sensory 2- intro to sensory processing

Childhood: Age 3-7 development

kinesthetic acuity, strong inner drive, competencies, develop sophisticated skills

kinesthetic (tactile/proprioception acuity)

Ability to proprioceptively discriminate differences in location, distance, weight, force, speed, and acceleration of movement

childhood: functional implications

develops a sense of “me” (age 5)

continue development of sensory processing by

adapting brain and body, interacting with world, can attend to more than one stimulus, can attach meaning to sensory, listening skills

How development and sensory processing supports occupation across the lifespan

participating in meaningful and productive occupations, rich and meaningful lives

Institutionalization

• Wide body of literature on impact of institutionalization on development 

• Sensory deprivation on development and relationships

Sensory features and family functioning in families with autism and developmental disabilities

• Association between sensory features and family functioning and examined interactions by group and service usage

• Sensory features can affect everyday experiences of both children and caregivers

Childhood trauma

• Association between childhood trauma and emotions and sensory processing adolescents 

• Significant negative correlations was observed between the self-control scale and the childhood trauma

Adolescence

Vestibular responses vary greatly between pre-adolescence and adulthood 

• Vestibular function relative to postural control reaches adult levels by age 15

Adolescence: functional implications

• Sensory abilities guide motor activities 

• Begin to move into consideration of somatosensory preferences as it impacts participation choices 

• As we move through adulthood, normal age progression beings on changes to all our systems 

• central/peripheral changes do not always

directly relate to functional decline (changes in motor responses)

Adult: functional implications

refinement of awareness of sensory needs. may begin to be aware of changes within skill sets

older adults changes

begin to lose peripheral sensation which impacts feedback motor planning, auditory system impacts communication, loss of vibratory (LE> UE), joint pain, vestibular (hair cells degenerate)

older adults: functional implications

Sensory changes may negatively impact movement skills, functional status, performance and participation, self-care and social skills

Intergenerational programs have been linked to stabilizing

cognitive decline, improving moods and decreasing pain