Sensory Integration Therapy

Enhancing the use of senses

Children on the autism spectrum often face challenges while using their senses, especially when they have to use them together. Sensory Integration Therapy is devised to help them enhance this ability and tackle repetitive behavior, which is a product of difficulty processing sensory information.

Developed quite recently in the 1970s, Sensory Integration Therapy uses play-oriented techniques and tools. Swings, slides, climbing toys, and trampolines are the most commonly used equipment. Each of them aims at engaging more than 1 sense at a time – touch, hearing, sight, taste, and smell. They also make therapy interesting as well as helpful, positively impacting children’s confidence.

In a few instances, we have also seen this form of therapy ease other difficulties related to autism such as emotional control.

Occupational Therapists who are trained in Sensory Integration Therapy attend to different sensory concerns such as

• Oral sensitivity
• Noise sensitivity
• Visual sensitivity
• Tactile/Touch sensitivity
• Vestibular sensitivity (Concerns with movement)
• Olfactory sensitivity
• Proprioceptive sensitivity (Clumsiness and uncoordinated movements).