Sensory Stimulation

The Arc of Washington County maintains a full list of helpful resources for the treatment of Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SI Dysfunction).  The Stepping Stones program supports children with Autism and mental health issues.  The program is designed to facilitate the development of independent living skills, social skills, self-care skills, communication skills and work skills.  Stepping Stones frequently incorporates the use of a “sensory room” into its after-school, weekend and summer care programs.
 
Sensory integration refers to how people use the information provided by all the sensations coming from within the body and from the external environment. Your senses integrate to form a complete understanding of who you are, where you are, and what is happening around you.  For most of us, sensory integration occurs without conscious thought or effort.  For others, sensory integration happens inefficiently. People with SI Dysfunction have great difficulty figuring out what is going on inside and outside their bodies, and there's no guarantee that the sensory information they're working with is accurate.  Because they can't rely on their senses to give them an accurate picture of the world, they don't know how to behave in response, and they may have trouble learning and behaving appropriately.

A number of therapeutic options exist in the treatment of Sensory Integration Dysfunction. However, what works or is appropriate for one person may not apply to another. Occupational therapy is most often used to treat the condition, with the goal of enabling children to take part in the normal activities of childhood. Treatment, which usually occurs in a sensory-enriched gym with tactile, visual, auditory and taste opportunities, can facilitate the development of the nervous system’s ability to process sensory input in a more normal way. Other common treatments include auditory stimulation therapy, nutritional therapy and osteopathic manipulation.