Sensory Integration
What is Sensory Integration
The term “sensory integration” refers to the processing, integration, and organization of sensory information from the body and the environment.
Every day, our brain processes information from our senses that tells us all about the the world around us. We experience, interpret, and react to (or even ignore) that information. Sensory integration is fundamental in everything that we need to do daily such as playing, working, socializing, eating, moving around, and learning. For most of us, its an automatic and subconscious process which normally occurs without effort. The development of sensory integration occurs when we are young as part of our normal development and in the things we do. For others, sensory integration is less well developed.
What Senses are Involved?
Sensory information is received from our senses, which include:
- Sight (vision)
- Hearing (auditory)
- Smell (olfactory )
- Touch (tactile)
- Taste (gustatory)
- Vestibular (awareness of movement, balance, and coordination)
- Proprioception (body awareness and position in space)
- Interoception (our internal sensory system that tells us what going on inside our body...fatigue, hunger, urge to use the bathroom, emotions, etc.)
Why is Sensory Integration Important?
Our senses allow us to learn, play, and generally socialize in our environment. Those who experience sensory challenges often struggle with these everyday tasks. Whenever these activities become frustrating for a person, it may simply be due to their inability to organize and process this sensory input. Intervention allows us to understand these sensory inputs, and safely interact with the world around us.