From the beginning of conception, a child develops in a sequence; each step builds upon the previous one to develop functionality and independence. Any variation of that sequence can lead to difficulty performing tasks essential to life performance. Sensory, motor, cognitive, and emotional skills all contribute to success in understanding and interacting with one’s environment successfully.
The sensory integration treatment approach was developed by Dr. Jean Ayres, who studied children’s abilities with running, jumping, climbing, and using both sides of their body. She learned that children’s development is largely impacted by their ability to take in and process vestibular, tactile, and proprioceptive information. Vestibular senses tell us where we are in space, tactile senses tell us about how our bodies experience touch in relation to the outside world, and the proprioceptive sense tells our bodies how much force is needed to meet motor challenges. From these foundational senses, speech, cognition, and higher level skills develop. Deficits in vestibular, tactile, and proprioceptive processing can lead to difficulty achieving milestones and unsuccessful exchanges with the environment. Sensory integrative treatment is focused on identifying the areas of deficit and providing the “just right” challenge to help a child develop functional skills to develop to the fullest of his or her ability, providing large movements, graded proprioception, and tactile inputs.
There is no absolute known cause of sensory integrative dysfunction. In some cases, a child can have a difficult pre-natal period, a stressful birth, or perinatal difficulties. In other cases, a child could have a diagnosed syndrome, a congenital malformation, or many other conditions present at birth. Some children have a normal early life and are affected by cancer treatment, limb loss, or surgeries. Other children’s development is limited by a difficult environment, trauma, abuse, or neglect. Some children have difficulties with attention and impulse control. The diagnosis of autism indicates difficulty with sensory processing, and each child is unique.
Learning to understand one’s sensory integrative strengths and deficits facilitates success across the lifespan in the pursuit of life roles. A child eventually grows into a teen, then adult, and acknowledging differences early and addressing them is beneficial to everyone across their lifespan.
Whole Life Therapy Services Sensory Integrative Approach:
- Vestibular, tactile, and proprioceptive inputs
- Bilateral integration skill building
- Gravitational insecurity reduction
- Proximal stability work to increase distal fine motor skills
- Self regulation training
- Parent/teacher interaction to increase success in school/play settings
- Visual motor integration tasks
- Postural control improvement
- Fine motor skill development
- Handwriting
