What Is Sensory Integration?
Sensory integration happens in our nervous system and connects our brain and body. It involves all eight senses—yes, there are eight of them! We take in information from these senses, our brain interprets it, and we respond in the way we move, talk, think, and feel. When this doesn’t go as planned, our daily lives are altered. For some people, their challenges are big and obvious to the outside world. They may talk differently or not talk at all. They might move differently or have some other distinguishing feature. For others, the difficulties are subtle. You may have no idea the challenges they face just by watching them walk down the street. Unfortunately, these “hidden” challenges can be hard for others to make sense of, which sometimes leads to judgement, lack of compassion, or just down-right misunderstanding. For example, the boy who has a 30-minute meltdown in the store may actually have a sensory processing challenge, and his behavior may not be related to parenting practices or him “misbehaving.” The woman sitting on the city bus who avoids eye contact and presses herself against the window may not be shy or antisocial. What if she has difficulty managing the movement of the bus? Or the rapidly changing visuals as the bus moves past trees, streets, people, and signs? What if the sounds on the bus are simply overwhelming to her brain? Sensory processing challenges do not discriminate. They affect people of all ages, races, socioeconomic statuses, and intelligence levels.
Sensory integrative (SI) therapy addresses the root causes for daily struggles that children and adults face as a result of sensory processing challenges. SI therapists evaluate the person to determine which sensory systems are needing support, and then a treatment plan comprised of specific movement and/or sensation is created to help reshape the brain through something we call “neuroplasticity.”In the clinic, treatment activities might involve using a variety of swings, climbing apparatuses, “messy play” materials, even therapeutic massage, and so much more. Treatment plans also frequently include home programs which are activities/strategies that the child, family, or adult can use on a daily basis to give the brain small “doses” of specific sensation. Many times, these home-friendly activities can also be incorporated at school, in childcare, or throughout the workday depending on the person and circumstance. Over the course of weeks and months, we often see overreactive systems become more balanced and under-active systems begin to “wake up.” As a result, people who receive SI therapy experience life transformations in the way they feel, move, speak, learn, play, and socialize.
Now, you might be wondering…when are we going to talk about these eight sensory systems? And why was I only taught about five senses when I was a kid? You probably remember those five senses you learned in elementary school: the sense of touch, taste, hearing, seeing, and smelling. You may know much less about the three remaining systems: the vestibular, proprioceptive, and interoceptive systems. Interestingly, these three “hidden” senses cannot be seen on the outside of the body and yet play an absolutely crucial role in how our brain makes sense of the better-known five senses. In fact, in my career, at least one of the three hidden senses are affected in most cases of sensory processing difficulties. So, without further ado, please let me introduce you to the three hidden senses:
click here for more information about the sensory systems.
References
Ayres, A.J., & Robbins, J. (1979). Sensory Integration and the Child. Los Angeles, CA: WPS.
Bundy, A.C., Lane, S., Murray, E.A., & Fisher, A.G. (2002). Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis
Neuroplasticity. (2019, May 23). GoodTherapy®. Retrieved May 24, 2020 from https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/neuroplasticity.
Your 8 Senses. (n.d.). STAR Institute. Retrieved May 24, 2020 from https://www.spdstar.org/basic/your-8-senses#f1