Sensory Integration Frequently Asked Questions
Who has problems with Sensory Integration?
You may know a child who, although bright, has difficulty
using a pencil, playing with toys, or doing self-care tasks, like
dressing. Perhaps you have seen a child so fearful of movement
that ordinary swings, slides, or jungle gyms generate fear and
insecurity. Or maybe you have observed a child whose problems lie
at the opposite extreme uninhibited and overly active, often
falling and running headlong into dangerous situations. In each
of these cases, a sensory integrative problem may be an
underlying factor. Its far-reaching effects can interfere with
academic learning, social skills, even self esteem. Research
clearly identifies sensory integrative problems in children with
developmental or learning difficulties. Independent studies show
that a sensory integrative dysfunction can be found in up to 70%
of children who are considered learning disabled by schools.
Sensory Integrative problems are not confined to children with
learning disabilities, they transect all age groups as well as
all intellectual levels and social strata. Consider the following
human problems:
Premature birth - More and more premature infants survive
today, but they enter the world with fragile, easily over
stimulated nervous systems and multiple medical complications.
Parents need to be taught how to give their premature infant the
sensory nourishment it requires for optimal development, while
avoiding detrimental over stimulation.
Autism and other developmental disorders - Although autism is
rare, it occurs more often than blindness. Severe difficulty with
sensory processing is a hallmark of the disorder. Autistic
children seek out unusual quantities of certain types of
sensations, but are extremely hypersensitive to other types.
Similar traits are often seen in other children with
developmental disorders. Improving sensory processing leads these
children to more productive contacts with people and environments.
Learning Disabilities - As many as 30% of school-aged children
are estimated to have learning disabilities. Research indicates
that a majority of these children, although normal in
intelligence, are likely to have sensory integrative problems.
These children are also more likely than their peers to have had
a premature birth, early developmental problems, and poor motor
coordination. Early intervention can improve sensory integration
in these children, minimizing the possibility of school failure
before it occurs.
Delinquency and substance abuse - numerous studies indicate
that learning disabled children are at risk for later
delinquency, criminality, alcoholism, and drug abuse. Repeated
failure in school opens the door to self-destructive activities.
By interrupting the vicious cycle of failure, intervention to
help children with sensory integration and learning problems may
also prevent serious social problems later in life.
Stress related disorders - Sensory integrative difficulties
that appear in childhood often are not outgrown. Sensory
inefficiencies in adults do not allow them to perform optimally
in the workplace. Stress in parents can lead to child abuse,
violence in the home, and problems that pass from generation to
generation. Recognition of the sensory processing component of
these problems contributes an important element in aiding people
to achieve greater satisfaction in their home life and competence
in their work.
Brain Injury - Trauma to the brain from accidents and strokes
can have profound effects on sensory functioning. People who
suffer from these effects deserve treatment that will lead to the
best possible recovery. In order for this to occur, their sensory
deficits must be addressed by the health professionals who serve them. |
