What is Sensory Processing?

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Sensory experiences include touch, movement, body awareness, sight, sounds, and the pull of gravity. The process of the brain organizing and interpreting this information is called sensory processing. Sensory processing provides a crucial foundation for later, more complex learning and behavior.

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• Deep pressure, visual input, and hand fidgets can help calm your child and prepare them for learning.

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• Proprioception and vestibular processing are the hidden senses that tells us the position of our body parts relative to each other, gives us feedback about the muscle force we are using during movement, and detects the direction of motion and the pull of gravity. Accurate and efficient processing of proprioceptive and vestibular input is critical for motor coordination and self -regulation. Incorporating toys that stimulate these senses in a purposeful and functional way can help your child become a more efficient processor of these hidden senses.  

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• Our skin is the largest organ of our body! Efficient processing of touch input tells us very detailed information about our environment and efficient processing of this sense is  necessary for motor coordination, attention, and emotional regulation. 

 

The tools and games below are some of our therapists' favorites for facilitating efficient organizing and processing of sensory input.