Sensory processing and integration is our ability to take in (processing) and use (integration) information from our senses to respond to the demands of our environment.
Sensory Processing and Integration
We receive sensory information constantly from our bodies and from our environment. Our brains must be able to organize this information effectively to allow us to function successfully in our day-to-day lives. This makes sensory processing and integration a vital part of our nervous system functioning.
When we talk about ‘sensory information’ we are referring to the information we receive from our five ‘main’ senses – touch, sight, hearing, taste, and smell as well as three other ‘hidden senses’ known as proprioception, our sense of body awareness, vestibular, our sense of movement and balance and interoception, our sense of our internal state.
Our Eight Senses
Tactile
Our sense of touch, called the tactile system, gives us information such as the shape, size, and texture of objects, which helps us better understand our environment and enable our recognition of how to manipulate objects. It is also vital to the development of body schema (our awareness of our body) and emotional regulation.
Proprioceptive
The proprioceptive system is our sense of body awareness. It takes the information we receive from our muscles and joints to help us identify our body’s position in relation to itself and other objects.
Vestibular
Located in our inner ear is the vestibular system, our sense of movement and balance. This system tells us about the position of our head in relation to gravity, and the speed and direction of movement.
Visual
Our sense of sight, the visual system, is critical to identifying and interpreting shapes, colors, symbols, body language, and more. In turn, our interpretations of these visual cues guides our movements and social interactions.
Auditory
Our hearing, or auditory system, allows us identify the quality and direction of sounds. It allows us, for example, to recognize without looking that a person is talking, who that person is, who they are talking to, and how far away they are.
Gustatory
Our sense of taste, or gustatory system works with our sense of smell to allow us to enjoy good and safe food while making us react negatively to unpleasant or dangerous sensations.
Interoception
Interoception allows our body to perceive its internal state and helps to control the way that we feel. Through this sense, we identify our emotions and bodily sensations, such as hunger and feeling cold, and be motivated to seek out comfort in a timely manner.
Olfactory
Our sense of smell, or olfactory system helps us be able to distinguish between thousands of different smells. Smells can produce emotional responses as the olfactory system is closely linked to memory.
Components of Sensory Processing
Our eight senses work together to make
up the three major components of sensory processing: sensory modulation,
sensory discrimination, and praxis.
Sensory modulation is our ability to take in sensory information, decide what is relevant, and to make an appropriate behavioral response.
Sensory discrimination
allows us to understand the specific qualities of sensory information.
For example, the texture of an object or the direction of a sound.
Praxis in the context
of sensory integration, is the ability to conceptualize, plan, organize
and sequence the steps of a motor task to adaptively meet environmental
demands.
Frequently asked questions
What is SPD?
Sensory processing is the term we use to describe how our central nervous system manages sensory information.
Sensory integration, sensory
discrimination, and sensory modulation are all a part of sensory
processing.
We all experience and manage sensory input in our own unique ways. For some, the central nervous system may find it challenging to process this sensory information effectively, which may delay the development of key skills and interfere with everyday life. This is often referred to as Sensory Processing Disorder, Sensory Processing Differences or SPD. It’s important to recognize that there is no one “right” way to process sensory input, and the term "Sensory Processing Disorder" reflects the idea that we all do this differently.
While ‘Sensory Processing Disorder’ is becoming the standard
description for this condition in both medical and research circles, you
may also see the terms Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID),
Dysfunction in Sensory Integration (DSI), and Sensory Processing
Dysfunction (SPD); all these terms refer to the same condition.
What does SPD look like?
As sensory processing exists on a spectrum our experiences can vary greatly in type and severity
Like sensory processing itself, Sensory Processing Disorder can be
broken down into three different components: discrimination, modulation and praxis.
Each sensory
systems has both a modulation and a discrimination component, which in
turn impact our praxis skills in different ways. SPD may affect only one sense, but just as often will affect two or
more, or even all eight, possibly in different ways. One person, for
example, may only have visual discrimination differences, while another
person may also experience auditory modulation
differences. Yet another person may have praxis challenges as a
result of visual processing differences, but may not otherwise have
significant visual discrimination or modulation differences.
SPD is often,
but not always, co-morbid with other diagnoses that present with sensory
related problems, such as attention deficit/attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, autism, and various learning disabilities. More
information about Sensory Processing Disorder is available on our SPD Toolkit pages.
What causes SPD?
While more research is needed pilot studies suggest a variety of factors may lead to sensory
integration challenges later in life, including genetics, prematurity,
birth trauma, and environmental factors, however there is no conclusive
research in this area at this time. We just don’t know yet. For more information see our Research page.
What's the prognosis?
Individuals do not 'grow out of' SPD but they can be helped.
Our research suggests that those children with sensory integration and
processing challenges who are recognized and seek occupational therapy
services using an Ayres Sensory Integration® approach are likely to have a good long-term
prognosis regarding their sensory processing
functioning. For more information see our Research page.