In general, the senses refer to sight, hearing, taste and smell, but in reality, the most basic and important senses needed for human survival are auditory perception, vestibular balance, proprioception, touch and visual perception.
I. The concept of sensory integration
Sensory integration is the integration of different senses from different nervous systems in the brainstem, so that all parts of the central nervous system can work as a whole, so that the individual can contact with the environment smoothly and feel satisfied. The sense of smell tells us that it has a fragrant smell, the sense of taste tells us that it is sweet and sour, and the sense of movement tells us that it is heavy when we weigh it with our hands. Through these objective senses, the child can form a subjective perception of the orange as a whole. Through this perception, the child knows that the orange is round and can be used as a ball, that it is heavy and can make people feel pain, and that it is juicy and can quench thirst.
Second, the concept of sensory training
Sensory integration training refers to the training based on children’s neural needs to guide appropriate responses to sensory stimuli. This training provides vestibular (gravity and movement), proprioceptive (muscles and sensation) and tactile stimuli for whole-body movement, and its purpose is not to enhance motor skills, but to improve the way the brain processes and organizes sensory information and constitutes sensory information.
Causes of sensorimotor disorders
Genetic factors.
1. The mother’s work during pregnancy is hectic, stressful, anxious, not enough exercise, too much housework or poor posture, resulting in fetal malposition, which in turn affects the fetus’ learning of balance and a lack of gravity;
2, the mother during pregnancy passive smoking or drinking alcohol, strong tea, coffee, etc. cause placental vascular atrophy, affecting the fetal nutrient intake, which affects the fetal brain and nerve development, resulting in poor sensory development after birth;
3, premature birth, caesarean section babies due to insufficient extrusion by the birth canal and affect the sensory learning of joints, touch and other aspects after birth.
Environmental factors.
1, parents are overprotective of their children, spoiled and spoiled, resulting in the lack of operational ability of children;
2, urban family miniaturization of life resulting in small space, crawling lack of exercise or group activities;
3, premature use of walkers, resulting in vestibular balance and head support force is insufficient;
4, parents are too busy, resulting in insufficient right brain sensory stimulation;
5, too many requirements, too strict discipline, resulting in the frustration of pulling the seedlings to grow;
6.Lack of tactile stimulation and insufficient activities caused by mothers or nannies with cleanliness disorder;
7. Delayed correction, resulting in lack of confidence and stereotyping of bad habits.
Which children are suitable for sensory integration training?
1. Children with cerebral palsy. Sensory integration training is mostly used in the rehabilitation of sensory integration disorder, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mental retardation, etc., but it is rarely used in the treatment of cerebral palsy. In fact, research has found that children with cerebral palsy have greater improvement in balance and gait after sensory integration training.
2. Children with autism. Most of the emotional behavioral problems of autistic children are caused by sensory dysregulation.
3.Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
4.Children with mental retardation
Classification of sensory integration training
Sensory integration training is mainly for the most important human sensory system, which can be divided into tactile, vestibular balance training, motor sensory and other items of training. The main types are as follows.
1, tactile training: strengthen the skin, small and large muscle joint nerve sensing, identify the sensory level, adjust the sensitivity of the brain sensory nerves.
Training equipment are: massage ball, wave pool, balance tactile board.
Indications: crying, timid, emotional, fear of strangers, clumsy, fear of touch, incorrect pronunciation, paranoia, picky eating, poor attention, autism, frailty, etc.
2.Vestibular balance training: adjust the vestibular information and balance the automatic response function of the nervous system, promote the neural integrity of language organization, vestibular balance and the integrity of audio-visual ability.
Training equipment: cylinder, balance bicycle, massage ball, slide, balance table, wobbling unicycle bridge, kangaroo bag, round bicycle.
Indications: lack of physical flexibility, improper posture, poor bilateral coordination, hyperactivity, love to provoke people, delayed language development, poor visual space, reading difficulties, lack of self-confidence, inattentiveness, easy to fall down, unclear sense of direction, learning ability and habit development.
3, bouncing training: adjust the inherent balance, vestibular balance sensory nervous system, strengthen the tactile nerve, joint information, and promote the sound development of the left and right brain.
Training equipment: crockery ball, jumping bed.
Indications: standing and sitting without phase, improper posture, moodiness, lack of physical flexibility, hyperactivity, inattention, delayed language development, reading difficulties, timidity, moodiness, clumsiness, poor visual judgment, non-false tactile development, insufficient joint information.
4.Inherent balance training: adjust the coordination of the central nerve nucleus of the spinal cord to geocentric suction, strengthen the middle ear balance system, coordinate the neurological functions of the whole body, and lay the foundation for brain development.
Training equipment: one-legged chair, large gyroscope, foot walker, vertical holding cylinder.
Indications: hyperactivity, easy to fall, impatience, good at provoking people, poor language development, lack of organization and reasoning ability, poor bilateral coordination, inflexible arms and legs, lack of self-confidence.
5, proprioceptive training: strengthen the inherent balance, tactile sense, bilateral coordination of large and small muscles, flexible body movement ability, sound left and right brain balanced development.
Training equipment: jumping beds, balance beams, wobbly monopod, skateboards, S-shaped vertical balance beams, S-shaped horizontal balance beams, round balance beams.
Indications: slow language development, clumsiness, inattention, hyperactivity, moodiness, lack of organization and creativity.