2. sensory processing challenges

challenges in sensory integration

affect ability to participate in occupations, family/social interactions, behavioral, motor coordination issues, assessed through standardized tests

factor analysis

sets of test scores are grouped together according to their associations to one another

cluster analysis

grouping of children with similar scores

sensory processing

Process of the brain registering sensory input from the outside world and the individual generating a response based on that input

symptom

Atypical responses to sensory input that interfere with an individual's daily

behavior research def

observation reaction

behavior neuroscience def

ability to detect or discriminate, measured by perceptual decisions

low threshold

requires less sensory input to generate typical response

high threshold

requires more sensory input to generate typical response

hyper-responsiveness

presence of an atypical response, or over-reaction (increased neural responses)

hypo-responsiveness

absence of typical response (decreased neural responses)

sensory gating

Inhibitory function at neural level, which filters out redundant or unnecessary neural responses to all other stimuli

habituation

Decreased response of the individual to repetitive sensory stimulation

defensiveness

Negative reaction to sensory input

avoidance

Resistance or unwillingness to interact with sensory stimuli

poor registration

Decreased ability to register sensory input (typically measured by lack of response)

sensory orientation

Directed attention to a sensory stimulus

sensory filtering

Ability to process relevant sensory information and exclude irrelevant/distracting sensory information

sensory seeking

excessively seeking out sensory input

Sensory modulation

Requires filtering of sensory information

Filtering

Linked to arousal level

Contributes to the regulation of arousal states and self-regulation

Self-regulation

Arousal regulation

Dynamic organizing process describing the relationship between stimulation, stress, cortical activity, and performance

Difficulties with modulation affect

alertness, attention, and emotion, and consequently can interfere with the ability to organize behavior

Sensory modulation and ADHD

Problematic scores on sensory questionnaires

Poor tactile discrimination and tactile defensiveness

High sympathetic activation

sensory/behavioral linkages

Environmental influences on sensory modulation difficulties

Prenatal alcohol or illicit drug exposure

Prenatal stress

Prenatal lead exposure and other environmental toxins

Poverty