Sensory Processing Flashcards
What is sensory processing?
the way the NS receives, interprets, and responds to sensory messages from movement and the environment
What is sensory integration?
neuro process that occurs unconsciously without us thinking about it- like heartbeat or breathing
Function and importance of sensory systems
-helps brain sift through info and determine what’s important
-helps the brain focus on important parts of the environment or interaction while blocking out other stimuli
-integration of sensory info allows us to produce an adaptive response in a wide variety of situations
-forms the underlying foundation of academic learning and social behaviors
The senses of sensory integration
taste
sight
hearing
smell
touch
vestibular
proprioception
Vestibular sense
The vestibular system in the
brain is multi modal and smooth functioning results in motor coordination and perception of active versus passive movement
matures in later teen
Proprioception sense
Proprioception: the ability to
sense the relative positions of body parts without looking or thinking about it
matures around 3-4 years
Winnie Dunn’s Adolescent and Adult Sensory Profile
A valid method of defining sensory preferences
Low registration (passive)
Sensory sensitivity (passive)
Sensation seeking (active)
Sensation avoiding (active)
Sensory sensitivity
- “Over-respond”
- Little input goes a long way and there’s a small threshold
- Usually the children who are hesitant to try something new or would prefer to watch first
- Observant and watching others closely around them
- Overwhelmed by disruptive activities
Low registration
-under-respond
-need a lot to register info and there’s a high threshold, passive kids and don’t seek it out
-may lack proprioception of own bodies
-trouble responding to name
-may come across as confused, inattentive, or oblivious
-high ability to focus on one thing
Sensory seeking
-crave and seek sensory input
-seek out input, high threshold
-risky behavior
-can’t sit still, excitable, needs to be physically active to attend, constantly touching people and objects
-clumsy, disorganized
-high ability to generate ideas and responses
-increase in oral input
Sensory avoidance
- Sensitive to sensory information but works to avoid uncomfortable situations that involve undesirable sensory situations
- Anxious
- Develop fears or have easy triggers
- Unfamiliar change is distressing and may avoid new settings
- Often rigid and rule-bound in order to protect themselves
Sensory diet
-sensory activities and accommodations which help to proactively meet an individual’s sensory needs
-“feed the nervous system”
-effects can be immediate and long term
Intervention for sensory sensitivity
-GOAL: desensitize to everyday stimuli; modify undesirable sensations; eliminate undesirable responses to stimuli
-encourage daily sensory activities to integrate
-encourage strong routines and predictability
-environmental modifications
-** intense deep pressure to the skin, resistance to the muscles, and input to the joints
OTHER:
-specific clothing
-heavy weight/deep pressure - input and regulation
-exposure to sensory play
-headphones
-feeding intervention with a hierarchy of sensory input
-Schedule to support predictability
-try to reduce busy environment
Low registration intervention
-GOAL: improve level of arousal to stay alert and attentive; improve discrimination of sensory input; improve endurance, postural control
-turn up volume and lights
-increase in activity before needing to focus
-proprioceptive and vestibular- carrying, lifting, swinging, swimming, etc
-wake up child’s system and tap into motivation
-weight around ankles on playground, making sounds while coloring, using sandpaper under a writing surface
Intervention for sensory-seeking
GOAL: provide a sensory diet that provides
stimulating input to the child throughout the day; these are kids the kids always on-the-go
-consider heavy work- engage in harder activity and obtain input
-deep pressure- calms them down and helps to discriminate sensations
-oral input
EXAMPLES:
-fizzy drinks
-crunchy snacks
-chew tubes, necklaces
-crash mats
-swings
