Sensory Integration Training

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Sensory Integration Training

• Fact v. Fad?

2
Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID)

• Children with SID frequently experience problems
  with their sense of touch, smell, hearing, taste
  and/or sight. Also often experienced ifficulties
  in movement, coordination and sensing where one's
  body is in a given space.
• Common disorder for individuals with neurological
  conditions such as an autism spectrum disorder.
• Individuals may be overly sensitive to certain
  textures, sounds, smells and tastes, while
  wearing certain fabrics, tasting certain foods,
  or normal everyday sounds may cause discomfort.
• The opposite is also possible - for example a
  child with an autism spectrum disorder may feel
  very little pain or actually enjoy sensations
  that neurotypical children would dislike strong
  smells, intense cold or unpleasant tastes.

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Sensory Integration Therapy w/ Children

• Occupational therapy with child placed in a room
  specifically designed to stimulate and challenge
  all of the senses. During the session, the
  therapist works closely with the child to
  encourage movement within the room. The therapy
  is driven by four main principles
• the child must be able to meet the challenges
  through playful activities
• the child adapts behavior to meet the challenges
  presented
• the child will want to participate because the
  activities are fun
• the child's preferred activities are used in the
  session
• Careful to not provide children w/ more sensory
  stimulation than they can cope with. The
  occupational therapist looks for signs of
  distress.

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Examples of Sensory Integration Treatments

• Prism lenses
• Physical exercise
• Auditory integration training
• Sensory stimulation or inhibition techniques such
  as "deep pressure"firm touch pressure applied
  either manually or via an apparatus such as a hug
  machine or a pressure garment.
• Weighted vests, a popular deep-pressure therapy,
  have only a limited amount of scientific research
  available, which on balance indicates that the
  therapy is ineffective.

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Examples Sensory Integration Therapy

• Sense of touch varies widely between children
  experiencing SID.
• When children enjoy the feel of sticky textures,
  the therapist may use materials such as glue,
  play dough, stickers, rubber toys and sticky
  tape.
• Other materials that can be useful for tactile
  sensation include water, rice, beans and sand.
• Children on the autism spectrum often enjoy a
  sense of firm overall pressure.
• Interventions wrapping them up in blankets,
  being squashed by pillows and firm hugs.
• Experiences that may be claustrophobic for
  neurotypical children may be enjoyed, such as
  being squashed between mattresses, and making
  tunnels or tents from blankets over furniture.

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Common Examples in Schools

• Sensory Rooms
• Some pictures of sensory rooms
• http//teachinglearnerswithmultipleneeds.blogspot.
  com/2008/02/sensory-rooms-on-cheap-revisited.html
• Aka -- Snoezelen Rooms
• Occupational Therapists usually suggest practices

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What does the Research Say?
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Sensory Integration Training (SIT)

• Leong Carter (2008)
• Review of the Research on SIT
• Examined past key reviews of SIT intervention
  studies through 1994
• Then examined SIT intervention studies from
  1994-2007
• Findings
• Consistent w/ numerous previous reviews, no
  robust evidence supporting the efficacy of SIT
  was found
• In light of the accumulated lack of evidence for
  the effectiveness of SIT, continued use of the
  techniques outside of research contexts does not
  appear to be justified

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SIT Research Summary

• SIT is used widely across groups including
• Learning disabilities
• Intellectual disabilities
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Though research dates back 40 years, SIT has yet
  to be proven effective for any of these groups