What is Sensory Integration?
Every day, we receive a great deal of information from our senses. We use this information about the physical status of our body and the environment around us. Think of the senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Yet there are many other sensations that are just as essential to survival. Our nervous system detects changes in movement and gravity.
These sensory systems include:
- Balance and Movement (our vestibular sense- the knowledge of the position of one’s head in relation to gravity and movement, which is used to come down a slide or ride a playground swing without falling off) and
- Muscle and Joint Sense (proprioception- the internal awareness of the position of one’s joints and muscles in space), which allows you to lift a spoon to your mouth without spilling your soup.
Our brains must organize this information so that we may function in everyday situations such as in the classroom, at home, on the playground, and during social interactions. When one reveals all of the sensory modalities, it is truly amazing that one brain can organize input from all the senses simultaneously and still come up with a response to the demands of the environment.
The complex nature of this interaction is reflected in the following example:
Your teacher says, mother or another adult says, “Johnny, please put on your coat.” You respond by:
- Focusing your attention on the person speaking and hearing what is said.
- Screening out other information going on around you.
- Seeing the coat and adequately making a plan for how to begin.
- Seeing the armhole openings and sensing muscle and joint position, which allows you to know where to put your arms in relation to the coat sleeves.
- With your sensitive touch awareness, feeling that the coat is on your body correctly
- Relying on adequate motor planning, touch awareness, and fine motor skills to enable you to zip or button your coat.
Imagine the amount of sensory integration needed to sit in a chair, pay attention in an active classroom, copy and assignment or read a book.
Sensory Integration Disorders
What happens if one or more of our senses are not being interpreted properly? How do I know if my child has a sensory integration disorder?
A child with vague or hazy feedback about his sense of touch, body position, or movement and gravity is in a world totally foreign to ours. Imagine yourself in a world where something as basic and reliable as the pull of gravity or other children’s touch upon you is perceived as something unreliable, inconsistent, or threatening. You would not feel the usual security, safety, and fun that other children experience.
When the process of sensory integration is disordered, a number of problems in learning, motor development, or behavior may be observed:
Sensory Problems
Signs & Behaviors
Overly sensitive to touch, movements, sights, or sounds – Hyperresponsive
Behavior issues: distractible, withdrawing when touched, avoiding certain textures, clothes foods. Fearful reaction to ordinary movement activities, like playground play. Sensitive to loud noises.
Under-reactive to sensory stimulation – Hyporesponsive
Seeks out intense sensory experiences, such as body whirling, falling, and crashing into objects. May fluctuate between under- and over-responsiveness- this is due to poor registration.
Unusually high/low activity level
Constantly on the move or may be slow to get going and then fatigue easily.
Coordination problems
Could have poor balance; have great difficulty learning a new task that requires motor coordination or appears awkward, stiff, or clumsy
Delays in activities of daily living, due to motor planning deficit
Could have problems with handwriting, using scissors, tying shoes, buttoning, and zipping clothes.
Poor organization of behavior/Self regulation deficit
May be impulsive or distractible, show lack of planning in approach to tasks, or not anticipate results of actions. May have difficulty adjusting to a new situation or following directions. May get frustrated, aggressive, or withdrawn when encountering failure.
Poor self-concept
Could appear lazy, bored, or unmotivated. May avoid tasks & appear stubborn or troublesome.
If your child appears to have a sensory deficit or disorder...
Call us at Therapy Services of Greater New York
(516) 482-2650
and we will be able to guide you in the right direction through either a consultation or an evaluation. We then may create a treatment program or “sensory diet.”
When Do Kids Learn How To Dress Themselves?
As your child leaves infancy and enters toddler-hood, you may start to wonder at what age he/she should be hitting certain milestones.
One of the most common questions we receive here at Therapy Services of Greater New York is:
"When should my child know how to dress him/herself?"
Children Dressing Themselves
The act of self-dressing is a particularly essential milestone because of the amount of skills that it requires. Children are naturally driven to become independent and self-dressing is a huge part of that.
What most parents don't know is that children must use a whole myriad of skills -- gross motor skills, fine motor skills, motor planning, and cognitive skills -- to dress themselves. Being able to dress oneself also lays the foundation for your child to conquer more complex gross and fine motor challenges, like gripping objects (i.e., writing, drawing, cutting) and self-feeding.
If you are wondering at what age your child should be able to dress him/herself, use this chart below.
Activities of Daily Living: Dressing
Dressing Task vs. Age Skill Should Be Mastered (years)
Assist pullover shirt 1.5 - 2.0 years old
Removes shirt 2.5 - 3.0 years old
Puts on shirt 3.5 - 4.0 years old
Front opening shirt 4.0 - 4.5 years old
Front opening shirt & fasteners 5.5 - 6.0 years old
Assists with fasteners 2.0 - 2.5 years old
Zips/unzips 4.0 - 4.5 years old
Snaps/unsnaps 4.5 - 5.0 years old
Buttons/unbuttons 5.0 - 5.5 years old
Hooks & separates zipper 6.0 - 6.5 years old
Assists with pants 1.5 - 2.0 years old
Removes pants 2.5 - 3.0 years old
Puts on pants, elastic waist 3.0 - 3.5 years old
Removes & unfastens pants 4.5 - 5.0 years old
Puts on & fastens pants 5.5 - 6.0 years old
Removes socks/shoes 2.0 - 2.5 years old
Puts on shoes, wrong feet 3.0 - 3.5 years old
Puts on socks 3.5 - 4.0 years old
Shoes on correct feet 5.5 - 60 years old
Ties shoelaces 6.5 - 7.0 years old