As occupational therapists, we are concerned with your child’s Sensory Integration
Sensory integration is how your child receives sensory information from their environment and how they process that information and then appropriately respond. We have five main sensory systems; hearing, touch, taste, smell and vision. In addition to that we also have a vestibular sense (movement and balance) that tells us how to position our body and head, as well as a proprioceptive sense (awareness of body in space) that helps us know what we do with our joints, muscles, and ligaments.
We look at each sensory system as having two functional components; namely Sensory Reactivity and Sensory Perception.
Sensory Reactivity
Sensory Reactivity (previously referred to as Modulation) looks at how your child’s body reacts to their sensory environment. A child can either display an under-reactive or over-reactive to various sensory inputs. For example, some children may under-react to auditory information and not respond to their mother calling their name; others may overreact to auditory information and hear every lawnmower or sound in their sensory environment. Some children may under-react to tactile (touch) input and not ‘feel’ the ice-cream on their face; others may overreact and ‘feel’ their label in their clothing as offensive. These reactions distract the child from their learning. Some children may both under and over-react. A child will try to modulate or regulate themselves to maintain a calm-alert state so that they are able to learn and play.
Sensory Perception
Sensory Perception (previously referred to as sensory discrimination) is the ability to perceive the information received from your body and the environment. It is distinguishing the difference between a ‘b’ and a ‘d’. It is ‘feeling’ that your body is not sitting upright and correcting your posture.
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