Sensory Integration

Sensory integration describes the capacity to take in and process sensory information (smell, sound, sight, touch, taste). Integrating sensory information enables an individual to make sense of his or her internal experience and how it relates to the world. Each child has a unique orientation, due to the environment and sights and sounds that comprise their daily experience. If they are able to successfully organize this information it enables them to develop self-regulations skills, which in turn support them to navigate and formulate responses to the world.

For some children this seems to be an effortless process, while others require support and experience higher levels of frustration as they learn. And for some children, a great deal of assistance is required in order to balance the demands of the environment with their capacity to make sense of it. Poor sensory integration can interfere with a child’s ability to participate in daily tasks such as eating, when there is an aversion to certain textures or smells, being in a noisy room, which might be overwhelming or even hugging, when touch feels too stimulating.

For further reading:
Sensory Integration and Self-Regulation in Infants and Toddlers, G. Gordon Williamson & Marie E. Anzalone. Zero to Three.

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