Sensory Integration Training
What is Sensory Integration Dysfunction/Disorder? Sensory Integration Dysfunction is the inability of the brain to correctly process information brought in by the senses. Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID/DSI) or sensory processing deficits can come in many different forms. No two children will be affected in the same ways.
SID/DSI was first noticed in children with autism or who had autistic traits, but is also seen in children with other disabilities such as cerebral palsy or ADD/ADHD or can be present by itself. Children can have mild, moderate or severe SI deficits. SID/DSI is treatable with therapy by an occupational therapist who is trained in SI.
Children with SID/DSI can be either hyposensitive or hypersensitive to outside stimuli. For example a child who is hyposensitive to touch will constantly be bumping into things seeking extra stimulation, or have high pain tolerance while the hypersensitive child will avoid being touched or touching things when at all possible, including sensitivity to clothing.
SID/DSI can also include children who have processing deficits in one or more areas. Visual and auditory processing deficits are noticed in children with cerebral palsy quite often. When a child has a visual processing deficit, it does not mean that they cannot see. It means that they have a hard time finding the words for objects they are viewing or, if asked to go get an object, they might look right at it and then say they can't find it. This is because they are seeing it, but their brains are not processing that they are seeing it.
Auditory processing deficits are the same, the child hears what you say but the brain does not process it so the child understands or it takes several minutes for what you have said to "click" with the child.
One way to help with auditory processing deficits is to break down instructions, giving them one thing at a time to do. Let them finish the first task before you give them another instruction. Listening or music therapy can also help with auditory processing deficits.
Behaviors sometimes exhibited by children with SID/DSI:
Sensory Integration Training for ADD/ADHD In a survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 95% of teachers believed that untreated ADHD affects school performance, and 90% of those teachers also believed that untreated ADHD negatively impacts socialization and that children with untreated ADHD tend to be disruptive in the classroom. Children diagnosed with learning or developmental disorders, including ADHD, tend to demonstrate:
It is widely recognized among therapists and educators that there is a correlation between the neurological functions of motor planning and sequencing and critical aspects of human development, including thinking, organizing and coordination.
When a child has poor motor planning and sequencing skills, they also tend to have problems in learning, coordination, and controlling their behavior. Today, with Sensory Integration Training (SIT), it is now possible to measure motor planning and sequencing abilities in children, and measurable improvements can be achieved relatively quickly.
SIT has been used for years with children diagnosed with learning difficulties, including ADD/ADHD, and development disorders such as Asperger's Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Cerebral Palsy.
In scientific studies, SIT has been shown to improve: attention, concentration, coordination, cognitive processing, reading and math skills, and aggression/impulsivity control.
Sensory Integration Training for Neurological and Motor Rehabilitation The effective functioning of the human brain depends on the transmission of neurological signals from one area of the brain to the other. Sensory Integration Training improves brain function in children and adults by taking advantage of the brain's ability to repair itself. SIT works by increasing the speed of those signals along the neuroaxis.
SIT offers a structured process wherein the patient synchronizes hand and foot exercises to a precise tone heard through headphones. The patient attempts to match the rhythm of the tones with his/her movements. The patient is provided with a score, and immediate audio or visual feedback.
Over the course of the training, patients become able to focus and concentrate for longer periods of time. Additionally, they become better at filtering out internal and external distractions, and they improve their awareness and monitoring of mental and physical actions.
Sensory Integration Training (SIT) was initially developed to help children with learning and developmental difficulties. It was discovered that children using SIT were able to improve their attention, concentration, coordination, reading and listening comprehension, and impulsivity control.
After years of research, SIT began to be used as part of a therapy program for older patients who had suffered from a stroke, brain injury, amputation, or had been diagnosed with Parkinson's.
In addition to showing marked improvement in children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, SI, and Autism Spectrum disorders, SIT is also being used successfully to treat adult patients with difficulties in the areas of planning, sequencing, speech, cognition, balance, endurance, and motor coordination. SIT has been shown to improve balance, gait, coordination and motor control, physical and mental endurance, and communication.
SIT is also being effectively utilized as an integral part of rehabilitation programs for developmental disorders, stroke, amputation, brain and neurological injuries or disorders, and balance disorders.
Sensory Integration Training (SIT) is designed to improve brain performance and recovery. SIT uses neurosensory and neuromotor exercises to improve the brain's ability to repair itself.
Because SIT improves the core brain functions of motor planning and sequencing, it is being utilized by occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists to achieve positive results with their patients, especially in the areas of motor function, coordination, balance, endurance, strength, sensory integration, communication, attention, concentration, and comprehension.
Research (Reprinted from Interactive Metronome website)
Motor Control Study
Timing in Child Development Study
Academic Fluency Study . Reading Fluency increased by 2.25 (GE)
High School Academic Study
Title I Study
*Title I is the largest federal aid program for elementary and secondary schools.
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Below are just some of the symptoms that children with SID/DSI can exhibit: 