Sensory Motor Skills

What is Sensory Processing?

Sensory Motor Processing is the student’s ability to integrate sensory input from their body and environment to self-regulate, plan motor movements, adapt and habituate to environmental demands.

Information from body includes:

• Vestibular system which takes in sensory information about balance and movement from neck, eyes, and body which helps generate muscle tone necessary for smooth and efficient movement.
• Proprioceptive system takes information from muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons and integrates touch and movement sensations giving us position sense which helps us know where our body is in space.
• Tactile system is information from receptors in skin, which allows for perception of pressure, vibration, movement, temperature and pain. This is needed for body awareness, motor planning emotional security and development of social skills

Children with sensory processing issues can be oversensitive to sights, sounds, textures, flavors, smells and other sensory input. Other children with sensory processing issues are undersensitive to information they receive through the senses.

Sensory processing issues can impact a child’s social skills and can also cause difficulties in the classroom.

Occupational Therapy can provide strategies to accommodate a student's individual sensory needs within the school setting. Strategies may include sensory input (deep pressure, heavy work), modification of the environment, or restriction of input to create a calming effect, depending on the child's specific needs.

Activities to Try At Home:

• Activities that facilitate proprioceptive awareness and require heavy work such as push-ups, sit ups, holding antigravity positions, crab walking, tug o war etc.
• Structured movement activities such as swimming, martial arts, and gymnastics build mental and physical endurance.