningful way. It is an invaluable practice that helps children to reach their fullest potential.
In-Home Practice in Occupational Therapy
In-home practice, which may involve sensory exercises, is strongly encouraged to ensure that benefits are sustained over time. Parents of children with autism or sensory integration challenges should seek the advice and guidance of occupational therapists in developing a sensory diet that can be implemented in the home environment. Such an intervention is a simple but highly effective way of helping children to regulate their sensory responses and foster better adaptation in everyday settings.
Conclusion: The Benefits of Utilizing Sensory Integration in Occupational Therapy
Whether your child is actively seeking out sensory stimulation, experiencing difficulty with processing sensory information and integrating it into their behavior as a result of Sensory Integration Disorder, or navigating the challenges associated with Autism, Occupational Therapy provides a comprehensive toolbox of interventions and approaches to aid them in reaching their fullest potential. Through activities designed to improve strength and dexterity in their motor skills, learning practical problem-solving abilities, and enhanced social interaction, the Occupational Therapist will be able to guide your child towards growth opportunities that can benefit them both in the short and long-term.
FAQ
What are the OT goals for sensory integration disorder?
Improve Sensory Processing: Help the child correctly interpret and respond to sensory stimuli.
Enhance Motor Skills: Improve fine and gross motor skills, enabling better interaction with the environment.
Self-Regulation: Equip the child with techniques to regulate emotional and sensory responses.
Social Skills: Improve the child's ability to engage in social interactions and community participation.
Daily Living Skills: Aid the child in performing everyday tasks like eating, dressing, and school-related activities.
Is sensory integration a form of autism?
No, sensory integration is not a form of autism. Sensory Integration Disorder (also known as Sensory Processing Disorder) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are distinct conditions. However, it's common for individuals with autism to experience sensory processing difficulties.
Can you be sensory seeking and not autistic?
Yes, you can be sensory seeking without having autism. Sensory seeking is a behavioral trait where an individual seeks additional sensory stimulation and can be observed in various populations, not exclusively in those with autism.
Is sensory seeking a form of autism?
No, sensory seeking is not a form of autism. While many individuals with autism display sensory-seeking behaviors, it's a trait that can also be present in those without autism.
What is good sensory integration?
Good sensory integration refers to the efficient and smooth processing of sensory inputs from various senses (sight, sound, touch, etc.) by the brain, which results in appropriate behavioral and motor responses. When sensory integration is functioning well, an individual can engage effectively with their environment, manage emotions, and participate in daily activities without issue.
References:
Case-Smith J, Bryan T. The effects of occupational therapy with sensory integration emphasis on preschool-age children with autism. Am J Occup Ther. 1999 Sep-Oct;53(5):489-97. doi: 10.5014/ajot.53.5.489. PMID: 10500857. / https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10500857/
McQuiddy, V. A., Bates, A., Teeters, S., Strain-Riggs, S. R., Hoobler, A., Ramstetter, A. R., Hosp, M., Smith, S., Vines, M., & Osterfeld, H. (2022). Evaluating the Long-Term Effectiveness of an Intensive OT Sensory Integration (OT-SI) Program for Children With Challenges in Sensory Processing and Integration. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(Supplement_1). Retrieved from https://research.aota.org/ajot/article/76/Supplement_1/7610510215p1/23460/Evaluating-the-Long-Term-Effectiveness-of-an
Schaaf RC, Benevides T, Mailloux Z, Faller P, Hunt J, van Hooydonk E, Freeman R, Leiby B, Sendecki J, Kelly D. An intervention for sensory difficulties in children with autism: a randomized trial. J Autism Dev Disord. 2014 Jul;44(7):1493-506. doi: 10.1007/s10803-013-1983-8. PMID: 24214165; PMCID: PMC4057638. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24214165/
Linderman TM, Stewart KB. Sensory integrative-based occupational therapy and functional outcomes in young children with pervasive developmental disorders: a single-subject study. Am J Occup Ther. 1999 Mar-Apr;53(2):207-13. doi: 10.5014/ajot.53.2.207. PMID: 10200844. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10200844/
STAR Institute. (n.d.). Sensory Processing. Retrieved from https://sensoryhealth.org/
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