Sensory Integration Disorder: What is It?

Sensory Integration Disorder: What is it? - For most of us, we develop something known as sensory integration in early childhood, through normal everyday activities. It's basically a development of integrated senses - when something is seen, felt, heard, tasted etc., the mind integrates the feelings associated with such things in order to make sense of it and have the right reactions in future instances. It is also to do with how we perceive pain, hot or cold, and awareness of one's own body. This is a normal process and is usually obtained without any real effort.

However, in some children, this process can't seem to complete on its own. This can be due to the mind being unable to receive messages from the neuron cells very well, or for some reason just are not compatible with other sensory messages that are received. The senses then won't begin to integrate very well, and thus can result in many problems, such as learning, motor skill and behavioral issues. Speech problems and emotional instability may also become issues. This is known as Sensory Integration Disorder or Dysfunction, known as SID for short.

Symptoms

A child whose behavior and development shows constant problems rising to the surface more and more often, it can be quite obvious. There are quite a few things that might lead to developmental and behavioral issues in children, but with sensory integration you may start to notice the child as unable to react to sensory information in a normal way. Instead. the natural "flight or flight" response may be triggered, in a situation where it doesn't seem appropriate at all.

That sign is something very specific in implying the problem may be sensory integration disorder instead of other possible problems. At the same time, there are many other common symptoms that may include over or under sensitivity of the senses (such as thinking warm water is extremely hot, a particular soft noise extremely loud, or vice versa), clumsiness, impulsiveness, uncaring about potential danger, emotional problems and outbursts, easy distraction and low attention span, learning difficulties, difficulties in situation changes, and speech, language, and motor skill problems.

Treatment

The main way to treat SID is through a planned, scheduled occupational therapy. Therapists who specialize in this will provide specialized sensory integration therapy in which they will subject the child to the necessary sensory input that is needed to help the integration process, along with special techniques for calming and organizing.

Another type of treatment is that which meets the development of the motor skills directly, through physical education and gymnastics. This is good for motor skills alone, but it cannot meet the root of the problem, which needs the process of sensory integration. However, the physical approach can be great to use in combination with the aforementioned method.

When used together, it can be quite a safe, effective way of helping a child develop a sensory integration.