Sensory processing and integration

We all have a sensory system that works 24 hours a day to recognise, understand and process the sensory information we receive; this is usually a subconscious process which we don't have to think about.    

The term “sensory integration” refers to the processing, integration, and organisation of sensory information from the body and the environment.  Simply put, this means how we experience, interpret and react to (or ignore) information coming from our senses. Sensory integration is important in all the things that we need to do on a daily basis, such as getting dressed, eating, moving around, socialising, learning and working.

Our knowledge of sensory processing and our sensory system is developing all the time, however at the moment we know that our sensory systems receive information from the following 8 sources: 

• Sight (Vision)
• Hearing (Auditory system)
• Touch (Tactile system)
• Taste (Gustatory system)
• Smell (Olfactory system)
• Proprioception (Senses of body awareness and position)
• Vestibular (Awareness of movement, balance, and coordination)
• Interoception (Our internal sensory system that tells us what is happening inside our body, for example, hunger, needing the toilet, fatigue, emotions, etc.)

For most of us, the development of sensory integration occurs when we are young as part of our normal development and in the activities we do such as rolling, crawling, walking and in play; for others, sensory integration is less well developed[1]. 

Many of us will have some awareness of sensations that make us feel more or less regulated, and often we have strategies to avoid or seek more or less of this sensory stimulation, e.g. taking the batteries out of a ticking clock!  However, some people will need more help to identify the needs of their sensory system.  This is where SpOTlight Therapy can help with personalised sensory assessment and profiling. 

[1] Sensory Integration Education (2022) What is Sensory Integration?. [online] Sensory Integration Education. Available at: <https://www.sensoryintegrationeducation.com/pages/what-is-si>