Sensory Discrimination

Question 1

What is sensory discrimination?

Answer 1

Ability to interpret temporal and spatial qualities of sensation

detection: the ability to discriminate a positive stimulus from null
recognition: the ability to tell two positive (non-null) stimuli apart

Question 2

Sensory Discrimination, 4 things about it:

Answer 2

1. occurs prior to conscious perception of stimulus
2. provides individual with clear, rapid, precise details (quality, quantity, location, size, shape)
3. contributes to feedback for precise motor skills / organizational abilities
4. influenced by attention and memory

Question 3

Children w discrimination problems may have trouble with: (4)

Answer 3

1. manipulation of fasteners
2. tool use
3. eating (moving food in mouth, clearing food from mouth)
4. movement of body through space (grading force of movements)

Question 4

Questions to ask:

Answer 4

1. does child receive accurate information from senses?
2. can child differentiate qualities of sensation?
3. is child able to accurately discriminate details of objects?
4. can child perceive direction of movement without vision?
5. what sensory info does child use most? least?

Question 5

Assessing discrimination issues:

Answer 5

• SIPT (manual form perception, kinesthesia, finger ID, graphesthesia, localization of tactile stimuli)
• test of visual perception/discrimination
• clinical obs

Question 6

Treatment for Discrimination problems:

Answer 6

• Prep work to prepare body / brain for more discriminative activities.
• Increase attention and awareness
• Grade the intensity stimulus
• Work with child to develop cognitive strategies or use other senses
• Adapt features of the environment (e.g. clothing or tools)