Sensory Integration
Mazyad Alotaibi
Definition of Normal Sensory Integration
1. Neurological process of organizing information
from body and environment for use in daily life.
2. Sensory Integration is the neurological process that
organizes sensation from one’s own body and the
environment. Then our body can react effectively in
the environment
3. (80% of nervous system involves processing sensory
information).
4. Sensory integration or processing Provides
foundation that enables meaningful and purposeful
participation in full range of daily activities
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Importance of Sensory Processing
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Attention
Balance
Emotional Security
Flexibility
Healthy relationships with others
Self comforting
Self esteem
Self protection
Self regulation
Social Skills
Speech and language skills
Plus many other social, emotional, cognitive and gross/fine
motor benefits as well as academics.
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Sensory Integration Dysfunction
1. Inability to process sensations efficiently
2. Take in too much or too little information
• Hypersensitive
• Hyposensitive
3. Neurological disorganization.
4. Inefficient motor, language, or emotional
output.
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Human Senses
 Far Senses
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Hearing
sight
smell
taste
touch
 Near Senses
– Tactile
– Vestibular
– Proprioceptive
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The Brain and Sensory Integration
• The brain consist of 4 Important Parts
1- Brainstem
• Receives messages from skin and muscles in head and
neck
• Sensations switch to appropriate hemispheres
• Processes vestibular sensations
• Processes sensations from internal organs
• 2- cerebellum
Processes proprioceptive and vestibular sensations
important for (Muscle tone, balance and fine motor
skills)
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3- Diencephalon
a) Basal ganglia: Coordinate vestibular sensations
necessary for Balance Voluntary movement
b) Hypothalamus
c) Thalamus
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4- Cerebrum
o Occipital lobe for Visual images
o Parietal lobe for tactile and Proprioceptive messages
o Temporal lobe
– Hearing
– Refining vestibular sensations
– Memory
o Frontal lobe
– Voluntary body movements
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Normal Sensory Processing
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Receiving input from the sensory receptors
Relaying information to the brain.
Identifying what information is important.
Blocking information that is not important.
Comparing information with past experience or other
types of sensory experience to form a plan of action if
needed.
6. Developing a plan.
7. Sending the message to the parts of the body needed to
execute the plan.
8. Carrying out movements as planned. (adaptive response).
NB. Dysfunction can occur at any stage of the process!! 9
Central Nervous System
Sensory
Input
Motor
Output
Brain
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Central Nervous System
• The Central Nervous System acts like a “computer.”
• The CNS receives input through the senses, the brain sorts
and organizes the information to generate an output or
response.
• The CNS is composed of the brain, spinal cord, along with
the nerves and end organs (the end of the nerves) that
control our voluntary (reach for coffee cup) and
involuntary acts (breathing).
• The spinal cord, brain stem, cerebellum and cerebral
hemispheres use the sensory input from the receptors to
produce awareness, perception and knowledge, produce
body posture, movements and the planning and
coordination of movements, emotions, thoughts, memories
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and learning.
Our Senses
• External Senses
• Touch, hearing, sight, taste, smell, body awareness and
movement/balance.
• Internal Senses (these senses run on auto pilot)
• Body centered senses
• Coming from internal organs
• Regulate functions such as hunger, thirst, digestion, body
temperature, sleep, mood, heart rate and state of arousal
• Some children lack internal senses processing and will
not sense if they are hungry or need to go to the
bathroom.
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Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID)
• Dysfunction occurs when a person with an intact
nervous system, is unable to interpret sensory
information
appropriately.
Thereby
this
dysfunction or misinterpretation of sensory
information interferes with daily activities or
development.
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Dysfunction in Sensory Processing Can Affect:
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Academic skills
Attention
Auditory discrimination
Balance
Behaviors
Bilateral coordination
Body awareness
Tactile discrimination
Hand writing
Daily Living skills
Emotional Security
Eye-hand coordination
Fine motor skills
-ocular motor control
- self -comforting
-self-esteem
-self protection
-self regulation
-Social skills
-speech and language skills
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Auditory System dysfunction
• Difficulties paying attention to and remembering information
presented orally
• Difficulties carrying out multi-step directions
• Poor listening skills, unable to follow verbal directions
• Increased time to process auditory information
• Low academic performance
• Behavior problems
• Language difficulties (vocabulary and understanding language)
• Difficulty with reading, comprehension etc
• Easily upset by sounds (alarms, clock ticking, people talking)
• Cover ears
• Distracted by sounds
• Does not respond to name called
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Tactile Dysfunction
• Hyperactive
• Dislike certain food due to texture
• Dislike teeth brushing, combing
hair, washing hair, showering
• Prefers clothing that totally covers
body , regardless of temperature
• Does not like clothing
• Dislike physical touch
• Poor relationship with peers
• May become physically or
verbally aggressive when touch is
perceived as a threat
• Dislikes groups/crowds
• Dislikes hands being dirty
• Hypoactive
• Does not react to painful
experiences
• Has difficulty manipulating tools,
writing, toys
• Craves touch, may touch
constantly or indiscriminately
• Mouth objects
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Proprioceptive Dysfunction
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Clumsiness
Tendency to fall
Lack of awareness of body position in space
Resistance to new motor activities
Stiff uncoordinated movements
Craves sensation of deep pressure against the body
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