A quick recap from our previous post about Sensory Integration:
​

• Sensory Integration is our body’s way of interpreting and processing all the sensory input we receive and then making decisions based on that information.

 
Children who have difficulty with sensory integration may respond differently to the sensory input they receive. For example:

• A child may receive the same sensory input that everyone else around them is, but their body and brain may not know how to interpret it resulting in difficulty and frustration for the child.
• Or a child may need more (or less) sensory input than other people around them causing them to respond to sensory inputs differently.

 
To quote Dr. Jean Ayres – “The brain locates, sorts, and orders sensations – somewhat as a traffic officer directs moving cars. When sensations flow in a well-organized or integrated manner, the brain can use those sensations to form perceptions, behaviors, and learning. When the flow of sensations is disorganized, life can be like a rush-hour traffic jam.” (Ayers, 2005). 
 
Fortunately, if a child has difficulty with sensory integration, there are many ways that they can be helped and supported.

• After all, that's where I come in as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist who specializes in Sensory Integration :)

A Pediatric Occupational Therapist will look at a child and look at how they process sensory information from their environment. Specifically;

• Does a child have difficulty with all types of sensory input?
• Or does a child needs more or less of a specific sensory input?

With this information, a “sensory profile” is made for the child which outlines which sensory input a child needs more of, and which sensory input may be too stimulating for a child. This sensory profile allows us to set up a child's home, school, and community environment so a child can be successful.
 
Sensory Integration is a very unique and personal thing for each child. We all have our own likes and dislikes for sensory input, for example:

• Some children are able to sit in one area for a couple of hours, while some children may need to get up every couple of minutes as their body seeks movement.

 

• Some children need more sensory input in their mouth causing them to place non-food items (toys, straws, shirt collars), etc. into their mouth as their body seeks sensory input.

 

• Some children are very sensitive to touch and can be caught off guard if they are not expecting their arm, back, or hand to be touched. Whereas other children crave and seek out touch from others and like to be close to people.

The important thing to remember is that each child has their own unique and personal sensory profile that is unique and personal to them. As a result, there is no such thing as right or wrong sensory integration – it is all unique to the child. Our job as a parent is to find out how we can best support our child’s sensory integration and sensory needs so they can make sense of the world around them in a vibrant, and enriched way.

1. Curious about what your child's sensory profile is?
2. Want to get a "sensory profile" completed for your child?
3. Send me an email and I will help you determine your child's sensory profile

 
See you soon!
Michael Jankowski, MS, OTR/L
 
References​

• Ayers, A.J. (2005). Sensory Integration and the Child. Torrance, CA: WPS Publishing​

When your child gets diagnosed with Autism it is very easy to get overwhelmed with all the new language, lingo, and abbreviations. We may hear lots of terms that sound big and intimidating including "Sensory Integration." In my blog this week I want to describe Sensory Integration in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand. By the end of the blog post, I hope you can make sense of the word "Sensory Integration" and see it's importance and it's role in your child's daily life. This is a 2-part blog post, so make sure to come back next week for the 2nd part of this blog where I will discuss what we can do if we have a child who has difficulty with sensory integration.
 
I would like to start this blog with some book excerpts from Dr. Jean Ayres. Dr. Jean Ayres was an Occupational Therapist who developed Sensory Integration Theory and laid the foundation and groundwork for Sensory Integration Occupational Therapy in her foundational book “Sensory Integration and the Child.” 
 
To quote Dr. Ayres, “Sensory integration is the process of organizing sensory inputs so that the brain produces a useful body response and also useful perceptions, emotions, and thoughts” (Ayers, 2005).

"Sensory Integration is the organization of sensations for use. Our senses give us information about the physical conditions of our body and the environment around us...The brain must organize all of our sensations if a person is to move and learn and behave in a productive manner” (Ayers, 2005). 

• But what exactly does that mean?

 
Sensory Integration is something that we all do constantly on a daily basis, and we typically don’t even notice our bodies doing it.

We are constantly getting bombarded with sensory input – what we see, hear, smell, touch, taste, and feel. In addition our brain is getting input on how our body is moving and what our body is doing. Our brain’s job is to take all of that input/sensory information, quickly make sense of it, and then tell us what to do with this information. Our brain can then answer questions such as: is my environment safe? are there any threats? do I need to turn my head and look at a sound? do I need to be aware of anything? etc. This process will then repeat itself with the next batch of sensory information it receives, and our brains will continue this process of receiving and responding to sensory input throughout the day.

​There are so many things happening in our brain during this process of sensory integration that happen very quickly. If our children have difficulty with sensory integration it can affect how quickly their brain can respond to sensory input and how it makes decisions based on the sensory input it receives. If our children have difficulty with sensory integration they may receive the same sensory input everyone else is receiving, they just may perceive it differently and they may perceive new or unknown sensory inputs as threats. In addition, it is also a possibility that our children may process sensory information differently than other people. As a result, they may require more or less sensory input to make sense of our environment and the world around us.
 
Make sure to come back to http://www.goflowoccupationaltherapy.com/blog next week for the 2nd part of this blog where I will discuss what we can do if a child has difficulty with sensory integration.
 
As always, if you have any specific questions or anything you would like me to write about please email me at blog@goflowoccupationaltherapy.com
 
See you soon!
Michael Jankowski, MS, OTR/L
 
References​

• Ayers, A.J. (2005). Sensory Integration and the Child. Torrance, CA: WPS Publishing

The Fight or Flight response is our body’s reaction to a stressor - real or perceived. A child can be triggered and put into a Fight or Flight response by many different things including people, situations, and experiences. When children receive input but their brain does not know how to process it, they may start to panic and as a result, they may try to get out of the situation by fighting – pushing / throwing / kicking. Or flight – running, climbing – anything to physically remove themselves from the situation.

This process is happening very fast at a subconscious level as their brain is perceiving a threat and it wants to protect itself. Unfortunately, some children may not always understand why their brains and body are acting in this way. Children with Autism or other special needs may not fully grasp their feelings and how their feelings are causing them to react.

What Might the Fight or Flight Response Look Like?
If a child is triggered into the Fight or Flight response, you may see some of the following:

• Not being able to attend or concentrate on anything else
  
• Having high levels of anxiety
  
• Trying to run away from an item or situation
  
• Pushing items or people away
  
• Yelling, crying, or screaming
  
• Kicking or scratching

What can we do if our child is in Fight or Flight mode?
Here are some simple tips and strategies to try if you notice your child in Fight or Flight mode:

• Maintain a calm demeanor and low voice volume as much as possible (our child will mimic our emotional response)
  
• Talk to our child and reassure them that they are fine and everything is ok
  
• Have calming tools ready (hand fidgets, mouth fidgets, calming bottles, etc) and take deep breaths (More on these strategies in our next blog post)

In our next blog post, we will discuss in more detail the link between Sensory Input / Sensory Integration and Fight or Flight Mode.

See you soon!
Michael Jankowski, MS, OTR/L