Understanding How to Identify
Sensory Integration Dysfunction in
Children
The Rollercoaster
Question
Cyndie Goodall, Lower School Learning Support Teacher
& Michelle Eriksen, Lower School Principal, ACS Hillingdon
Do
you ever wonder why some children love roller coasters and
others absolutely refuse to ride them. This excessive love
or hate, as it may be, could be an indication of a sensory
integration dysfunction. What is sensory integration?
Melanne Maddalene, MS, OTR, a Pediatric Occupational Therapist
specializing in sensory integration, defines it as follows:
"Simply speaking, sensory integration is the ability to take
in, sort out, and connect information from the world around
us so that we can use this information for appropriate
responses.
"Learning and emotions are functions of our brain. If the
brain develops the capacity to perceive, integrate,
remember, and motor plan, the ability can then be applied
towards the mastery of all learning tasks, regardless of a
specific content. This capacity to 'learn' is based on
adequate sensory integration. Sensory integration provides a
foundation on which to develop perceptual motor skills,
which, in turn provide a basis for academic learning,
emotional/social adjustments, and activities of daily
living.
"For
most children, sensory integration develops in the course of
ordinary childhood activities. For some children, sensory
integration does not develop as efficiently as it should.
When the process of sensory integration is disordered, a
number of problems in learning, development, or behavior may
become evident." (Maddalene, 2003.)
Mrs
Maddalene explained in wonderful detail what sensory
integration means, how some children have difficulties with
sensory integration, and various ways in which these
difficulties can present as academic, social and behavioral
issues. She described ways to identify sensory integration
difficulties, as well as exercises to remedy particular
problems. As a parent, I am grateful that ACS Hillingdon
recognizes the importance of early identification, and has
dedicated resources to screen our Lower School children.
So,
why do some children love roller coasters and others
absolutely refuse to ride? While both groups of children
are at extreme ends of the spectrum, they both exhibit
symptoms of a sensory integration dysfunction involving the
vestibular system. The child who craves excessive movement
and does not get dizzy has an undersensitive vestibular
system and therefore seeks more stimulation. This child
loves: rocking and spinning, and craves frequent, intense
movement, usually for several minutes or longer conversely,
the child who avoids excessive movement may have an
oversensitive vestibular system. This child has an
intolerance for movement and/or gravitational insecurity.
C.S. Kranowitz explains, “vestibular sense gives us
information that is necessary for many kinds of everyday
skills." (Kral 1998.) Smooth eye movements needed for
reading and good muscle tone needed for good posture are
some examples. Kranowitz goes on to say, "Vestibular
dysfunction is the inefficient processing of sensations
perceived through the inner ear." (Kranowitz, 1998.)
What
does this mean for us?
Since the vestibular sense affects movement and balance,
muscle tone, arousal levels, visual/spatial processing,
motor planning, and emotional security, children showing
signs of vestibular dysfunction may experience a range of
social and learning difficulties. For instance, they may
have issues with bilateral coordination and thus poor fine
motor skills. Alternatively, they may have low muscle tone
resulting in difficulties performing tasks while seated.
The
most important step in promoting sensory integration in
children is to recognize that it exisits and plays an
important role in the development of a child. By learning
more about sensory integration, parents and educators can
provide an enriched environment that will foster healthy
growth and maturation. Learning more about sensory
integration also helps us to develop an appreciation of how
inter-related these skills are, and approaching the child's
needs holistically can make us more effective educators.
ACS
Hillingdon taking action
At
ACS Hillingdon, we have been incredibly fortunate to have
Melanne Maddalene visit our school and present workshops to
parents and teachers, as well as joining our team for
hands-on assessments of students. It all began when some of
our teachers heard Ms Maddalene speak at a London
International Schools Association (LISA) In-Service Day.
These teachers returned with enthusiasm and asked to invite Ms
Maddalene to speak at one of our faculty meetings. Ms
Maddalene was able to visit us on May 2003, and her
presentation was both rewarding and engaging - in a very
literal sense, as we were taken through some of the
exercises that she puts children through.
Ms
Maddalene speaks passionately and very knowledgeably about
sensory integration and its importance to development. Basic
sensory and motor components that influence learning and
behavior were defined and linked to common classroom
difficulties. Through knowledge of the importance of
auditory processing, bilateral integration, fine motor
control, motor planning, ocular control, perception of
movement, perception of touch, and visual/spatial
perception, teachers will be better able to identify factors
that may be causing difficulties in the classroom.
Ms
Maddalene gave several practical suggestions for each area.
For instance, difficulty performing while seated could be
linked back to low muscle tone, making it tiring to sit for
long periods (vestibular system). Resistance gives the
muscles and joints feedback about where they are. Mrs
Maddalene suggested strategies such as periodically applying
firm hand pressure on the child's shoulders, requesting the
child to help in carrying books, or moving desks.
Ms
Maddalene also spent additional time with our learning support
and physical education teachers to review and modify a
physical education inventory she originally developed with
teachers from the American School in London. This PE
screening tool looks at gross motor skills, eye/hand
co-ordination skills, upper extremity strength and motor
coordination planning.
As
we were planning to use the inventory tool with our children
in early October 2003, we felt that it was very important to
present a workshop on sensory integration to our parents.
Ms Maddalene agreed to speak, and our PTA generously funded
this September event. Like the presentation to our teachers,
the parent workshop required some audience participation and
featured many anecdotal stories that evoked nods and smiles
from parents. This time, though, rather than giving
suggestions for ways to work through sensory integration
difficulties in the classroom, Ms Maddalene shared practical
suggestions on how to facilitate development at home. For
example, if the child is having difficulties with the
tactile sense (loves or hates touch - to the extreme), the
child should experiment with different materials and
textures, e.g. Play-Doh, finger-paint, and whipped cream
through cooking and art projects. She explained one idea
that is very popular with very young children, and helps to
better develop their tactile sense: put the child in the
bathtub with a can of whipping cream (safer than shaving
cream and tastes better too).
