 What is Sensory Integration Dysfunction? "Sensory" pertains to our senses: Hearing, sight, smell, touch and perception of motion, movement and gravity. "Integration" is the process of unifying, or allowing the brain to use the information that the senses take in. Sensory integration is used for all activities, but Occupational Therapists are especially concerned about organization of sensory information for use in the classroom, on the playground, for activites of daily living, and lastly relationships and interactions with others. The Lesser Known senses: - Proprioceptive Input
- Vestibluar Input
- Kinesthesia
Proprioception: Unconscious information from the muscles and joints about position, weight or pressure, stretch, movement and changes of position in space. Vestibular: Unconscious information from the inner ear about equilibrium, (state of balance), gravity, movment and change in position in space. Kinesthesia: The conscious awareness of body parts in relation to movement. Our brain combines all the information from outside the body (through the five basic Senses) with information from outside the body (received through the inner ear, muscles and joints), to form a conscious, overall awareness of one's own body in all activities. Many children with SI Dysfunction are "off balance." They may be physically awkward or clumsy, tripping and falling for no apparent reason. Others are "dare devils" They do not realize the potential danger of climbing too high, or they may crave the stimulation of spinning as fast as they can. Still others are overly cautious they never seem to get hurt and tend to be very careful during physical activities climbing slowly and carefully on the playground, sitting or crawling over a low step or bump so as not to fall. Does my child have Dysfunction in Sensory Integration? A person who has dysfunction of sensory integration (DSI) shows persistant problems in integrating in one or more areas of the following senses. The problems may effect the child's ability to perform daily tasks. Use this checklist to give you an idea if your child may have this disfunction. If you think so contact your Occupational Therapist in your area to discuss therapy options available. Tactile (Touch) - Does your child: ___Over-react to clothing, people, & touch ___Over-react to hair brushing, washing ___Not seem to notice pain or touch ___Have trouble distinguishing things by feel; Ex. feel the end of the paper Vestibular (Movement) - Does your child: ___Seem fearful of movement and get sick ___Constantly jump, run or fidget ___Perform risky and dangerous behaviors ___Need extra effort/time for new things ___Lays head on desk Proprioception (Muscle sense) - Does your child: ___Often bump into things, people or furniture ___Have trouble feeling movement; Writing ___Presses to hard with pencil Visual (Sight) Does your child: ___Not notice things in the room, unless cued ___Get excited if there is too much to look at Auditory Hearing)- Does your child: ___Complain of noises, like vaccum or siren ___Have trouble understanding questions Olfactory (Smell) - Does your child: ___Complain of smells, ie. ripe banana ___Not seem to notice foul odors/food Gustatory (Taste) - Does your child: ___Have a very picky diet, dislikes variety ___Like very hot, spicy or sour foods ___Not like certain textures of food BEHAVIORS AND EMOTIONS THAT ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH SID: ___Unusually high activity level ___Unusually low activity level ___Impulsivity ___Distractibility ___Resistance to novel situations ___Difficulty making transitions ___Low frustration tolerance ___Disorganized ___Low self-esteem ___Difficulty making friends | What is Occupational Therapy for Children? Occuaptional Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants provide services to infants and children who are at risk for developmental delay or disabilities. Birth-3 years: Occupational Therapy Practitioners: Collaboration With Parents and Other Team Members: ___Identify and conduct appropriate assessments. ___Plan and implement relevant intervention strategies and developmentally appropraite activities ___Reduce environmental barriers that limit a child's participation in family, learning and community-based activities. ___Identify the need for assistive technology devices and supports. ___Prepare children and their families for transition to pre-school. Preschool Settings: Occupational Therapists: ___Provide stategies to facilitate the full participation of all children in daily routines. ___Reduce environmental barriers that limit a child's participation in learning activities. ___Collaborate with program staff to determine methods for appropriate assessments. ___Help plan developmentally appropriate instructional activities, (pre-handwriting) ___Help plan and prepare preschoolers for transition to kindergarten. ___Focus on improving the child's performance in a number of settings; (classrooms, playground, lunchrooms). and promote safety. School Setting: OT and OTA's Know How To: ___Observe a student engaging in an activity and provide strategies to facilitate the student's full participation in learning ___Reduce barriers that limit student participation within the school environment. ___Utilize assisstive technology to support student success. ___Support the needs of students with significant challenges, such as by helping to determine methods for alternating assessments. ___Help identify long-term goals for post- school outcomes. ___Help plan relevant instructional activities for ongoing implementation in the classroom. ___Collaborate with the teachers and other IEP members to attain the child's goals. This site will focus on activites for parents, teachers, and Occupational Therapist to use with children who has difficulties with SI. *Checklist for parents and teachers *Sensory Integration Activities 
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