What is Sensory processing?
Each person needs different amounts and types of sensory input and activities each day. This input provides the body with information to help the individual to be alert, calm, and organized to work through the many tasks each day brings. For some students, we have to help provide certain types of input on a routine basis in the daily schedule to help the student maintain an optimal arousal level and behavioral organization. At first, we may have to direct the student with some activities, but the goal is to work toward the student being able to indicate when and what input he/ she needs.
The following information will briefly define types of sensory input and include suggestions to implement activities for this input in the school schedule. As the staff becomes more aware of what type of input is most effective with a student, they can begin to develop new and additional tasks/ activities to provide the student with the needed sensory input.
DEFINITIONS
Deep Pressure: This is organizing information for the nervous system received through receptors in the skin and tissues. It gives a person a better feel for when and where contact is made, such as someone touching him/ her with a firm touch or grasping a solid object with a firm grip. It is generally calming and can override any itchy or light touch sensations.
Body Sense (Proprioception): This input is received through receptors in the joints and muscles with movement and deep pressure. When these receptors are activated, body awareness is improved and the person knows where his/ her body is in space. Heavy work or work against resistance is a great way to get proprioceptive information. Basic movement activities also provide this input but given added resistance (such as lifting a heavy item instead of just moving the arm) impacts the nervous system better with organizing input.
Movement (Vestibular): This is the sense of movement that is received through the inner ear then interpreted in the brain. Some people are acutely sensitive with vestibular input and may avoid activities that can overload their system, such as those who do not enjoy swinging, riding in cars, being lifted or moved by others. Others may seek greater vestibular input as seen by constant moving, rocking, quick paces when moving, or bouncing while standing or walking. The rhythm, direction, and speed of vestibular input can determine its effect. Generally, slow, rhythmical rocking or linear swinging provides calming sensation while quick, rotational or intense directional changes with movement provides alert or arousing input. This can vary from one individual to another.
Oral (Gustatory): The mouth is a highly sensitive area with an incredible number of sensory receptors. It takes in information about taste and texture that can intensely stimulate the nervous system. The type of food and the chewing requirements to manage that food also provide information to the nervous system. Tastes can provide alerting information for someone, such as mint gum or sour/ tart candy. The texture of the food may be an important aspect to consider for others. Some may not like to have anything but smooth textures in the mouth while others avoid smooth textures. Smooth textures provide less input to the mouth than foods with different textures. Also, the physical demands to manage the food provide a great deal of sensory input. Foods that require chewing or biting activate proprioceptive receptors to the jaw, lips and tongue. Good foods for this include crunchy items like crackers or pretzels or chewy items like beef jerky or fresh fruit or raw vegetables. Sucking through a straw also activates more sensory receptors and provides organizing input. The smaller the straw the more work the individual has to put out and the more input that person receives.
Touch (Tactile): This is the ability to feel light touch to the skin. This input generally tends to be disorganizing input if the person is unable to accommodate to the input. Examples of poor accommodation are not tolerating the contact of clothing to the skin, wearing only specific texture of clothing, pulling away from a light touch from someone else, or avoiding hand contact with various textures. However, some people may enjoy and seek extra tactile input.
The following information will briefly define types of sensory input and include suggestions to implement activities for this input in the school schedule. As the staff becomes more aware of what type of input is most effective with a student, they can begin to develop new and additional tasks/ activities to provide the student with the needed sensory input.
DEFINITIONS
Deep Pressure: This is organizing information for the nervous system received through receptors in the skin and tissues. It gives a person a better feel for when and where contact is made, such as someone touching him/ her with a firm touch or grasping a solid object with a firm grip. It is generally calming and can override any itchy or light touch sensations.
Body Sense (Proprioception): This input is received through receptors in the joints and muscles with movement and deep pressure. When these receptors are activated, body awareness is improved and the person knows where his/ her body is in space. Heavy work or work against resistance is a great way to get proprioceptive information. Basic movement activities also provide this input but given added resistance (such as lifting a heavy item instead of just moving the arm) impacts the nervous system better with organizing input.
Movement (Vestibular): This is the sense of movement that is received through the inner ear then interpreted in the brain. Some people are acutely sensitive with vestibular input and may avoid activities that can overload their system, such as those who do not enjoy swinging, riding in cars, being lifted or moved by others. Others may seek greater vestibular input as seen by constant moving, rocking, quick paces when moving, or bouncing while standing or walking. The rhythm, direction, and speed of vestibular input can determine its effect. Generally, slow, rhythmical rocking or linear swinging provides calming sensation while quick, rotational or intense directional changes with movement provides alert or arousing input. This can vary from one individual to another.
Oral (Gustatory): The mouth is a highly sensitive area with an incredible number of sensory receptors. It takes in information about taste and texture that can intensely stimulate the nervous system. The type of food and the chewing requirements to manage that food also provide information to the nervous system. Tastes can provide alerting information for someone, such as mint gum or sour/ tart candy. The texture of the food may be an important aspect to consider for others. Some may not like to have anything but smooth textures in the mouth while others avoid smooth textures. Smooth textures provide less input to the mouth than foods with different textures. Also, the physical demands to manage the food provide a great deal of sensory input. Foods that require chewing or biting activate proprioceptive receptors to the jaw, lips and tongue. Good foods for this include crunchy items like crackers or pretzels or chewy items like beef jerky or fresh fruit or raw vegetables. Sucking through a straw also activates more sensory receptors and provides organizing input. The smaller the straw the more work the individual has to put out and the more input that person receives.
Touch (Tactile): This is the ability to feel light touch to the skin. This input generally tends to be disorganizing input if the person is unable to accommodate to the input. Examples of poor accommodation are not tolerating the contact of clothing to the skin, wearing only specific texture of clothing, pulling away from a light touch from someone else, or avoiding hand contact with various textures. However, some people may enjoy and seek extra tactile input.