With Sensory Integration becoming more and more popular, we wanted to share a few thoughts about what Sensory Integration is, How Sensory Integration therapy can be of benefit to your patients, and most importantly, the steps to take when designing a Sensory Integration room for your centre.

What is Sensory Integration?

Sensory Integration therapy was initially developed by occupational therapist A. Jean Ayres in the 1970s to help children with sensory-processing difficulties.

The term “Sensory Integration” is used to describe the processes in the brain that allow us to take the information we receive from our 5 senses, organise it and then respond to it appropriately.

There are 3 additional senses in which we receive information which are:

1. Proprioception – also referred to as kinaesthesia, is the sense of self-movement, force, and body position.
2. Vestibular – a sensory system that creates the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance.
3. Interoception – is contemporarily defined as the sense of the internal scale of the body, both conscious and non-conscious. This would include what’s happening inside our body i.e., hunger, needing the toilet, tiredness, emotions etc.

These interconnections start forming before birth and continue to develop as the person matures and interacts with the environment around them.

What is Sensory Integration Therapy?

Sensory Integration Therapy is a specialised therapy this is carried out by a qualified SI Practitioner, this is a qualified OT, Speech & Language Therapist or Physiotherapist that has undertaken additional training on Sensory Integration.

Sensory Integration Therapy involves the stimulating & developing of our senses, so we become more comfortable with our bodies and the way they move. This involves all of our 5 senses mentioned in the previous section, including the 3 additional ones also.

SI Therapy includes structured exposure to sensory input, movement therapy, and balance treatments that have been carefully designed to incorporate physical activities and changes to the environment and routine to ensure that the individual gets the needed sensory input for their Sensory Diet.

Designing a Sensory Integration Room

When you are creating a Sensory Integration room, there is no one-size fits all solution and there are many factors that need to be considered including:

• Age of the user
• Needs of the user
• Achievements required from the room
• Space available
• Equipment required for certain Sensory outcomes

Learn More

Our team of specialists are on hand to support you and guide you through the design & specification process of your new Sensory Integration room. Get in touch today to arrange your free site survey and room design.