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well. Dr. Ayres believed that sensory integration occurs
automatically in most
people, so we just take it for granted. While many people have
now become
used to thinking of the brain asdirecting all activity in the
bodyand mind, the
concept of sensory integration continues to introduce a new
wayof looking atlearning and behavior.
Briefly, in her book Sensory Integration and the Child (1979),
Dr. Ayres
described the nervous system as an interconnected network of
nerve cells that
are distributed throughout the body. The brain and the spinal
cord together
are known as the central nervous system. Basically, the central
nervous system
is responsible for taking in sensations from outside (and
inside) the body,
sending signals to the brain where they are organized and
processed, where a
response is formulated and sent. So, according to Dr.
Ayres,Sensory Integration is the organization of sensation for use.
Oursenses give us information about the physical conditions of
ourbodies and the environment around us. Sensations flow into
thebrain, like streams flowing into a lake. Countless bits of
sensoryinformation enter into our brains every momentthe brain
locates,sorts and orders sensationssomewhat as a traffic policeman
directsmoving cars. When sensations flow in a well organized or
integrated
manner, the brain can use those sensations to form
perceptions,behaviors and learning. When the flow of sensations is
disorga-nized, life can be like a rush hour traffic jam.
(pp.45)
So, it is sensory integration that attempts to put it all
together and that helps
us make sense of who we are and the world around us.
For us, as mothers, Sensory Integration and the Childwas a
challenging but
incredibly eye-opening book. It gave us a lifelinefinally,
someone who
seemed to understand our children and give us an explanation for
why they
behaved the way they did. It truly changed the way we viewed our
children
and their odd behaviors. This was our first realization that our
children were
simply wired differently, and that there was something we could
do about it.
We figured that if we could just gain an understanding of
sensory integration
dysfunction, it would enable us to interact more positively and
effectively
with our children and become better advocates for their needs;
and, most
importantly, there was hope that we could improve the quality of
their lives!
We came to find out that our children were not just willful and
difficult,
but were doing the best they could from moment to moment. Dr.
Ayres was
one of the first to recognize that some childrens nervous
systems are just not
WHAT IS SENSORY INTEGRATION? 15
Copyright
2005.
J
essica
Kingsley
Publishers.
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Understanding Sensory Dysfunction : Learning,
Development and Sensory Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum
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