Sensory Integration, Behaviors, and Academics: How They Relate, OT Integrates Sensory Systems

Occupational therapist, Deborah Herzog from St. Nicholas Children's Therapies, covers the following objectives:

•Describe the sensory systems for sensory integration

•Over-responsive and under-responsive sensory systems and Sensory Integration Dysfunction

•What is sensory and perceptual motor development

•How does sensory, sensory motor, and perceptual development relate to activities of daily living, behavior, and learning

•Explain why a child acts and learns the way he/she does

•Sensory Integration treatment approaches of Occupational Therapy

Sensory integration is at the root of development. Incoming sensory information is perceived by lower brain centers before it can be fully interpreted by higher brain centers for a motor response. When the lower brain center isn’t developed optimally, then incoming sensory information can be misinterpreted, and then higher brain centers might not have adequate information to give an appropriate response. For example, after auditory information enters the ears and if the lower brain center perceives it as a threat, then the higher brain centers get bits and pieces of the information versus a whole picture. This can affect how your child responds and learns.

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