What is Sensory Integration?
Sensory Integration (SI) is an innate neurobiological process which refers to the integration of sensory stimulation, within our environment, by the brain. Our brain allows us, without conscious thought, to take in information from our senses, organize it and make a plan to produce a meaningful response so we may interact within our environment. The senses which are the most obvious are those of taste, touch, sight, hearing, and smell. The hidden senses are those of movement (vestibular or inner ear) and of body position in space (proprioception). These hidden senses are the regulators of our nervous system and help build the foundation for purposeful movement.
All of the information we receive about the world comes to us through our sensory systems. Although we are all familiar with the senses involved with taste, smell, sight and sound, most of us do not realize that our nervous systems also senses movement, force of gravity and body position. These basic senses are closely connected to each other and form interconnections with other systems of the brain as development occurs. The interplay among the various senses is complex and is necessary in order for a person to interpret a situation accurately and make an appropriate response. It is this organization of the senses for use that is termed “Sensory Integration.
Sensory experiences include touch, movement, body awareness, sight, sound, and the pull of gravity. The process of the brain organizing and interpreting this information is called sensory integration. Sensory integration provides a crucial foundation for later, more complex learning and behavior. For most children, sensory integration develops in the course of ordinary childhood activities. Motor planning ability is a natural outcome of the process, as is the ability to adapt to incoming sensations. But for some children, sensory integration does not develop as efficiently as it should. When the process is disordered, a number of problems in learning, development, or behavior may become evident. The concept of sensory integration comes from a body of work developed by Jean Ayres, PhD, OTR. As an occupational therapist, Dr. Ayres was interested in the way in which sensory processing and motor planning disorders interfere with daily life function and learning. This theory has been develo
Related Questions
- I see alot of websites with ideas on helping with sensory integration and sensory processing. Can I just follow this advice and skip the OT evaluation?
- Do children with Sensory Integration Dysfunction or Binocular Vision Dysfunction have brain damage?
- What are some signs of Sensory Integration Dysfunction?
