PEDS (Sensory Integration)

Adaptive response

When the brain organizes the sensations and uses the information to produce a goal

Sensory modulation

Our ability to respond appropriately to sensory information

HYPOreactivity

Under responsive

HYPERreactivity

Over-reacts to sensory input resulting in discomfort, avoidance, distractibility, and anxiety

Tactile defensiveness

Avoidance of certain textures of clothing or food

Auditory defensiveness

Distress or holding hands over the ears in reaction to certain sounds

Gravitational insecurity

Excessive fear during ordinary movement activities or feet leaving the ground

Sensory discrimination & perception problems

Difficulty differentiating one sensory stimulus from another

Visual perception problem

Confusing a ‘b’ with a ‘d’

Tactile perception problem

Distinguishing btwn a square block and a hexagonal block using touch only

Proprioception perception problem

Using too much or too little force in activities such as writing or easily breaks toys

Vestibular bilateral problems

• Your vestibular system helps you maintain posture

• Bilateral tasks require trunk stability and upright posture to use both hands to

• Challenges include: bike riding, cutting with scissors or writing, clumsiness or incoordination

Dyspraxia

Difficulty with motor planning

• Challenges include: clumsy and awkward movements, knocking down things, sequencing and timing actions is challenging, difficulty accurately imitating actions of other

Proprioceptive seeking

Stomping, jumping, intentionally bumping into objects and people

Tactile seeking

Touching things and people excessively

Vestibular seeking

Intense swinging or spinning on suspended equipment without becoming dizzy

Hyposensitivity

Use arousal techniques such as light touch, fast unpredictable swinging

Hypersensitivity

Use organizing/calming techniques such as proprioception/deep touch, weighted vest or blanket, dim lights, earmuffs

Vestibular techniques

• Used to increase or decrease responsiveness, arousal, or organization

• Swinging: slow, consistent, linear = calming. Fast, unpredictability = alerting

• Dynamic seating (therapy ball, inflatable disks)

• Astronaut program

• Signs of autonomic activation - blanching & nausea, shift to slow linear swinging or increase proprioception (pulling or hanging on a trapeze)

Tactile & Proprioception techniques

• Calming effect for sensory defensiveness, anxiety, or increased arousal

• Weighted vest

• Tactile incorporated into activities (ball pit, surfaces)

• Squishies, massages, joint compression

• Willbarger protocol - brushing

• Passive tactile stimulation = more defensiveness

Gravitational insecurity

• Intense fear of movement or their feet leaving the ground

• Building tolerance and decreasing fear of movement gradually:

• Begin with activities close to the ground and physical support to help the child feel secure

• Gradually, move away from the floor and subtly withdraw physical support