Sensory integration involves the ability to take in information from our bodies and the environment, organize the information, interpret the information, and react to the stimuli. Sensory integration underlies the development of all motor and social skills and the ability to learn and perform complex adaptive behaviors. Results of normal sensory integration include motor skill acquisition, ability to attend to task, readiness to learn, and comfort.

Sensory integration involves the following seven sensory systems:

• The tactile system refers to our sense of touch and includes light touch, deep pressure, temperature, and pain sensations.
• Proprioception refers to an internal sense that tells you where your body is (body position).
• The vestibular sense allows us to respond to changes in head positioning and body movement through space. The receptors for this sense are located in the middle ear.
• The auditory sense refers to the ability to receive and apprehend sounds.
• The visual sense refers to the ability to identify sights, understand what the eyes are seeing, and prepare for a response.
• The gustatory sense refers to the ability to taste and perceive flavor.
• The olfactory sense refers to the ability to smell and scents.

Some children require sensory based activities to assist them in focusing and concentrating on tasks in school and at home. These tasks can be done prior to beginning homework and/or be used as a movement break when a child appears to be experiencing difficulty attending to the task at hand. Most sensory activities include some type of whole body movement, heavy work (proprioceptive input), oral motor exercises and/or tactile tasks.

Movement Activities

Movement activities are arousing to the nervous system. Children should begin at a slow pace, speed up, and then slow down again before stopping the activity.

• Dance to music
• Jumping jacks
• Jumping rope
• Bouncing on a therapy ball or a trampoline
• Wall push-ups
• Running
• Jogging

Heavy Work (Proprioceptive Input)

These activities have a calming effect on the nervous system.

• Joint compressions
• Carrying something heavy
• Exercises with a thera-band
• Wheelbarrow walking
• Helping with chores (vacuuming, sweeping, carrying laundry)
• Cleaning table tops, windows, or chalkboard
• Moving furniture
• Reverse tug-of-war
• Massage

Oral-Motor Activities

Oral-motor activities are very powerful and can have an organizing, calming, or alerting effect. Chewing is organizing, sucking is calming, blowing is focusing, and crunching is alerting.

• Chewing gum
• Chewy toys (P and Q, theraband, T-tubes)
• Blowing bubbles
• Using whistles
• Sucking on candy
• Using a straw when drinking
• Eating a crunchy snack (pretzels, crackers, goldfish)

Tactile Activities

Tactile activities allow us to explore our surroundings. Some children may perceive tactile information incorrectly causing adverse reactions. Parents should provide their children with many different tactile experiences to discover preferences and dislikes.

• Shaving cream
• Clay
• Wikki Stix
• Sandbox activities
• Water table activities
• Texture boxes
• Messy play activities (see "Messy Play" section)

Auditory Activities

Some children respond well to different types of auditory input. Such input can help increase or decrease arousal level and facilitate attention to task.

• Classical music begin played in the background may help increase attention to tasks during homework time
• Nature sounds, white noise, or spa music can be calming
• Loud, unexpected noises are often alerting
• For a child who is hypersensitive to sounds, earplugs or headphones may help drown out background noise

Olfactory Activities

The sense of smell is powerful and many children react positively to different scents. When attempting to use such activities be mindful of allergies your child may have.

• Lavender, chamomile, and vanilla scents are calming and soothing (good to use before bedtime)
• Peppermint and spearmint are alerting