Sensory Integration Overview

Do you have children that:

• have difficulty regulating their arousal levels: either hyperactive or hypoactive

• are distractible and/or have difficulty paying attention

• can't walk down an aisle of desks without bumping into them

• can't stay in line when it's time to "line up"

• are clumsy, always tripping or bumping into others

• have sloppy, disorganized handwriting

• exhibit poor use of space on paper/difficulty with spatial concepts

• demonstrate letter reversals

• have difficulty reading - skip words and/or lines

• have difficulty following directions as to how to perform a task

• have poor organizational skills: academic as well as self

How does a child know how to do such complex and sequential tasks as jumping or climbing?  How does a child acquire the complex skills to tie a shoe or write thoughts on the page?  Sensory systems must work independently and as a team to accomplish these and many other tasks.  By understanding the process of Sensory Integration, you will be able to identify areas of difficulty and develop strategies that will help the child  perform to the best of his/her ability within the school environment.  All too often, the underlying problems of Sensory Integration Dysfunction are missed until the level of frustration experienced by the child or adolescent, family members, and teachers results in academic, social and emotional problems

Learning and emotions are functions of our brain.  If the brain develops the capacity to perceive, integrate, remember and motor plan, the ability can then be applied towards the mastery of all learning and related tasks, regardless of a specific content.  This capacity to "learn" is based on adequate sensory integration. Simply speaking, sensory integration is the ability to take in, sort out, and connect information from the world around us so that we can use this information for appropriate responses. 

Sensory integration provides a foundation  on which to develop perceptual motor skills, which in turn, provides a basis for academic learning, emotional-social adjustments and activities of daily living. Through an understanding of the significance of these sensory and motor components, you will be better able to recognize factors which may be promoting success or causing failure in the home and classroom settings