"Parenting" Sensory Integration

Sensory integration is related to children's growth, and is the foundation for children's learning, adaptation to the environment and emotional responses.

[Development of Core Sensory Systems]
Xiao An is now in Kindergarten, and in kindergarten he is always bumping around, either hurting others or bumping into desks and chairs: he has trouble falling asleep at school during naps and at bedtime at night; he has an irritable temper; and he often gets angry when he draws pictures or plays with toys because of his inability to react flexibly or to do it well. Xiao An's behavior is a source of frustration for both teachers and parents.

Little Ann's behavior is not impossible to improve. More than 40 years ago, Dr. A. Jean Ayres, an occupational therapist in the United States, focused on children with normal intelligence, no brain injury or obvious neurological problems, but with learning, behavioral, or emotional problems, and invested in research to establish a set of theories and principles of treatment to explain the relationship between the nervous system and children's learning and behavioral problems, which is also called Sensory Integration Theory and Sensory Integration Therapy (SI). Sensory Integration Theory (SI) and Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT).

What is sensory integration?
According to Dr. Ayres, the human brain is a sensory processor before the age of seven, and the feelings of the outside world mainly come from sensory impressions. During this period, children are always moving around and busy looking for sensory stimulation, which is their sensory-motor developmental period. If they can gain sensory-motor experience through appropriate activities, it will be of great help to their future ability to adapt to the society.

[Basic Definition of Sensory System
This is an innate neurological function. Our nervous system is organized to process and interpret sensory signals from the environment or from our bodies (including the viscera, skin, muscle joints, and vestibular receptors in the inner ear, etc.) in order to have a correct understanding of the environment and the movements or position of the body, and to be able to make the appropriate interactions and learning. Whether an adult or a child is awake or asleep, we receive messages from our brain waves, which allow us to sense the body's condition and then process the messages sent by the body. Although there are many sensory systems, in terms of sensory system theory, touch, vestibular balance and kinesthesia are the core sensory systems.

Introduction to Sensory Development for Infants and Toddlers
Appropriate toys or games can help your child's development. Sensory integration expert Angela Ko pointed out that toys or games can encourage children to observe, explore, create and develop more smoothly. As for children with sensory integration disorders, most of them have different or multiple problems such as tactile dependence, tactile retardation, tactile defense, auditory disorders, visual disorders, preadaptive deficits, and difficulty in motor planning, etc. Through toys or games designed to address the disorders, they can also achieve the function of assisting improvement.

Exposing your child to multi-sensory stimulation after birth will help to fully enlighten the brain for future development. Parents can start with the five sensory systems and provide appropriate toys or games for their children.
Toys or games to enhance the five senses

"Tactile sensation." "Hugging and kissing are the basics.
The newborn's brain tactile center is not yet differentiated, so it is unable to distinguish when the body is being touched. Frequent hugging, stroking, massaging and kissing of the baby by the parents, or the baby's own initiative to touch toys, feel the environment, sucking and gently biting the fingers and toes will gradually mature the sensory cortex, and the fingertip recognition ability will be sensitive.

Auditory Franchising and Language Development
Babies are born with the ability to turn their heads toward the source of a sound when they hear it, integrating auditory and visual information. Auditory perception is growing when babies can figure out where sounds are coming from and understand the meaning of what people around them are saying. Musical toys or play can help with auditory development.
Vision Eyes sharp for learning

0-3 years old is the critical period for the development of eyesight and visual perception. Brightly colored toys with different shapes attract children's attention. Balls that are rolling or being thrown in the air can ignite the desire of visual tracking, provide opportunities for flexible coordination of the ciliary muscles inside the eyes, and cultivate the flexibility of the eyeballs as well as promote the development of visual acuity. Putting toys together and assembling them often can also improve visual perception.

"Awareness, mobility, and physical fitness.
Infants and toddlers are at the peak of their motor development. Handling toys and play equipment with both hands allows for fine motor coordination: frequent leg movements allow for gross motor skills to be practiced. Repeated attempts will result in sharper kinaesthesia and faster movements.

"Vestibular Balance Stimulation for Brain Performance.
Babies love to sleep soundly in a cradle or in the arms of their parents. When awake, babies love to ride wooden horses, go down slides, play on swings, and ride the spinning globe. Gentle vestibular stimulation helps calm baby's emotions: Strong vestibular stimulation helps baby build normal muscle tone, which is beneficial for firmness and concentration when learning.

Text/Excerpt from Pre-School Monthly