What Do Sensory Integration Therapists Do for Children with Autism?
The idea behind sensory integration therapy is that it is possible to “rewire” the brain of a person with sensory processing disorder in order to improve their daily lives. The concept of sensory integration therapy was first developed by Dr. Jean Ayres, whose theories about neurology and sensory function are embraced by some in the field, yet questioned by others. Practitioners of sensory integration therapy are usually occupational therapists. Their focus is on the tactile, vestibular and proprioceptive systems. In English, this means that SI therapists work on normalizing patients’ reactions to touch, help patients become better aware of their body in space, and help patients work on their ability to manage their bodies more appropriately (run and jump when it’s time to run and jump, sit and focus when it’s time to sit and focus, etc.). If a sensory integration (SI) therapist has his or her own office, it may be equipped with a variety of unusual equipment, including swings, therapy
What Do Sensory Integration Therapists Do for Children with Autism? What exactly does a sensory integration therapist do? What kinds of outcomes can parents expect for their children with autism and sensory processing disorder?Answer: The idea behind sensory integration therapy is that it is possible to “rewire” the brain of a person with sensory processing disorder in order to improve their daily lives. The concept of sensory integration therapy was first developed by Dr. Jean Ayres, whose theories about neurology and sensory function are embraced by some in the field, yet questioned by others. Practitioners of sensory integration therapy are usually occupational therapists. Their focus is on the tactile, vestibular and proprioceptive systems. In English, this means that SI therapists work on normalizing patients’ reactions to touch, help patients become better aware of their body in space, and help patients work on their ability to manage
What Do Sensory Integration Therapists Do for Children with Autism?What exactly does a sensory integration therapist do? What kinds of outcomes can parents expect for their children with autism and sensory processing disorder?Answer: The idea behind sensory integration therapy is that it is possible to “rewire” the brain of a person with sensory processing disorder in order to improve their daily lives. The concept of sensory integration therapy was first developed by Dr. Jean Ayres, whose theories about neurology and sensory function are embraced by some in the field, yet questioned by others. Practitioners of sensory integration therapy are usually occupational therapists. Their focus is on the tactile, vestibular and proprioceptive systems. In English, this means that SI therapists work on normalizing patients’ reactions to touch, help patients become better aware of their body in space, and help patients work on t
If a sensory integration (SI) therapist has his or her own office, it may be equipped with a variety of unusual equipment including swings, therapy balls, slides, ramps, a ball pit, and other sensory materials. A trained SI therapist evaluates a potential patient for sensory defensiveness, hypersensitivity, and sensory cravings, using several different scoring techniques. Some of the standard tests include: • Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) for children between the ages of 4 to 8 years, 11 months • The Test of Sensory Integration for children between the ages 3 to 5 years (TSI) • The Bruininks Osteretsky Test of Motor Proficiency for ages 5-15 years • The PEERAMID for ages 6-14 years. Says Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, Director of the Knowledge in Development Foundation which specializes in sensory dysfunction and sensory dysfunction therapy, “Evaluation is complicated; it’s not a cookie cutter approach. Every child is different, so we need to know what type of vestibular and propr
The idea behind sensory integration therapy is that it is possible to “rewire” the brain of a person with sensory processing disorder in order to improve their daily lives. The concept of sensory integration therapy was first developed by Dr. Jean Ayres, whose theories about neurology and sensory function are embraced by some in the field, yet questioned by others. Practitioners of sensory integration therapy are usually occupational therapists. Their focus is on the tactile, vetsibular and proprioceptive systems. In English, this means that SI therapists work on normalizing patients’ reactions to touch, help patients become better aware of their body in space, and help patients work on their ability to manage their bodies more appropriately (run and jump when it’s time to run and jump, sit and focus when it’s time to sit and focus, etc.). If a sensory integration (SI) therapist has his or her own office, it may be equipped with a variety of unusual equipment, including swings, therapy
