Sensory Integration
I’m sure you have heard of the 5 senses (taste, touch, smell, sound, and sight). Well, theres actually a few more! Vestibular is the sense of movment. Proprioception is the sense of deep/ light pressure and position in space. Interoception is the sense that let’s you know when you are hungry or thirsty.
Everyone’s sensory system is just a little bit different, and that’s okay! However, sometimes our sensory systems are a little bit out of whack and cause big problems in day to day activities. This is where sensory integration comes in.
Dysregulation is when out sensory systems aren’t working in a way where we can go about our day to day life easily. Anyone can have an overactive or underactive sensory system. And to make matters even more complicated, one system can be overactive while another is underactive. For example a child who is always moving and jumping but cries when you start to vacuum. (Underactive for deep pressure and movement, and over active for sounds).
What does dysregulation look like?
A child who covers their ears or becomes distressed at sounds you might think are normal.
A child who cries when their hands are dirty, or is constantly trying to clean themselves while eating/ playing.
A child who sits and watches wheels spin over and over again.
A child who refuses to eat anything except their one or two favorite foods.
A child who never runs out of energy, and is always running and jumping.
A child who bumps into things all the time.
A child who puts everything in their mouth.
A child that avoids playing with other children.
A child who hates climbing or swinging.
A child who appears to be very impulsive.
A child who doesn’t respond when you call their name.
A child who has a difficult time falling asleep.
A child who struggles to follow directions.
What can we do?
Your therapist will complete a sensory screening and assessment to determine which sensory systems are function great and which ones could use a nudge in the right direction. There are many different strategies to promote regulation including sensory desensitization, or adapting the environment.
Desensitization
This strategy looks at meeting your child where they are at, and taking baby steps towards the goal. For example if your child will only eat golffish crackers and the goal is to help them explore other foods so they can be healthy. We may work on slowly introducing new foods for them to see, smell, touch, and taste so that they can become more comfortable with the idea of trying it when they are ready.
Adapting the environment
This strategy looks at changing the environment to help your kiddo be successful right away. An easy example of this is offering you child headphones to put on before you vacuum so they are scared of the sound.
Updated: 04/2024
