OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY and SENSORY PROCESSING
what is Occupational THERAPY?
Occupational Therapy (OT) in the traditional sense is how you "occupy" your time. This includes a wide range of skills and activities. For babies, toddlers, school aged children that's eating, dressing, bathing, sleeping, playing, learning, and socializing. Children need to develop self-regulation and agency of control in order to be ready for learning. Each child learns differently and each child needs adequate self- regulation and control to be ready to learn. Occupational therapists work with children to improve learning readiness and focus, overall strength and coordination and specific skill development such as holding a crayon, going up and down stairs, playing games, or using a fork.
WHAT IS SENSORY PROCESSING ?
Sensory processing is the ability of the brain to take in, notice and organize sensory experiences to produce smooth, coordinated, regulated and meaningful responses.
The sensory systems are: visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive (muscle awareness and tone), vestibular (balance/movement), oral (taste & smell), and interoceptive (sensory information about the internal state of the body).
These sensory systems need to work together efficiently so that we can organize, focus and complete our daily activities.
Sensory Processing Challenges
Inefficient Sensory Processing Can Interfere with Day to Day function
When one or more of the sensory systems are not working efficiently it affects our ability to complete tasks smoothly. Sensitivities to certain touch, sounds, visually busy environments, movement, and/or transitions can overwhelm the system and trigger the fight, flight or freeze response.
Think of a coffee cup filled to the brim and when you add a drop more of coffee, milk or sugar, the cup’s threshold has been reached and it can't take any more and overflows! In our bodies, this is the trigger point and our systems shut down, over react, or freeze. Occupational therapy works with the child and family to understand the child's strengths, triggers, and needs. Activities are provided to reduce the overload and increase the capacity to learn so that the child CAN accomplish daily living skills, pre-academic and academic skills, play, and social interactions to the best of their ability.
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