Sensory Integrate FAQ

What is sensory integration dysfunction?

What senses does Sensory Integration Dyfunction impact?

How do I know if my child has sensory integration dysfunction?

How can I possibly keep track of all my child`s behavioral changes?

How can I correct my child`s poor behavior?

How can I make my child behave normally?

Can I help my child re-integrate so that he/she doesn`t have so many sensory issues?

What if I have a question that I don`t see the

answer to here?

Please feel free to E-mail me with more questions. I will be more than happy to share any information I have with you. I am also looking for more questions to add to this FAQ. Please tell me what questions you`d like to see answered here! Thank You!

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What is sensory integration dysfunction?

Sensory integration dysfunction comes in many forms. Basically it`s when the body is unable to process sensory input (sights, sounds, smells, touch, tastes) easily.

What senses does Sensory Integration Dyfunction impact?

All of them. Different children are affected more or less than others. But consider the following sensory areas:

Touch

Taste

Smell

Sound

Sight

Vestibular (Balance, etc. Inside the body, can sometimes affect walking)

All of the above areas may be affected more or less in different individuals. A child with a Touch sensory issue may either shy away from or crave touch. A child with a Taste issue may have troubles with certain foods. This may also be a result of a Touch issue if the child is unable to tolerate (or conversely craves) the feel of certain foods in his mouth. The same is true for smell, sound, and sight.

Sometimes a child will become hyperactive when the noise level around him/her is too loud. This is because he/she has a system that is easily overstimulated by sound. Conversely, a child may be overstimulated when the noise level around him/her is too quiet. This is because he/she needs an external noise source, to match the internal noise that is going on inside him/her.

Each child is different. And each child will be impacted differently by sensory issues. As a parent or teacher, you can help by observing the child and noticing when the child`s behavior changes for the worse.

How do I know if my child has sensory integration dysfunction?

An evaluation by a good psychologist or occupational therapist should be able to tell you for sure. However, you may suspect sensory issues if your child exhibits the following behaviors:

Please NOTE; This is not a conclusive list. Also, typically developing children will also exhibit the same behaviors from time to time. However, if you notice that your child exhibits these behaviors frequently, AND they seem to cause some disruption to the child`s or your family life, that is when you may decide to seek a professional evaluation.

Hyperactivity

Frequent fits that last longer than 15-20 minutes

Listening to the same TV shows or tapes over and over again

Bothered by noises (or volumes of noise) that do not bother others (for example a loud radio or TV)

Aggression brought on by the thing that is creating the overstimulation (too much noise for example)

Frequently likes to wrap up in or play in blankets or sleeping bags

Either doesn`t like to be touched at all; Or wants to be held tightly, hugged, and seems very clingly, perhaps more so than other children.

Limited diet, especially likes to eat the same foods over and over again, often foods with a certain crunch or that are chewy.

Diagnosed Developmental or Behavioral Disorder, such as autism, asperger syndrome, ADHD, etc. [Note: From my own personal experience, most of the time, children who have a developmental or behavioral disorder also have accompanying sensory dysfunctions.]

How can I possibly keep track of all my child`s behavioral changes?

You don`t have to keep track of all of them. Just try to note when your child has a significant change in behavior. This can be done using something called and antecedent-behavior chart. An antecedent is what preceeds a behavior.

For example, if your child begins to throw a fit every time the radio is turned up loudly, you would notice a pattern by recording these fits on a chart, and noting that prior to the fit the radio volume had been loud.

Or perhaps, your child throws his food on the floor at dinner time. You must note if this is all dinners or just some dinners. If it is all, perhaps he/she has a visual sensory issue and is unable to tolerate so much food in his visual space. Perhaps he/she has a touch issue and doesn`t like to touch certain foods.

There are many reasons a child may exhibit a certain behavior. As a parent or teacher, you can help the child by finding patterns and then helping to find ways to correct the undesired behavior.

How can I correct my child`s poor behavior?

It depends on the behavior. You should consult your psychologist or occupational therapist for advice. Or feel free to email me and ask me any questions you have.

How can I make my child behave normally?

Your child is behaving normally for him/her. The best thing you can do is help your child learn what he/she needs to do to take care of him/herself to adapt to the environment around him/her.

For example, if your child screams every time you get him/her dressed in the morning and immediately takes his/her clothes off whenever possible, this may suggest a touch sensitivity. Perhaps the fabric bothers him/her. Perhaps he/she just doesn`t like anything against his/her skin. For a young child this may be fine, but as your child becomes older, you must help him/her find solutions to this. As older children with not clothes on are generally frowned upon out in public.

Sometimes changing the fabric to 100% cotton or changing the laundry will help. The most important thing though is to create an awareness with your child about the issue and work together to solve it. This will happen to a greater or lesser degree depending on the child.

Sensory issues are likely to be with your child throughout his/her life, although with proper recognition and treatment, the effects can be lessened. And awareness is perhaps the best gift you can give a child.

If your child can learn when he/she is young what his/her triggers are, he/she will be more likely to cooperate with you as you try to help them work through them, or completely avoid them, depending on the day.

For example, if you child throws a fit whenever the room gets too crowded, they may become overstimulated when there are too many people around. If they learn this when they are young, it could prevent them from making a mistake of moving to a huge city and setting themselves up for failure when they are older.

Can I help my child re-integrate so that he/she doesn`t have so many sensory issues?

Definitely YES!!!

There are many products which can be of great help. I plan to include these in my store. They will be available for purchase there. In the mean time, please talk to your occupational therapist about ideas. Or, feel free to email me in the mean time, and I will see if I can give you some suggestions.

Remember though, sensory integration is a process that takes a long time and will not happen all at once. You will likely notice differences in your child`s behavior though, once you begin to find what works for him/her.

What if I have a question that I don`t see the answer to here?

E-mail me!!!

I will be more than happy to consult with you. Although I am not an occupational therapist or a psychologist or even a doctor, I have had a lot of experience with children with sensory issues. I am an adult and a teacher, who also experiences sensory issues on a daily basis.

I can share a lot of advice from my own experience.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon!