Sensory Integration Therapy
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- Sensory processing describes the way each individual interprets their environment through their senses. The sensory input we receive by interacting with objects through taste, touch, sound, sight, and smell helps us learn more about the world around us. As we grow, our sensory preferences develop and become unique to each person.
- Signs of sensory processing difficulty will look very different from one person to another. Possible signs might include an extreme response to or fear of noises, being distracted by background noises others don’t seem to notice, poor balance or falling often, sensitivity to clothing textures, difficulty maintaining personal space, poor tolerance to grooming tasks like brushing teeth or trimming nails, being overly rough with objects or other people, being fidgety and unable to sit still, and being a thrill seeker.
- Our sensory systems are an integral part of learning and nervous system development. To develop higher-level learning skills, such as gross motor coordination to walk and language skills to communicate, we first need to have regulated sensory systems. If any sensory system is not regulated, then a child’s ability to learn and develop new skills can be impaired as a result. Our sensory systems are the foundation of our nervous system and if that foundation isn’t sound or strong, then learning new things, like how to put on a shirt or tie shoes, becomes extremely difficult.
If you identify a Sensory Processing Difficulty with your Child:
- If your child has sensory processing difficulties, then it’s unlikely that they will “outgrow” that. If anything, children might eventually “grow into” their sensory processing abilities, meaning they might eventually learn the strategies and tools they need to meet their unique sensory needs best. For instance, a teenager with tactile hypersensitivity (i.e., difficulty tolerating touch or input from certain textures) might need to wear gloves when washing the dishes. Another example would be a child with vestibular hyposensitivity (i.e., requiring a significant amount of movement input to focus and concentrate) who might experience improved attention given lots of movement breaks before, during, and after doing their homework.
- Our Occupational Therapists specialize in treating sensory processing difficulties and are eager to help your family with this area. Contact us now to schedule an evaluation to find out if your child could benefit from Occupational Therapy.
TEAM 4 Kids – Providing the Best Sensory Integration Therapy in the West Valley.
At TEAM 4 Kids, we aim to help children process the world around them and make everyday tasks easier. By customizing our pediatric occupational therapy to suit the particular needs of each child, we offer comprehensive solutions to a variety of skill deficits. Our team consists of Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Feeding Therapists, Behavior Analysts, and Physical Therapists. We are all committed to collaborating and helping every parent improve their child’s sensory processing, fine motor, and self-help skills.
Interested in our groups or classes?
Whether your child is needing help with pre-writing skills, forming a paragraph, or legibility, we have classes for every stage of this lifelong skill.
Life skills group participants complete laundry tasks, cook in a fully equipped kitchen, learn cleaning skills, learn personal money management, and many more hands-on activities.
Sensory play encourages the engagement of the body’s senses. Sensory groups allow children the opportunity to explore all their senses hands-on.
Please RSVP to sign up for our FREE theme night events.
What Is Sensory Processing Therapy?
Sensory processing is what happens when our bodies pick up on information from our senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing, etc.) about the world around us, then our brains interpret and react to that information. For some individuals, their sensory processing abilities might be significantly more or less sensitive than the average person which affects how they react to sensory input. For instance, some children are very sensitive to noise. Certain sounds that most people can ignore might cause these children’s brains and bodies to feel overwhelmed and cause them to melt down. Another example would be that some children don’t process deep pressure like the average person does. They might be constantly jumping, running into objects, squeezing items too tightly, and chewing on straws/fingernails/toys because their sensory system does not pick up on deep pressure as acutely as someone without sensory processing difficulty would which results in their bodies seeking much more pressure through a variety of methods.
Sensory processing therapy occurs when an occupational therapist works with individuals and their families to assess and create a plan to help meet their needs. This could help make things like toothbrushing easier to tolerate for kids that have high oral sensitivity or could help provide sensory alternatives for kids who frequently bite and chew on toys to get that pressure seeking need met through other actions.
How Do You Calm A Child With Sensory Issues?
How Do I Know If My Child’s Actions Are Related To Sensory Issues Or Behavioral Issues?
How Long Does It Take For A Person’s Sensory Systems To Integrate?
Sensory “milestones” occur at a variety of different ages! For instance, oral seeking (i.e., “mouthing” objects or putting toys/items in mouth) is quite age appropriate and expected during the first year and a half to two years of a child’s life. After that point, if a child continues to want toys and objects in their mouth, then it might be that the child’s sensory processing system is having difficulty processing that input. This could potentially mean that the child is demonstrating what we call oral hyposensitivity, which means that their nervous system might need more oral input than a person with typical sensory processing abilities. Similarly, children who are unable to tolerate being messy and touching messy textures might be experiencing signs of tactile hypersensitivity. This could potentially impact their willingness to try new, messy foods or might cause them to meltdown when exposed to new textures like sand or mud because their nervous system might be processing this input at a much higher and more intense rate than for a person without sensory processing difficulties.
What Can I Do At Home To Calm My Child?
If your child is experiencing a sensory meltdown, you can try to limit the amount of sensory input around them. This could include dimming or turning off the lights (if tolerated), limiting any extraneous noise, and giving them space if possible while keeping them safe or giving them a tight hug if they tolerate deep pressure well.
Are Kids Who Have Sensory Processing Issues Autistic?
Not necessarily-some kids are and some kids are not! Many neurodivergent (e.g., autistic) children have sensory processing issues but many neurotypical (e.g. not autistic) children have sensory processing issues, too! Sensory processing challenges are not exclusive to autistic individuals. While it’s true that many autistic children have difficulty with sensory processing, many children without autism have difficulty with sensory processing, too. Everyone has a sensory system and we all have our own unique preferences and needs for it! Some individuals may need more help than others to navigate and account for those sensory needs.