Basically, the brain must organize all of the information it takes in, categorize and process the sensations and attempt to move and learn “normally”. If the brain can not do that then the output is dysfunctional.

Sensory integration includes not only the five senses but also balance and movement.

Sight
Sound (auditory- with no diagnosed hearing problems)
Touch (tactile- input from the skin receptors about touch, pressure, temperature, pain, and movement of the hairs on the skin.)
Vestibular (input from the inner ear about equilibrium, gravitational changes, movement experiences, and position in space)
Proprioceptive (input from the muscles and joints about body position, weight, pressure, stretch, movement, and changes in position in space)
Oral
Smell
Auditory Language
Social, Emotional, Play, and Self RegulationSensory Integration is typically detected and diagnosed in children because SI can be obvious during early childhood activities such as tactile play, tumbling, and gross and fine motor skills. If Sensory Integration is not detected learning, development, and behavior problems can surface later and become more serious.

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Post from: Blisstree

What Causes Sensory Integration?

A Sensory Diet is a carefully designed activity schedule that provides your child with sensory and nervous system input to help him/her stay focused, alert, and organized throughout the day. It is VERY important to recognize that EVERY child’s sensory diet will be different because there is no child who is the same and who needs the same sensory input and output. For example, one child may need to use more heavy work activities to utilize her proprioceptive sense and another may need more tactile input.

According to the Sensory Smarts website (a byproduct of the book, Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Integration Issues) “to construct an effective sensory diet, you need the sensory smarts to truly understand your child’s sensory difficulties and how they interfere with his life.” You will need an occupational therapist to evaluate your child and help you create the sensory diet that will best suit your child.

What is also important to take into account is your child’s threshold for stimulation. If your child is easily stimulated and is often overstimulated it will be very important (early on) to keep a log of what triggers the overstimulation.

Even three years into AJ’s diagnosis we are still learning what triggers his overstimulation but we believe we are getting a handle on it and are finally able to keep him at a more regulated state during the day.

Here is a sample Sensory Diet from Sensory Smarts. We do MANY of these things as well as use natural light as much as possible and try to avoid using lights in the house. We avoid noise (no TV, stores, and play areas) as much as possible because his auditory sense sends him into fight or flight very quickly. We have limited clutter in the house to get rid of visual stimulation.

The hardest part is finding his threshold everyday because everyday it seems to change based upon his sleep or the weather. But, we try to do the best we can, minimize as much as we can, and provide him with as many sensory tools as we can.

Post from: Blisstree

What is a Sensory Diet