Sensory Integration is a theory that explains how the brain organizes and uses the information it receives from the senses so that children can learn, move, play and behave appropriately.
Sections interlock like a puzzle (tabs between blocks). Tap a piece to open it; only one stays open so reading stays light.
Every day, a child's brain receives information from many senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste, movement (vestibular) and body position (proprioception). Sensory integration is the brain's ability to take all this information, organize it and use it to respond appropriately — so the child can concentrate, self-regulate, coordinate their body and adapt to the environment.
When the brain has difficulty organizing sensory information, the child may present:
Bother from sounds, textures, clothing, certain foods
Seeks to crash, jump or press too much or too little
Balance and coordination problems
Difficulty staying seated or focused
Frustration, tantrums or self-regulation problems
Therapy works through structured play, designed to help the child's brain to:
Organize sensory information better
Improve attention and regulation
Handle movement and coordination better
Learn more easily
Feel safer and calmer in their body
Therapy uses swings, textures, motor activities, deep pressure, balance and movement to strengthen brain connections.
Sensory integration does not seek to change the child, but to give them the tools so their brain works more efficiently, allowing their development to flow more naturally.
