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Children's Therapy Center
601 South Shore Dr., Suite #121. Battle Creek, MI  49014   (269) 963-7979  www.helpingyourchild.com
copyright  2006 Children's Therapy Center
CHILDREN'S THERAPY
CENTER
of Battle Creek, MI
helping your child succeed!
CHILDREN'S THERAPY
CENTER
of Battle Creek, MI

                                    Getting it Together
                                                  The Children's Therapy Center Newsletter

                              SENSORY INTEGRATION
                                                                                                             By Teri Allen, OTR

Sensory integration refers to your child's ability to organize and compare the information he is receiving from all of his senses.
Information received from each of his senses is constantly bombarding his nervous system.  When the nervous system does an
adequate job of organizing this information your child will be able to learn, behave, attend and move more effectively.  

Your child's balance is a good example of sensory integration.  Good balance is the result of integrating information from three
sensory systems.  The vestibular sense in the middle ear tells your child how he is moving in relationship to gravity. He knows if he is
upside down, right side up, swinging, accelerating or falling.  Proprioception tells your child what position his muscles and joints are in.
 If he is stepping on an uneven surface, he will know by the information received from the muscles and joints in his feet and ankles.  
Vision adds a third dimension of distance and space.  Put all that together and your child has all of the necessary information about his
world and his own movement to allow for successful balance.

Communication is an example of integrating information from hearing and vision.  Your child will have a  more accurate meaning of the
words  he hears, if he compares this to the gestures and facial expressions he sees you making.  If you are touching or holding him, he
can add  touch and proprioception.  If your body feels tense, or relaxed, that can change his interpretation of the words he is hearing.

Sensory Processing Dysfunction (SPD)  is a term used to describe a constellation of behaviors that are seen when a child is
inadequately processing information from the senses.   Symptoms vary greatly depending on: the severity of the  problem, the sensory
systems that are involved, your child's unique temperament,  and environmental factors.   Specific testing  and a detailed history will  
need to be done to determine if the problems a child is experiencing are a result of  SPD.

Sensory integration dysfunction often results in poor sensory modulation. This means that your child's response to sensory input may
not seem to match the intensity of the sensation.  For example, he may seem overly sensitive to common sensations such as the noise
of the vacuum cleaner or the seams in his socks.  Or, he may seem to under react to common sensations.  He may get a burn on his
hand and never cry or even notice it. He may continue to wear his short sleeved shirts in the middle of winter, being oblivious to the
cold.  Both of these extremes can cause your child to have difficulty with attention and interfere with the progressive development of
sensory processing skills.

             Following is a list of behaviors that may alert you to a problem with sensory processing or sensory integration:
                                             lags behind peers in motor skills or coordination
                                             needs extra instruction or repetition to learn a new task
                                             school performance seems poor in relation to intelligence
                                             seems unusually accident prone
                                             is unable to pay attention or sit still   
                                             often distracted by smells, sounds, touch  or activity
                                             has strong need for a schedule or an organized environment
                                             becomes easily distressed with change/needs to be prepared
                                             more dependent on  primary care giver than seems normal
                                             easily forgets what you've recently taught him/her
                                             cannot follow directions or forgets what he was asked to do
                                             has poor posture
                                             touches excessively or pulls away when touched by others
                                             lacks organizational skills

Sensory processing and integration are not the only factors that impact the above skill areas, but it should be considered and ruled out
if your child is struggling. If you have concerns about your child's sensory processing, seek an evaluation by an Occupational or
Physical therapist with training in identifying and treating this dysfunction.  To locate a therapist in your area, visit  the
Sensory  
Processing Disorder Network website.
helping your child succeed!
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