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Sensory integration disorders are a set of symptoms that began to be actively discussed in Poland in the 90s of the last century. Sensory disorders involve the basic senses through which a child learns the world around them. How to recognize a child’s sensory integration disorder?
What are sensory integration disorders?
Sensory integration disorders may result from damage to the sensory organs, i.e. the organs of sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell or smell. If a child develops a disturbance in the process of sensory integration of the sensory systems, problems in learning, behavior and psychomotor development of the child will appear at the same time. The symptoms that signal a child’s sensory integration disorder can be divided into:
- problems with sensory modulation – regulation of the child’s reaction to perceived impressions;
- problems with sensory discrimination – difficulties in distinguishing between stimuli reaching the child;
- sensory motor problems – difficulties with planning movements and moving the whole body.
All three of the above types of symptoms concern and are manifested in the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing and body motor skills.
Every parent concerned about their child’s development should visit a pediatrician or a child psychologist for possible diagnosis of SI disorders.
Sensory integration disorders – touch
Sensory modulation problems in the context of touch manifest themselves in over-reactivity, sub-reactivity and searching for sensory impressions. An overactive child avoids contact with other people, as well as things, objects or clothes. A sub-reactive child, on the other hand, often does not even notice that it has been touched. A child who is looking for sensory impressions seeks touch by rubbing against walls or furniture, as well as by deliberately bumping into other people. In case of sensory discrimination, a child may not recognize which part of the body has been touched. The child has no or incorrect body awareness. Moreover, it cannot recognize and name an object solely on the basis of its sense of touch. Children with sensory integration disorders have problems with the correct handling of cutlery, fastening buttons or zipping the jacket. They also cannot correctly define the pain scale.
Sensory integration disorders – eyesight
An overactive child gets excited when a lot of objects appear in his sight. He cannot concentrate, but at the same time is alert and constantly on alert. A sub-reactive child, on the other hand, often ignores various objects that appear in his field of vision. As a result, he simply does not notice various obstacles and stumbles over them. He often stares at a given thing or person for a long time, which gives the impression that he does not notice the object. A child looking for sensory impressions focuses on objects that sparkle, move or otherwise stand out from the environment. Sensory discrimination is manifested by the fact that the child does not perceive the differences and similarities between pictures and faces. He has problems with determining the position of objects in relation to each other, which is why he often accidentally bumps into them.
Sensory integration disorders – hearing
An overactive child complains about sounds and noises that do not disturb other people. It clogs his ears, cuts himself off from sounds, and may be disturbed by the sounds of a working dryer or a vacuum cleaner. A sub-reactive child ignores sounds and voices, but this also often applies to extremely loud music or other noises. A child who is looking for sensory impressions likes to be in places full of sounds. Sensory discrimination is when a child cannot distinguish between sounds. This is often the case with consonants that end words. Therefore, the child may not understand the messages addressed to him, especially when there is a buzz around him or he is distracted by other noises, e.g. from behind a busy street.
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