Sensory Integration

Sensory Integration is the ability to modulate information our senses take in- things like touch, sound, taste, sight and smell. Aside from these common senses, there are also two other less well known ones that can be affected- proprioception, or a sense of body awareness and vestibular sense, which involves movement, balance and coordination.

Kids with sensory processing issues experience too much or too little stimulation through these senses. They may also have difficulty integrating sensory information—for example things that they see and hear simultaneously, like a person speaking—might seem out of sync for them.

At Thrive, our OT's work to foster appropriate responses to sensation in an active, meaningful, and fun way so the child is able to behave in a more functional manner. Over time, the appropriate responses generalize to the environment beyond the clinic including home, school, and the larger community. Our therapists allows children with sensory integration issues to take part in the normal activities of childhood, such as playing, enjoying group activities, eating and dressing. We engage children in a natural setting and in group programs. The more children with sensory issues are engaged in natural settings, the more generalization of their outcomes to regular life activities in home, school, and community settings we see.