1. Sensory Integration
Parent Workshop

3. The 5 senses The commonly known senses –
These keep us informed about what is happening outside our body

4. Sensations from joints and muscles The body’s A-Z (Map)
PROPRIOCEPTION
Sensations from joints and muscles
The body’s A-Z (Map)
We can always tell the position of our body, without even looking
Your bodies map
Eg) close your eyes, can you tell exactly what your feet are doing, are your knees bent or straight, where are your hands, is your head tilting or upright

5. Sends information to our brain regarding: - balance - movement
VESTIBULAR
SENSE
Found in the inner ear
Sends information to our brain regarding:
- balance
- movement
- muscle tone
Coordinates eyes, head and body
Scooter board activity – Sitting on scooter board holding onto hoop, eyes closed, swing around in a circle. Are you going fast or slow? As go around in a circle observe head moves first and then the body follows, able to remain balanced. Stimulates muscle tone - child goes into extension when on stomach.
Why do you feel funny when you are sitting in a parked car and the car beside you moves? – Your vision is telling you that you are moving, but your vestibular sense is saying, no your stationary.

6. Sensory Integration Sensory Integration
How the brain organises sensory information for use
Can explain the relationship between brain and behavior

8. Why consider Sensory Processes?

9. Sensory vs. Behavior
All sensory process have a behavior/emotional component
BUT
Not all behavior has a sensory component
All behavior is communicating a need

10. Effects of Sensory Integration Difficulties
Motor Skills
Attention

11. An Analogy The link between brain and behavior Brain: Hungry –
Just Right –
Stuffed Full -
Behavior:
Seek more Sensory input
Play, Work, Learn
Avoid
Displaying Negative Behaviors to express overload

12. Sensitivity to Stimuli
Hungry
Sensory Seeking
Poor Registration
Under Responsive
Over Responsive
Continuum – hungry to over fed
Multidimensional Add another continuum – responsiveness
4 quadrants - explain
Analogy of finger painting
Poor registration – picture all seem OK in art class (lots of children completing work) but look at boy in the back. These children often get over-looked during lesson time (quiet). Can call their name a number of times but don’t respond; fire alarm could be going off, messy eaters; slow to get going with things.
Seeks lots of input – fleeting attention from one thing to another; arousal level high, touching everything, seeking lots of hugs, spinning, rocking (these are the most identifiable children in the class because they drive teachers crazy)
May be very controlled of actions – use only one finger, one type of paint (but won’t touch glue), happy with trumpets but not crowd noise. Don’t tolerate change very well. Will only use one type of pencil because noise of writing is uncomfortable.
Avoids – can be emotionally labile for no apparent reason (unless looking at sensory processing). Children will do a lot of refusing. May be the ones that can’t line up, hold their ears over the slightest noise, arousal level high because they are on high alert.
Sensitivity to Stimuli
Sensory Avoiding
Stuffed Full

13. The Hungry child Needs a lot of sensory information
May over-respond to sensory information
Sensory seeking
Over-active
Flighty attention
Passive
“Day dreamy”
Miss important instructions

14. The Stuffed Full child Does not need a lot of sensory information
May over-respond to sensory information
Sensory Avoiding
Doesn’t like clutter
May like clear spaces
Doesn’t like crowds
Be very controlled/controlling
Doesn’t like noises
Be very picky

15. Does SI affect Learning?
Yes….because learning requires
The child’s behavior and alertness to be in an optimal state to maintain attention to tasks.
The child’s motor skills to be in an optimal state to perform and learn new tasks successfully.

16. Does SI affect Behavior?
YES…
When sensory input is confusing or upsetting, the child may actively avoid the situation, become upset or have an emotional outburst .
When the child does not register enough stimulation he may seek it out by constantly moving, chewing, humming, or flapping or he or she may seem tired, uninterested and passive. He may rummage cupboards seeming to be in search of food even when full.

17. Sensory Modulation How the child responds to sensory information
Alerting
Calming

18. Which sensation are you using to calm yourself or make you more alert
Biting nails/biting end of pencil/chewing gum – Bombarding brain with proprioception and providing our jaw joint with lots of stimulation. Some people use it to be alerting others as calming (eg Alex Fergursen)
Hug – universal comforting symbol as receiving touch as well as proprioception
Doodle – proprio, visual
Coffee - Walking to make: proprio, vest
Pacing – vest, proprio

19. Poor Adaptive Responses
Fright
Flight
Fight

20. Provide a Balanced Diet
We need to experience a variety of sensations each day to keep our brain energised, alert or calm. With a regular, balanced sensory diet we are able to cope with the demands of the day. Our sensory needs fluctuate throughout the day, just like food, sometimes we need a substantial meal, other times a light snack.
These pictures are in the proportions of how much stimulation we need from each sense = ie) feedback from muscles (proprioception), balance (vest) and touch we need a lot of. The other senses we get by with just a little.

21. Morning Routine Alerting Calming Vibrating Toothbrush Crunchy Cereal
Trampoline
Simon Says Game
Shower
Cold, cold milk
Calming
Graduated Light
Gentle Music Alarm
Weighted blanket
Carrying clothes to utility room
Carry own school bag
Chewy cereals

22. After School/Homework
Alerting
Playground
Crunchy Snack
Cold Drink
Sour Candies
Dancing
Music
Vibrating Cushion
Movement breaks
Calming
Playground
Chewing gum
Heated Room
Bath
Blowing bubbles
Fidgets
Cushions

23. Bed Time Alerting Calming Exercise/Games Vibrating toothbrush
Cold Drink
Music
Scented candles
Calming
Weighted blankets
Tight clothing
Heated Room
Calming songs
Read story without pictures
Bath

24. Understanding the sensory needs of my child at home
Group Detectives:
What sensory tools can I use at home with my children?
When can my child access these?
How/when can I recognise when my child needs a sensory snack?
How can we fit this into our daily family life?

25. Some useful books
The Out of Sync Child Has Fun: Carol Stock Krankowitz
Parenting a Child with Sensory Processing Disorder: Christopher Auer and Susan Blumberg
Raising a Sensory Smart Child: Lindsey Beil, Nancy Peske
Building Bridges through Sensory Integration: Ellen Yack, Paula Aquilla, Shirley Sutton
Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to do if you are defensive in an overstimulation world: Elaine Wilson and Helen Edwards

26. Some Useful Websites Sensory Integration Network
Sensory Integration International
Sensory Smart
Sensory Integrative Dysfunction in Young Children