SENSORY PROCESSING
AND
RELATED BEHAVIORS
Dena Hayashino, COTA
OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
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Have a basic understanding of sensory processing.
Identify the foundational sensory systems.
Recognizing signs of poor sensory processing.
Develop strategies to improve behaviors related to
sensory processing.
• Differentiate sensory vs. behavioral issues.
SENSORY PROCESSING
What it is:
• Reacting to the information you take in.
Good Processing
• Able to organize incoming information so it can
be used effectively.
Poor Processing
• Over or under reacting to incoming information.
HISTORY OF SENSORY PROCESSING
• 1963 by Jane Ayres
• Terms have changed through the years:
Sensory Integration Disorder
Dysfunction of Sensory Integration
Sensory Processing Disorder
SENSORY PROCESS
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Registration
Orientation and attention
Organization of a response
Execution of a response
THE SENSORY SYSTEMS
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Proprioception
Vestibular
Tactile
Visual
Auditory
Olfactory
Gustatory
TIPS TO REMEMBER
TIPS TO REMEMBER
• The “Just Right Challenge”
• Provide child with input they are seeking
• Keep them from getting too much of what
they can’t handle
• FUN!!!!
PROPRIOCEPTION
• Processing sensations perceived through the
muscles, joint, ligament, tendons and
connective tissue.
• It’s what gives us a sense of body awareness
and body position.
SIGNS OF POOR PROPRIOCEPTIVE
PROCESSING
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Tires easily.
Stamping feet against the floor when walking.
Chews constantly on objects.
Frequent tripping or falling.
Dressing and other self-help skills could be
challenging.
• Walks on toes
STRATEGIES FOR POOR
PROPRIOCEPTIVE PROCESSING
• Activities that will provide heavy work.
Walking and crawling over cushions
Bear hugs
Providing small spaces for them to go into
Pushing and pulling and hanging
Gentle “Squashing” games
Rough-housing
VESTIBULAR
• Responds to changes in head position and
gravity…the “movement system”
• Effects: balance, equilibrium responses,
muscle tone, coordination of eye and head
movements, ability to use both sides of the
body together; affects level of alertness.
Signs of Poor Vestibular Processing
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Dislike being on their stomach
Dislikes baby swing
Excessive spinning and rocking
Excessive running
Getting dizzy easily
Never gets dizzy
STRATEGIES FOR POOR VESTIBULAR
PROCESSING
• Provide opportunities for movement:
Swinging (different swings and positions)
Spinning
Running
Trampoline
TACTILE
• Sense of touch, includes deep pressure, pain,
temperature.
• Protective touch…self preservation
• Discriminative touch…lets us know where
we’re being touched and what we’re touching.
SIGNS OF POOR TACTILE PROCESSING
• Bothered by tags and/or certain fabrics.
• May not want to wear clothes… or may want
to be totally covered
• May not like to be held
• Won’t touch and explore toys or food.
• High pain tolerance
• Dislike daily care routines.
• Crave touch
STRATEGIES FOR POOR TACTILE
PROCESSING
• Provide a variety of tactile input
Messy play activities
Opportunities to touch different textures
Drying extra long and firm after bath
Adding deep pressure to touch
Brief but frequent touch if defensiveness
Longer deep touch for seekers
SENSORY MODULATION
AND
BEHAVIOR
Difficulty modulating or monitoring the input
can cause children to be:
• over-reactive (explosive/disruptive and
avoidant)
• under-reactive (distracted and withdrawn)
• sensory seeking (the fidgeters or crashers)
• difficulty with transitions.
POOR BEHAVIORS
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Saying something mean or rude to someone
Spitting
Hitting
Pushing
Poor manners in general
SO IS IT SENSORY OR BEHAVIOR?
If it’s behavior:
• Circumstances should change it. (example:
Child throws a fit when it’s time to ride in the
car to daycare, but when it’s time to go to the
park, the car ride doesn’t bother them).
• positive re-enforcement changes it.
If it’s sensory:
• It manifests itself in generalized
circumstances.
SO IS IT SENSORY OR BEHAVIOR?
It could be a behavior that is learned over time
due to less than ideal sensory processing…but
poor behavior still shouldn’t be accepted.
Don’t punish sensory problems but don’t
tolerate bad behavior.
So How Do I Handle It?
Temple Grandin offered some suggestions:
Make accommodations for sensory problems:
• Screams when fire alarm rings
• Tantrums in large supermarket
• Poor toleration of scratchy clothes
• Poor hand writing
• Hyperactivity under fluorescent lights
So How Do I Handle It?
Don’t tolerate bad behavior:
• Being rude
• Bad table manners
• Manipulating teacher by having a tantrum
• Poor grooming or sloppy clothes
• Laughing at a fat lady
• swearing
SENSORY DIET
A sensory diet is:
• A planned activity program carried out
throughout the child’s day.
• Activities to maintain an alert and calm body.
• A tool for behavior management.
• Most sensory diets focus on providing input to
tactile, vestibular and proprioceptive systems.
SENSORY DIET
Considerations:
• What time of day is most challenging
• What stimulation are they seeking?
• What are they avoiding?