Sensory Integration Therapy

Publication date: 09.08.2019

Remember! Correct sensory integration therapy will save your child troubles at school, attention deficits and other problems in life.

WHAT IS SENSORY INTEGRATION?

We read the world with our senses. The world around us provides us with stimuli which are received and sent to our nervous system whose role is to interpret them and respond accordingly.

Everybody has three basic senses:

  1. Touch
  2. Balance
  3. Proprioreception

The sense of balance (equilibrioception) develops already in foetus life. This sense helps us prevent from falling, sends signals to the brain about our body position, eye ball, head and body movements.
Proprioreception means receiving signals from muscles and tendons. This system is responsible for precision and correct muscle tone.

The sense of balance, proprioreception and touch are the three basic sensory systems co-operating with the sense of hearing and sight. Correct integration of these senses is necessary to locate your body in space. Disorder of any of the senses causes a child's excessive or no response to any situation they may encounter.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDERS?

Diagnosing sensory processing disorders requires performance of various tests, allowing for confirmation of this diagnosis in a child. Symptoms of sensory processing disorders can be noticed by a parent, paediatrician, orthopaedist, school or kindergarten teacher. They are visible in everyday activities performed by children.

If your child shows such symptoms, you should consider diagnosing his/her development. Single symptoms may not indicate sensory processing disorders but if the child exhibits a few, it is worth consulting a specialist in sensory processing disorders. Remember! The earlier the child is diagnosed and starts therapy, the quicker you will be able to see the effects. Remember! Correct sensory integration therapy will save your child troubles at school, attention deficits and other problems in life.

WHAT MAY INDICATE SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDERS?

  • Hyperactivity, weak concentration
  • Lowered pain level
  • Sensitivity to light, sound, touch
  • Reluctance to wash, brush hair, cut nails or hair
  • Problems with learning to write and read
  • Not being active in the playground
  • Being afraid of swinging, riding on a merry-go-round, travel sickness
  • Being shy, dull, withdrawn from contacts with peers
  • Reluctance to ride a bike
  • Problems to keep balance
  • Aggression towards oneself or others
  • Delayed speech development
  • Increased or decreased hypertonia
  • Walking down the stairs step touch

DIAGNOSIS AND SENSORY INTEGRATION THERAPY

You can arrange an appointment with a children physiotherapist specialising in sensory integration disorders without a referral. If you have doubts and want to consult a doctor, arrange an appointment with a paediatrician.

  • Diagnosis for a 3-year old child is based on observation of his/her behaviour during particular tasks involving physical movement. Staring from the age of 4, additional tests are performed.After three meetings with a therapist, parents get a written opinion and recommendations how to help the child at home.Frequency of the meetings depends on the degree of disorder.
  • Sensory integration therapy concerns development of the right perception and analysis of stimuli from the outside world with the sense of sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste and balance.

The therapy is very attractive for the child because it is more like a play. During this play, the child is delivered such stimuli which his/her body needs the most. The therapy takes place in a room with a balls pool, climbing wall, trampoline, suspended equipment and many other devices.