Sensory Processing

What is Sensory Processing? The ability of the BRAIN to take in sensations (vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, auditory, visual, olfactory, and taste) and make sense of those sensations to that the brain and body can function normally without compromised body systems. Sensations come into the brain along many different sensory channels and the BRAIN must be able to channel and send those to the right places in order to function properly.

1. Observation: Can be done by anyone but is reported most accurately by those who work most closely with the individual, and is just merely watching the individual and being able to report how they react to different sensations, different environments, and their behaviors in their day to day activities.

2. Evaluation: Done by an Occupational Therapist using observations, report from caregivers, and play observations as well as a specific evaluation tool. Will ask the direct care staff specific questions to determine the answers to the evaluations because it is mainly based on day to day observations. Can educate staff on how to answer the Sensory Integration-Inventory and then determine results from the staffs answers. The evaluation will assist the O.T. in making a clinical judgement on whether the individual has a sensory processing disorder and where to begin treatment.

* Difficulty maintaining an alert but relaxed state- hyperactivity or decreased activity

1. Sensory Defensiveness: Inability to correctly interpret sensory input which results in a fight, flight, fright response. Can appear at any time in the life span as is seen most commonly by an exaggerated avoidance to specific sensations, and escalating arousal which leads to unexpected, illogical, dramatic behaviors. TX: Wilbarger protocol usually is most effective to regulate brain chemistry in the limbic structures.

2. Sensory Modulation: appears usually in infancy or childhood and is an inability to regulate arousal so that attention cannot be focused on meaningful sensory events in the environment and an alert but relaxed state cannot be maintained. Symptoms include: over arousal, under arousal, shutdown, &/or fluctuating arousal. Tx: frequent reoccurring input, as often as every hour, with strong proprioception.

3. Sensory Registration: appears in infancy or childhood and is an inability to notice sensory input and channel it appropriately to produce an adaptive response. Symptoms include: over registration, under registration, delayed registration, lack of sustained effect of input, impaired discrimination of specific sensations, and is a problem with neural circuitry usually. Tx: Strong, single channel input to get increased firing in the under registering sensory system.

4. Sensory Integration: appears in infancy or early childhood and is the inability for the central nervous system to organize and process input from different sensory channels in order to make an adaptive response. Tx: recurring, reliable, strong sensory input to stimulate dendrite growth.

Imagine if you were so sensitive to touch that it felt like a needle or a knife stabbing you whenever anything touched your skin? What if sounds such as the AC or heater coming on sounded like a freight train? What if you couldn't feel your joints and felt like your body parts were floating around? What if you became sick anytime you moved or what if you never got to walk and craved to move your body? What if you had to bang your head, arm, leg, or bite it to even know that it was part of your body?
If your brain was constantly on the defensive, trying to avoid or seek certain types of input then it is IMPOSSIBLE to let the brain function abnormally. The brain in individuals who have sensory processing problems is functioning on a much different level- it is focused on PROTECTING and FEEDING the body and just keeping the body alive and safe , therefore it cannot go to the next step and do higher functions such as: Learning, social interaction, self awareness, differentiating people versus objects, expressing preferences and wants, varying moods, self-care, vocational activities, play and leisure activities, and complex interactions and behaviors.

What can happen if we treat their sensory needs?

* Improved motor planning, development of skills

* Decreased need to stimulate or injure self or others

* Improved ability to pay attention, participate, and learn

* Increased learning of self-care, work, and leisure activities= INCREASED INDEPENDENCE

* Improved social interaction

* Decreased fear and anxiety

* Improved communication of wants and needs

* Improved ability to handle distractions and transitions

* More able to have fun!!

* Improved ability to take advantage of their environment, make choices, integrate into the community, and enjoy life more!!!

So how do we treat sensory processing disorders?

The only way that treatment can be successful is if the direct care staff and the therapist work together and communicate!
The treatment for sensory processing problems is a very precise process and requires a lot of dedication and an open mind!
Each individual will be given a set of recommendations after they are evaluated and some may need a very precise treatment called the "Wilbarger Protocol" and others will have various choices of sensory input, yet all need to be done in a precise order and manner to be most effective.

Sensory Processing Definitions and Precautions:

Power Sensations: The sensations that influence the brain stem and are the "engine" for our nervous system and must be functioning appropriately in order generate appropriate responses to our environment and the stimulus's in it.
Vestibular Sensations: Picked up by the movement of our head in space by the vestibular apparatus in each inner ear. Tells the brain if we are moving, surrounded by something that is moving, on something that is moving, or a combination of the three.
Proprioceptive Sensations: The receptors in our muscles, tendons, and ligaments that surround our joints give us this sensation. They tell the brain where our body parts are and what they are doing without even looking!
Tactile sensations: The receptors are in our skin and react when we are touched or touched by something (even your clothing, your own leg touching the other, and something as light as a fan blowing on your skin can set off these sensitive guys!). Helps our brain know what is me and what is not me.

* There are 2 different touch systems which set off two different sensations!

Light Touch is a protective and arousing response while Deep Pressure is calming and provokes deeper thought processes.

Center of Development 931-372-2567

Heidi L. Clopton, Occupational Therapist Adapted from Bonnie Hanshu's Evaluation and Treatment of Sensory Processing Disorders 2/99

Pediatric Occupational, Physical, Behavior, Nutrition, and Speech & Language Therapies 1080 Neal Street, Suite 300 Cookeville, TN 38501 Phone: (931) 372-2567, Toll-Free: (877) 372-2567 Fax: (931) 372-2572 Email: covd@covd.biz

Home ADD/ADHD Asperger's Clinic and Social Skills Trainings Auditory Autism Behavior Therapy Brain Injury Contact Us Development Eating Issues Educational Classes Offered Fine Motor Skills General Information, Links, and Resources Handwriting Helpers Helping Children Attend, Learn, and Focus Importance of Breathing Infant Development Is it a Behavior or a Sensory Disorder? Juice Plus Muscle Coordination, Tone, and Strength Music Therapy Nutrition Therapy Nutrition, Supplements, and Biomedical Therapies Rising Above Ministries Sensory Integration Speech and Language Services Touch Using Both Hands, Crossing Midline, Hand Dominance: Fun Activities Vestibular Vision What is Occupational Therapy?	Home > Sensory Integration > Sensory Processing Sensory Processing Sensory Processing* What is Sensory Processing? The ability of the BRAIN to take in sensations (vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, auditory, visual, olfactory, and taste) and make sense of those sensations to that the brain and body can function normally without compromised body systems. Sensations come into the brain along many different sensory channels and the BRAIN must be able to channel and send those to the right places in order to function properly. How do we know that someones Sensory Processing isn't functioning correctly? 1. Observation: Can be done by anyone but is reported most accurately by those who work most closely with the individual, and is just merely watching the individual and being able to report how they react to different sensations, different environments, and their behaviors in their day to day activities. 2. Evaluation: Done by an Occupational Therapist using observations, report from caregivers, and play observations as well as a specific evaluation tool. Will ask the direct care staff specific questions to determine the answers to the evaluations because it is mainly based on day to day observations. Can educate staff on how to answer the Sensory Integration-Inventory and then determine results from the staffs answers. The evaluation will assist the O.T. in making a clinical judgement on whether the individual has a sensory processing disorder and where to begin treatment. Typical Sensory Processing Disorder Behaviors: * Attention Problems * Difficulty maintaining an alert but relaxed state- hyperactivity or decreased activity * Avoidance of touch or movement * Self-stimulation- especially if it is persistent and interferes with function * Self injurious behaviors * Difficulty with transitions from one place or one activity to another * Unpredictable explosions of emotions * Impaired learning Types of Sensory Processing Disorders 1. Sensory Defensiveness: Inability to correctly interpret sensory input which results in a fight, flight, fright response. Can appear at any time in the life span as is seen most commonly by an exaggerated avoidance to specific sensations, and escalating arousal which leads to unexpected, illogical, dramatic behaviors. TX: Wilbarger protocol usually is most effective to regulate brain chemistry in the limbic structures. 2. Sensory Modulation: appears usually in infancy or childhood and is an inability to regulate arousal so that attention cannot be focused on meaningful sensory events in the environment and an alert but relaxed state cannot be maintained. Symptoms include: over arousal, under arousal, shutdown, &/or fluctuating arousal. Tx: frequent reoccurring input, as often as every hour, with strong proprioception. 3. Sensory Registration: appears in infancy or childhood and is an inability to notice sensory input and channel it appropriately to produce an adaptive response. Symptoms include: over registration, under registration, delayed registration, lack of sustained effect of input, impaired discrimination of specific sensations, and is a problem with neural circuitry usually. Tx: Strong, single channel input to get increased firing in the under registering sensory system. 4. Sensory Integration: appears in infancy or early childhood and is the inability for the central nervous system to organize and process input from different sensory channels in order to make an adaptive response. Tx: recurring, reliable, strong sensory input to stimulate dendrite growth. How do sensory processing disorders/problems impair an individual? Imagine if you were so sensitive to touch that it felt like a needle or a knife stabbing you whenever anything touched your skin? What if sounds such as the AC or heater coming on sounded like a freight train? What if you couldn't feel your joints and felt like your body parts were floating around? What if you became sick anytime you moved or what if you never got to walk and craved to move your body? What if you had to bang your head, arm, leg, or bite it to even know that it was part of your body? If your brain was constantly on the defensive, trying to avoid or seek certain types of input then it is IMPOSSIBLE to let the brain function abnormally. The brain in individuals who have sensory processing problems is functioning on a much different level- it is focused on PROTECTING and FEEDING the body and just keeping the body alive and safe , therefore it cannot go to the next step and do higher functions such as: Learning, social interaction, self awareness, differentiating people versus objects, expressing preferences and wants, varying moods, self-care, vocational activities, play and leisure activities, and complex interactions and behaviors. What can happen if we treat their sensory needs? * Improved motor planning, development of skills * Decreased need to stimulate or injure self or others * Improved ability to pay attention, participate, and learn * Increased learning of self-care, work, and leisure activities= INCREASED INDEPENDENCE * Improved social interaction * Decreased fear and anxiety * Improved communication of wants and needs * Improved ability to handle distractions and transitions * More able to have fun!! * Improved ability to take advantage of their environment, make choices, integrate into the community, and enjoy life more!!! So how do we treat sensory processing disorders? The only way that treatment can be successful is if the direct care staff and the therapist work together and communicate! The treatment for sensory processing problems is a very precise process and requires a lot of dedication and an open mind! Each individual will be given a set of recommendations after they are evaluated and some may need a very precise treatment called the "Wilbarger Protocol" and others will have various choices of sensory input, yet all need to be done in a precise order and manner to be most effective. Sensory Processing Definitions and Precautions: Power Sensations: The sensations that influence the brain stem and are the "engine" for our nervous system and must be functioning appropriately in order generate appropriate responses to our environment and the stimulus's in it. Vestibular Sensations: Picked up by the movement of our head in space by the vestibular apparatus in each inner ear. Tells the brain if we are moving, surrounded by something that is moving, on something that is moving, or a combination of the three. Proprioceptive Sensations: The receptors in our muscles, tendons, and ligaments that surround our joints give us this sensation. They tell the brain where our body parts are and what they are doing without even looking! Tactile sensations: The receptors are in our skin and react when we are touched or touched by something (even your clothing, your own leg touching the other, and something as light as a fan blowing on your skin can set off these sensitive guys!). Helps our brain know what is me and what is not me. * There are 2 different touch systems which set off two different sensations! Light Touch is a protective and arousing response while Deep Pressure is calming and provokes deeper thought processes. Center of Development 931-372-2567 Heidi L. Clopton, Occupational Therapist Adapted from Bonnie Hanshu's Evaluation and Treatment of Sensory Processing Disorders 2/99	Related Topics:

Site empowered by WebOnTheFly