Sensory Integration Therapy

Sensory Integration Therapy (SI) was developed in the 1940’s by an Occupational Therapist, Jane Ayers. Ayers based her approach on the understanding that sensory integration is an innate neurobiological process which involves the integration and interpretation of sensory stimulation from the environment by the brain. In contrast, sensory integrative dysfunction is a disorder in which sensory input is not integrated or organized appropriately in the brain and may produce varying degrees of problems in development, information processing and behavior.

The Sensory Integration Approach

The SI therapist assists the child in inhibiting or modulating their response to sensory stimulation.

The child is guided through activities that provide just the right challenge for the child to respond appropriately. SI technique involves careful manipulation of tactile, vestibular, auditory, visual and proprioceptive inputs to promote organized responses. This is accomplished through the use of special equipment and structured environments

The basic goals of SI Therapy are to provide the child with sensory information which helps organize the central nervous system; assist the child in inhibiting and/or modulating sensory information; and assist the child in processing a more organized response to sensory stimuli.

Candidates for Referral

Sensory Integration Therapy is frequently used with children who have the diagnosis of autism, learning disability, attention deficit, hyperactive disorder or pervasive developmental disorder. Candidates for this type of intervention may display: