Sensory
integration therapy helps in improving the life of autistic children. There have
been many researches in the last couple of years that have proved to be
efficient in the helping the children to cope up with the autistic disease.
This therapy
helps the children to connect with the world and interact with the environment.
Children, who are autistic often, feel difficult to react and manage their
sensory discernments. They are violent and have self-destructive behavioural
patterns. They also sometimes don’t feel their own physicality and might not
feel anything. For example, a normal child would resent banging his/her head on
the wall because they are aware that they would get hurt. But an autistic child
would not have the same sensory perceptions and might bang their head in walls.
The aim behind
using the sensory integration therapy is to integrate these behaviours by
teaching them ways to utilise information collected through these senses like
taste, smell, touch, hearing and seeing and teach them ways to respond to these
senses. In simple words, with the help of sensory therapy, these children or
people suffering from dementia or hyper-sensitivity get more accustomed to
their senses thereby helping them to perform these tasks easily on daily basis.
It also helps in developing physical awareness.
The therapy is
conducted by creating an environment for children that can be fun for kids. If
seen as a third person, it might look like a normal playtime for children. The
environment is designed is such a way that encourages children to play with sensorytherapy products like balls of different sizes and textures or other
educational products. Other activities might include playing with clay or other
materials. Slowly and gradually looking at the development in the child, the
therapist can make these activities complex and complicated. This would help in
challenging the brain to respond in difficult situations.
Studies have
shown great improvements in kids going through this therapy versus the children
who are not engaged in any kind of therapy. Therefore, there is no harm in
having your child try the sensory therapy, but you can also look out for ways
that are more effective.