What is sensory integration therapy?

What is sensory integration therapy?

Sensory integration therapy is usually an occupational therapist-led program. For example, an occupational therapist may design and implement a customized sensory experience program for a child with autism.

Who is suitable for sensory integration therapy?

Sensory integration therapy is intended for children who have difficulty processing or understanding sensory input.

What is sensory integration therapy used for?

Sensory integration therapy is used to enable children to use all their senses: touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing together. This treatment is claimed to improve challenging or repetitive behaviour. These behaviours may be related to the difficulty of processing sensory information.  Therapists may also suggest that sensory integration therapy can help other features of autism, such as difficulty playing and emotional regulation. 

Where does sensory integration therapy come from

The idea that the difficulty of processing sensory information may be related to the difficulty of daily life was first proposed in the 1950s and 1960s by occupational therapist and educational psychologist A. Jean Ayres. Ayers developed sensory integration therapy in the late 1970s as a treatment for children with sensory processing difficulties.  Some forms of sensory integration therapy are called Ayers sensory integration (ASI) interventions. This type of sensory integration therapy tends to be more focused and more systematic than other types of sensory integration therapy.

What is the idea behind sensory integration therapy for children with autism?

Most people experience multiple sensory-stimulating events at once. For example, when you read a book, you’ll see words on the pages, you’ll hear the pages turn, and you’ll feel like you’ve picked up a book. Maybe you can even smell old books and dusty books. We take this diverse sensory information and combine it to gain a clear understanding of the world around us.

Children with autism may have difficulty combining sensory information in this way. The idea of sensory integration therapy is to enable children to more effectively interpret and use sensory information through physical activity and exercise.

What is included in sensory integration therapy?

Sensory integration therapy begins with an occupational therapist evaluating the child. The therapist then plans and implements a program that includes activities that stimulate the child’s sensory responses, especially those related to balance and body movements. This includes swinging, hopping, mountaineering and more.

Sensory integration therapy is designed to be part of a wide range of programs, including communication therapy, behavioural therapy, and educational therapy.

Does Sensory Integration Therapy Help Children with Autism?

Higher quality research is needed to find out if sensory integration therapy can help children with autism. Some studies suggest that it may help children achieve some goals, but there are problems with the way these studies were designed

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