Sensory Integration or Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is when there is a Dysfunction is the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into responses. Whether you are eating food, sitting in class, listening to the teacher or colouring with crayon, your successful completion of the activity requires processing sensation or sensory feedback.
Treatment approach for Sensory Processing problems is called Sensory Integration. The goal of sensory integration is to challenge a child in a fun, playful way so they can learn to respond appropriately and function more normally. Treatment depends on a child’s individual needs. But in general, it involves helping children do better at activities they are normally not good at and helping them get used to things they can’t tolerate.
Other type of therapy is called the Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship based (DIR) model. A major part of this therapy is the “floor-Time” method. The method involves multiple sessions of play with the child and parent. The play sessions last about 20 minutes. During the sessions, parents are first asked to follow the child’s lead, even if the playtime behaviour isn’t typical. For Example, if a child is rubbing the same spot on the floor over and over, the parent does the same. These actions allow the parent to “enter” into the child’s world.
