PEDs: Sensory

Self Regulation

The individual's influence over their own thought processes, emotional stress, emotional states, motivation, and patterns of behavior.

Sensory Integration

The neural organization of sensory information for functional behavior; includes specific assessments and intervention strategies.

Jean Ayres

An occupational therapist and psychologist known for trademarking Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI).

Auditory Sense

The sense of hearing that enables the ability to receive sounds, functional before birth.

Vision Sense

The sense of seeing that provides the ability to identify and understand visual input.

Gustatory Sense

The sense of taste that allows perception and reaction to what we are tasting.

Vestibular Sense

The sense that maintains balance and coordinates movement in response to changes in head position and body movement.

Olfactory Sense

The sense of smell that enables response to various odors.

Tactile System

The system that perceives touch, pressure, vibration, movement, temperature, and pain through the skin.

Proprioception

The sense that provides unconscious awareness of body position and movement.

Interoception

The ability to sense internal signals from the body.

Sensory Modulation

The tendency to generate appropriately graded responses to incoming sensory stimuli.

Sensory Discrimination

The brain's ability to distinguish between different sensory stimuli.

Adaptive Response

An organized, successful, goal-directed action in response to environmental stimuli.

Neural Plasticity

The brain's ability to change and adapt its structure and function in response to experiences.

Sensory Integration Problems

Difficulties in sensory integration function that can create challenges in daily life and occupational activities.

Hyposensitivity

A lack of registration, attention, or response to sensory input; may require higher sensory stimulus levels to respond.

Hyperreactivity

An overwhelming response to sensory input, often associated with anxiety and activation of the sympathetic nervous system.

Tactile Defensiveness

Hyperreactivity to light touch stimuli, often causing discomfort and anxiety.

Gravitational Insecurity

Hyperreactivity to vestibular sensations involving linear movement, causing fear during movement activities.

Dyspraxia

Problems with motor planning; difficulty conceptualizing, planning, and executing non-habitual motor acts.

Sensory Seeking Behavior

Intentional behavior by a child to seek intense sensory stimuli to regulate arousal levels or compensate for inadequate sensory processing.

Sensory Diet

A prescribed schedule or protocol for the application of specific types of sensory stimuli.

Sensory Processing Disorder

A condition involving difficulties in the ability to properly process and respond to sensory input.