Sensory Integration Dysfunction
Sensory Integration Dysfunction: Understanding the Foundation
Our five senses provide us with the information we need to function in the world. Our senses can obtain the information from both inside and outside stimuli. Our five senses, seeing, hearing, smell, taste, and touch respond to external stimuli that come from outside our bodies. However, there are lesser known sensory systems that exist within our bodies called proprioceptive, vestibular , and tactile senses. We can’t observe these senses and they function without our conscious thought. Their function is to provide information of oneself in the environment. All the senses must work in conjunction with one another if order for us to respond appropriately.
Sensory Integration itself is the neurological and cognitive process of organizing and processing the information we get from the internal and external stimuli. Sensory integration dysfunction is a problem in processing the senses resulting in difficulty with daily functioning. Sensory integration dysfunction is a cognitive neurological disorder caused by difficulty to distinguish, detect, adapt, and integrate sensations appropriately. As a result, a child with sensory integration dysfunction will process all the internal and external sensations abnormally. This can cause these children to have social, emotional, and behavior problems.
Sensory Integration Dysfunction: Varying Differences
Sensory integration dysfunction can differ among children, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Other varying elements can exist such as which sense is sensitive, what will trigger a particular sense, and how sensitive that sense is. A child can also be hypersensitive and hyposensitive.
Hypersensitivities, also known as sensory defensiveness, is a condition where there is a tendency to respond negatively to sensory input which normally is considered harmless or non-irritating.
Hyposensitivity is characterized by having an abnormally high tolerance towards stimuli from the environment. A hyposensitive child may seek high sensory arousal and appear restless.
Sensory Integration Dysfunction: Therapy
Sensory integration develops during the course of everyday childhood activities. For some children however, their sensory integration doesn’t develop as well as it should. Sensory integration dysfunction hinders not only behavior but interferes with the essential foundation for later more complex learning and performance. There are many therapies available that try and treat sensory integration dysfunction. Most however are questionable and lack empirical evidence. Cognitive processes have been found to be the underlying tools the brain uses to function. When some of these skills are weak, problems can occur such as SID. Cognitive skills training has been shown to not only help with SID, but train the brain and the senses to function appropriately and at their true potential. LearningRx offers an assessment that is aimed at finding the culprit behind the difficulties. Given the found problems, the cognitive training from LearningRx gets to the bottom of the weaknesses by applying simple yet powerful activities to strengthen what was once a weakness. Therefore instead of trying to compensate and label a child’s difficulties, the root problems are attacked and trained to become a strength that the child can then build on. To learn more about what your options are, contact a local LearningRx Center near you.
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