Sensory Integration Singapore
Sensory integration is a process that allows people to take in information from the environment through the senses and put the information into a form that helps us make sense of the environment and influence our actions. We look at: vision, auditory, taste, smell, touch, vestibular (the sense of movement) and proprioception (awareness of our body in space).
Many children with Autism experience difficulties with this process of organizing and making sense of the sensory input they receive. People with sensory processing difficulties may find the world unpredictable and confusing. This is one of the reasons behind the hypothesis that children with Autism prefer predictable routines.
Some sensory integration difficulties exhibit
- Walking on toes
- Hand flapping and other repetitive movements
- Unusual sensitivity to sounds, background noises, or smells
- Fascination with lights, fans, or water
- Interest in making objects spin
- Little awareness of pain or temperature
- Extremes of activity level – hyperactive or underactive
- Reacting aggressively or emotionally toward someone who accidentally brushes pass them
- Avoiding physical contact with certain textures such as sand or finger-paint
- Strong dislike of certain grooming activities like having their hair cut or brushing their teeth.
Sensory integration therapy can help children learn to organize the information they receive from their various senses. It provides graded sensory experiences in order to develop more appropriate responses to sensory input, i.e. an Adaptive Response.