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Learning
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This is the way some children feel every day at school or in the playground. They are children with sensory integration dysfunction. Their nervous systems don't process information normally. Some of them are on the autism spectrum. Some of them simply have difficulty with the tasks and situations of daily life. One therapeutic approach to these dysfunctions is sensory integration. And it has been impressively successful in helping children ... and adults ... cope with their internal information and the world around them. Sensory integration is both a theory and a treatment technique. It was developed in the 1950's and 1960's by occupational therapist Dr. Jean Ayres. As a theory, it explains the basis of some processing dysfunctions. As a treatment, it helps organize sensory processing and helps people learn to regulate their own nervous systems.
According to Jill Lyons, O.T.R, director and founder of the Philo Center in Shelburne, for some people, " the process by which we take information from our bodies and environment and process it, making decisions about it" is "disorganized." This can cause a myriad of problems from poor handwriting to the inability to sit upright. It can lead to "problem" behaviors that land children in psychiatric treatment. It can cause social isolation and poor academic progress. Amy* noted "little odd things" about her son Dan* since he was a baby. "There were always motor skill things...he didn't learn to play patty cake, he didn't alternate feet when walking down stairs. He didn't like bright lights. Without realizing it I learned to grasp him pretty firmly -- even when I was diapering him because he was so sensitive to light touch." When Dan was 4, Amy heard about the Philo Center and came upon a book called The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz. "A bunch of things came together at once," recalls Amy. "The Philo Center gave us a questionnaire to fill out and there it all was -- I could check off every item. It helped me put in one place all these odd things I'd been telling my pediatrician." All these "odd things" were some of the hallmarks of sensory integration dysfunction. They can result, according to Lyons, in the flight or fight response triggered by faulty information about the world and where the child is in relation to the world. Beyond the five senses, Lyons explains, we have "special senses." Proprioception gives us our basic body awareness.. Kinesthesia tells us that and how our body parts are moving. The vestibular system, with receptors in the inner ear, tells us where our heads and bodies are in relation to gravity and as we move through space. Attention
to Proprioception, Kinesthesia & the Vestibular System
... in Carefully Monitored & Measured Amounts ... "The vestibular system gives us a sense of safety and being grounded," says Lyons. "It is really key." When any of our sense processing is disorganized we will be on guard. Just imagine feeling that if you move, you may fall.
The symptoms that accompany sensory dysfunction vary. Some children are hypersensitive and others are under-sensitive. Some swing between extremes of what Lyons and colleague, Van Johnson, OTR, refer to as being "set too high or too low." In most cases the child will tend to withdraw (flight) or become controlling or aggressive ( fight) according to Lyons. Abnormal sensitivity shows up as:
Much of sensory integration as treatment involves movement and sensory stimulation -- just the right type and amounts at just the right time. The therapist provides her student with activities that will "organize" his nervous system and help him be comfortable and alert. When Johnson spins 8 year old Eric in the "helicopter swing" his face changes; he beams, alert yet relaxed. When his "engine is turned too high" she rocks him on the "linear swing." She explains, "linear movement is very calming for some children." Surprisingly, crashing, bumping and falling is also very calming for some children. "Stimulation of deep pressure input receptors is relaxing, just like a massage," says Lyons. Some children will unconsciously precipitate fights in order to get this deep pressure to muscles and joints, she adds. Sensory integration provides alternatives for teacher, parents and the child; pushing or pulling heavy objects, pulling on ropes, squeezing a ball, pillow fights, even dragging a child by the feet (on appropriate surface) can provide the pressure.
Amy has found this to help Dan tremendously. "It fills him up with the kind of movement he needs so he can be centered and calm." The therapists at the Philo Center taught her a special way to brush her son all over several times a day with a soft brush to provide his body with deep compression. "At first I was skeptical. Did I ever imagine I'd be brushing my child? But it works." Sensory integration treatment, in Lyon's words, "provides intense and graded information to all aspects of a child's sensory system." It's very tricky work, she emphasizes. "The child should be an active participant in her learning." The special equipment at the Philo Center -- tires hanging from the ceiling, trapezes, slides, ropes -- are specifically designed to be adaptable to the individual needs of the child .. and to be fun. Lyons and her staff also go into schools throughout Vermont to treat students and consult with classroom teachers and special educators. There are changes, sometimes simple, that can make a big difference for a child. With understanding, the child and school can make the environment more controllable and "reduce the impact of these sensitivities," as Lyons put it.
Some of these changes may be ...
"Van made some suggestions to the teachers that actually benefited all the kids," says Amy. "It's important to be able to translate for the teachers what's going on," she says. "Teachers would say he was over-reacting. My ability to explain to him as well as others helps Dan deal with it." When Jill Lyons first started her Vermont practice she was working part-time in a loft in her house. Within 5 months she was working full time. With the help of a grant from the Maslow Foundation she opened the Center in Shelburne. with a waiting list of 70 children. Now , with 7 therapists, they can generally evaluate children within 3 months. "As occupational therapists, we have lots of tools in our bag," says Lyons. "Sensory integration is one of our most powerful tools." Dan is now in second grade, and doing well. "I wish it were suggested more often," says Amy. .. ******* ******* If you would like to submit something for our Learning & Education section, don't hesitate to let us know. Simply e-mail us at learn@downstreetmagazine.com. The e-mail should contain your name, address, and a phone number where we can reach you. You may also send a copy of your proposed article. The text can either be included in the body of the e-mail, or you can send it as an attachment in just about any word processing format. If your piece is accepted, we will pay a small honorarium for your interest & your time. [See Freelancers Wanted for more details.] ******* ******* If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* . |
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