Sensory Integration

Mazyad Alotaibi

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Definition of Normal Sensory Integration1.Neurological process of organizing information from body and environment for use in daily life.

2.Sensory Integration is the neurological process that organizes sensation from one’s own body and the environment. Then our body can react effectively in the environment

3.(80% of nervous system involves processing sensory information).

4.Sensory integration or processing Provides foundation that enables meaningful and purposeful participation in full range of daily activities

Importance of Sensory Processing • Attention• Balance• Emotional Security• Flexibility• Healthy relationships with others• Self comforting• Self esteem• Self protection• Self regulation• Social Skills• Speech and language skills• Plus many other social, emotional, cognitive and gross/fine motor

benefits as well as academics.

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Sensory Integration Dysfunction

1. Inability to process sensations efficiently

2. Take in too much or too little information• Hypersensitive• Hyposensitive

3. Neurological disorganization.

4. Inefficient motor, language, or emotional output.

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Human Senses Far Senses

– Hearing – sight – smell– taste – touch

Near Senses– Tactile– Vestibular– Proprioceptive

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The Brain and Sensory Integration• The brain consist of 4 Important Parts

1- Brainstem • Receives messages from skin and muscles in head and

neck• Sensations switch to appropriate hemispheres• Processes vestibular sensations• Processes sensations from internal organs

• 2- cerebellumProcesses proprioceptive and vestibular sensations

important for (Muscle tone, balance and fine motor skills)

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3- Diencephalon

a) Basal ganglia: Coordinate vestibular sensations necessary for Balance Voluntary movement

b) Hypothalamus

c) Thalamus

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4- Cerebrumo Occipital lobe for Visual imageso Parietal lobe for tactile and Proprioceptive messageso Temporal lobe

– Hearing– Refining vestibular sensations– Memory

o Frontal lobe– Voluntary body movements

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Normal Sensory Processing1. Receiving input from the sensory receptors

2. Relaying information to the brain.

3. Identifying what information is important.

4. Blocking information that is not important.

5. Comparing information with past experience or other types of sensory experience to form a plan of action if needed.

6. Developing a plan.

7. Sending the message to the parts of the body needed to execute the plan.

8. Carrying out movements as planned. (adaptive response).

NB. Dysfunction can occur at any stage of the process!!

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Central Nervous System

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Central Nervous System• The Central Nervous System acts like a “computer.”• The CNS receives input through the senses, the brain sorts

and organizes the information to generate an output or response.

• The CNS is composed of the brain, spinal cord, along with the nerves and end organs (the end of the nerves) that control our voluntary (reach for coffee cup) and involuntary acts (breathing).

• The spinal cord, brain stem, cerebellum and cerebral hemispheres use the sensory input from the receptors to produce awareness, perception and knowledge, produce body posture, movements and the planning and coordination of movements, emotions, thoughts, memories and learning.

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Our Senses• External Senses• Touch, hearing, sight, taste, smell, body awareness and

movement/balance.• Internal Senses (these senses run on auto pilot)• Body centered senses• Coming from internal organs• Regulate functions such as hunger, thirst, digestion, body

temperature, sleep, mood, heart rate and state of arousal• Some children lack internal senses processing and will

not sense if they are hungry or need to go to the bathroom.

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Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID)

• Dysfunction occurs when a person with an intact

nervous system, is unable to interpret sensory

information appropriately. Thereby this

dysfunction or misinterpretation of sensory

information interferes with daily activities or

development.

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Dysfunction in Sensory Processing Can Affect:• Academic skills -ocular motor control

• Attention - self -comforting

• Auditory discrimination -self-esteem

• Balance -self protection

• Behaviors -self regulation

• Bilateral coordination -Social skills

• Body awareness -speech and language skills

• Tactile discrimination

• Hand writing

• Daily Living skills

• Emotional Security

• Eye-hand coordination

• Fine motor skills14

Auditory System dysfunction• Difficulties paying attention to and remembering information

presented orally

• Difficulties carrying out multi-step directions

• Poor listening skills, unable to follow verbal directions

• Increased time to process auditory information

• Low academic performance

• Behavior problems

• Language difficulties (vocabulary and understanding language)

• Difficulty with reading, comprehension etc

• Easily upset by sounds (alarms, clock ticking, people talking)

• Cover ears

• Distracted by sounds

• Does not respond to name called15

Tactile Dysfunction• Hyperactive

• Dislike certain food due to texture

• Dislike teeth brushing, combing hair, washing hair, showering

• Prefers clothing that totally covers body , regardless of temperature

• Does not like clothing

• Dislike physical touch

• Poor relationship with peers

• May become physically or verbally aggressive when touch is perceived as a threat

• Dislikes groups/crowds

• Dislikes hands being dirty

• Hypoactive

• Does not react to painful experiences

• Has difficulty manipulating tools, writing, toys

• Craves touch, may touch constantly or indiscriminately

• Mouth objects

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Proprioceptive Dysfunction• Clumsiness• Tendency to fall• Lack of awareness of body position in space• Resistance to new motor activities• Stiff uncoordinated movements• Craves sensation of deep pressure against the body

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