Introduc on to Sensory Integra on Dysfunc on 1/17

also known as Sensory Processing Disorder

If you have problems with sensory integra on (also known as

sensory processing) you may be aware of being over-sensi ve or
under-sensi ve to the environment around you. You may have
problems with balance, or look clumsy. You may have a hard me
understanding what your body is saying to you. This is because your
brain isn’t integra ng (or processing) the sensory input correctly.
These are just some examples:

poor balance! clumsy! too bright! am I thirsty? I don’t know.

too loud! disgus ng texture! I need to feel more!

by Michelle Fogg, a SID/SPD pa ent. For the professional’s opinion see ‘sources of informa on’ .

Sensory Integra on Dysfunc on / Sensory Processing Disorder 2/17

gets broken-down in to more specific descrip ons of the type of
problems experienced (sub-categories) by the professionals:

by Michelle Fogg
The Eight Senses 4/17

“I knew the first five senses, but what were the other three?...”
Sight: eyes

Hearing: ears

Smell: nose
Taste: tongue

Touch: skin

Ves bular

Propriocep on

Interocep on

Ves bular
input

by Michelle Fogg
The Eight Senses 5/17

“I knew the first five senses, but what were the other three?...”
Sight: eyes

Hearing: ears

Smell: nose
Taste: tongue

Touch: skin

Ves bular

Propriocep on

Interocep on

Propriocep ve
input

by Michelle Fogg

The Eight Senses 6/17

“I knew the first five senses, but what were the other three?...”
Sight: eyes

Hearing: ears

Smell: nose
Taste: tongue

Touch: skin

Ves bular

Propriocep on

Interocep on
Prac se recognising
and responding to
internal sensa ons

by Michelle Fogg
What can help improve Sensory Integra on Dysfunc on / 7/17
Sensory Processing Disorder?
Treatment op ons for sensory processing problems include:
(1) Making changes and ‘reasonable adjustments’. This doesn’t ‘fix’
or improve the underlying problem but it makes it more
manageable in everyday life.
(2) A ‘sensory toolkit’ (aka a ‘sensory diet’) you create for yourself
at home from your own observa ons and trying different things.
(3) A ‘sensory toolkit’ (aka a ‘sensory diet’) you create with the help
of an Occupa onal Therapist.
A sensory toolkit (also known as a sensory diet) is the mix of sensory strategies
(‘tools’, or things needed to ‘feed’ sensory needs) that help each person be able to
change their own ’alert level’ to a “calm and alert” ‘Just Right’. More on this later…

(4) ‘Ayres’ Sensory Integra on’ (ASI) interven on.

(5) Lucy Miller’s treatment model for Sensory Processing Disorder
(which evolved out of Jean Ayres’ work).
(6) Occupa onal Therapists might use a mix of op ons, and/or call
them by different names!
by Michelle Fogg

Sensory Integra on Dysfunc on / Sensory Processing Disorder 8/17

Are there changes you can make to your environment (home,
school, workplace, etc) to make it more comfortable for you?
Are there aids or equipment you can use to be more comfortable?
Can you ask for changes to be made? (e.g. “Can the volume be turned down
please?” “Can we go somewhere less crowded?”)

search on YouTube for ‘music for concentra on’

swap fluorescent ligh ng for LED?
(helps cover-up annoying background noises)

ear plugs
wrap-around
weighted lap pad sunglasses by Michelle Fogg
Sensory Integra on Dysfunc on / Sensory Processing Disorder 9/17

What are ‘Reasonable Adjustments’?

Under the Equality Act 2010 [U.K.], a person is
disabled if they “have a physical or mental
impairment [condi on] which has a substan al
and long-term adverse effect on their ability to
carry out normal day-to-day ac vi es”.
Organisa ons (including schools, universi es,
workplaces, NHS, any business providing goods
or services, e.g. shops and restaurants) have a legal duty to provide
addi onal aids and support, and make changes to their policies and
procedures and physical features of their building, to ensure that services
are as accessible to people with disabili es as they are for everybody else.
These changes are called “reasonable adjustments”.
The ‘Americans with Disabili es Act 1990’ (plus Amendments Act 2008)
[U.S.A.] equivalent is “reasonable accommoda ons”.

Sensory Integra on Dysfunc on / Sensory Processing Disorder 10/17

What is a ‘Sensory Toolkit’? (also known as a ‘Sensory Diet’)
It is the mix of sensory strategies (‘tools’, or things needed to ‘feed’
sensory needs) that help each person be able to change their own ‘alert
level’ to ‘Just Right’. The strategies are either ‘aler ng’, ‘calming’, or
‘organising’, and the mix helps us to ‘regulate’, or balance, our ‘alert
level’. In this context, ‘organising’ means increasing focus, aIen on
span and performance.
Our cogni on (process of
thinking) and our emo ons
also contribute to ‘Alert Alert Levels:
Levels’. But OT for sensory
problems focuses on
Just Right
the difference Calm and alert, able to learn,
made by remember, think clearly, and
sensory make good decisions.
changes. Under Alert Over Alert
Low, bored, or Panicky, confused,
struggling to overwhelmed,
maintain stressed,
focus. very excited.

Too Slow Too High

Sleep state, Meltdown
fa gue. RESET or Shutdown.
by Michelle Fogg
Sensory Integra on Dysfunc on / Sensory Processing Disorder 11/17

Interven ons or strategies in your Sensory Toolkit (or Sensory Diet)

vary depending on your par cular problems, but might include:

Ves bular
input

Propriocep ve
input

You can aim to improve your
propriocep ve system by increasing
feedback through the receptors in
your muscles when you push, pull,
li;, carry, climb, jump, or stretch.
You can aim to improve your
interocep on by prac sing
recognising and responding to
internal sensa ons, using
techniques such as Social
Stories, mindfulness,
breathing exercises, or an
‘emo on matching’ game.
You can aim to improve your
ves bular system by increasing
feedback through the receptors in
your inner ear when you use
‘straight line ves bular
s mula on’, such as gently
bouncing up and down, or riding a
bike, which is ‘organising’, or more
vigorous s mula on, which is
‘aler ng’, such as spinning, or
jumping on a large
trampoline.
by Michelle Fogg

Sensory Integra on Dysfunc on / Sensory Processing Disorder 12/17

What is ‘Ayres’ Sensory Integra on’ (ASI) interven on?

In the late 60s/70s, Dr. A. Jean Ayres concluded that having problems
with sensory integra on (or processing) has knock-on effects, as it is a
contribu ng cause to problems with emo onal regula on, behaviour,
social interac on, and the ability to learn. So if sensory integra on can
be improved, this should also help with improvements in those other
areas.
h=ps://www.sensoryintegra on.org.uk/What-is-SI/ explains: “Ayres’
Sensory Integra on (or ASI) interven on is a term used to describe
interven on developed by Ayres to improve or develop sensory
integra on for children and adults with sensory integra on difficul es.
Therapists need specific training to understand the complex reasoning
underpinning this therapy.”
h=ps://www.cl-asi.org/about-ayres-sensory-integra on says “Classic
Ayres sensory interven on is provided in a specialized therapy room
with sensory equipment that provides tac le, visual, propriocep ve
and ves bular opportuni es in a structured manner [in collabora on
with the primary caregivers where relevant].” by Michelle Fogg
Sensory Integra on Dysfunc on / Sensory Processing Disorder 13/17

From h=ps://www.griffinot.com/sensory-integra on-sensory-processing/

“Is there a difference in how therapists from each tradi on (Jean

Ayres SI or Lucy Miller’s SPD) approach treatment?
In short, yes.

A pure Ayres SI® approach will be led by a trained therapist in a

specialised clinic space. It must be client-led. The therapist con nually
creates opportuni es at a ‘just right’ level to help improve the client’s
sensory integra on. Therapists using Ayres® SI should use the fidelity
guidelines outlined by Parham and colleagues in 2011. These guidelines
describe the core components of the Ayres® SI treatment.

Miller’s model uses elements of this approach, however, it includes

addi onal therapies such as listening therapy. Where the client is a
child, it also includes greater parent involvement in therapy and extra
strategies for home and school. These strategies can be used to
complement direct sensory integra on treatment.”

by Michelle Fogg

The root cause of Sensory Integra on Dysfunc on / Sensory 14/17

Processing Disorder? Page 1.

by Michelle Fogg
The root cause of Sensory Integra on Dysfunc on / Sensory 15/17

Processing Disorder? Page 2.

by Michelle Fogg

The science behind ASI and later therapies for Sensory 16/17
Integra on Dysfunc on / Sensory Processing Disorder:
From the American Occupa onal Therapy Associa on, Frequently Asked Ques ons About Ayres
Sensory Integra on® h=ps://www.aota.org/-/media/Corporate/Files/Prac ce/Children/

“Can ASI® be helpful for adolescents and adults, as well as children?

Advances in neuroscience reveal that plas city in the nervous system
exists throughout adulthood (Elman et al., 1998). Clinical reports from
adults who have par cipated in ASI® interven on document
improvements in motor skills, self-esteem, and social par cipa on
(Ayres, Erwin, & Mailloux, 2004). Interven on may look different for
older persons in order to address specific occupa onal role
performance issues as they occur in adolescence and adulthood.”

Or, in plain English, ASI (and later developments) aim to make use of
neuroplas city by exposing you to sensory s mula on in a structured,
repe ve way. The theory is that, over me, the brain will engage in
“synap c pruning” (even in adults) dele ng the connec ons between
neurons that are no longer necessary or useful, and strengthening the
necessary ones.
In doing so, the brain will begin to process and react to sensory input
more efficiently. In other words, the brain can be trained to improve
it’s sensory integra on or processing. by Michelle Fogg
Sensory Integra on Dysfunc on / Sensory Processing Disorder 17/17

Sources of Informa on / Further Reading:

(in addi on to website addresses previously given)

• A star ng-point, basic, SPD symptoms checklist for adults, produced by

‘SPD Support’ hIps://spdsupport.org/resources/adult-spd-symptoms.shtml

• ‘10 Tips to Help Neurotypicals Understand Sensory Processing Disorder’

by Rachel S. Schneider h=ps://thebodyisnotanapology.com/magazine/the-
neurotypicals-guide-to-adults-with-sensory-processing-disorder/

• ’Sensory Needs’ produced by Riverside (special educa onal needs)

School, Orpington, Kent h=ps://www.riversideschool.org.uk/a=achments/
download.asp?file=311&type=pdf

• ‘Neurodiversity and Sensory Sensi vity’ video on YouTube by AWAKE

(Au sm/Aspie Women’s Advocacy, Knowledge and Empowerment)
Project’s Dana Waters h=ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-
HBm7qTs9g&list=PLE89YKOu5gR5PVrEUdm9Fa7zfrCd31SFN&index=5&t=0s

• ‘Sensory Integra on Therapy: What is it and who benefits from it?’

by Jenna Buono h=p://ceril.net/index.php/ar culos?id=538
(if links don’t work from the pdf version, copy and paste them into address bar)

by Michelle Fogg