Sensory integration allows your brain to organize the sensory information around you. Your body uses this information to adapt and have a fulfilling interaction with your surroundings. Children with a sensory integration disorder have difficulty receiving stimulation, preventing their brain from developing properly. A sensory integration diet is one type of therapeutic tool used to overcome these barriers. This diet, however, does not involve food. Speak to a medical professional prior to placing a child on a sensory integration diet.
Sensory Integration Sensory Diet
A sensory diet is a focused, planned and scheduled activity program that includes a combination of calming, alerting and organizing activities for the child. According to the book "Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics," these activities have an adaptive late effect on the child's nervous system for a limited period of time. For this reason, you must repeat these activities throughout the day. Also individualize the sensory diet to the distinct needs of the child. Additionally, this diet includes incorporating deep pressure touch, heavy work and movement.
The Program of The Diet
There is not one type of sensory diet that will guarantee success. The purpose of these diets is to use a balanced approach to calm and stimulate the child, maintain a good level of alertness and meet the specific needs of the child's nervous system. Typically, occupational therapists will apply these planned and scheduled activity programs. Sensory diet will stimulate the child's near senses by using alerting, organizing and calming techniques.
Evaluation
In order to create the right type of sensory diet for a specific child, a medical professional needs to evaluate the child. The medical professional will typically use interviews and a variety of sensory questionnaires to conduct the evaluation. After the evaluation, the medical professional will create a customized sensory integration diet for the child. Most sensory diets combine in home therapies with clinical therapy sessions conducted by a medical professional. If the child attends school, you will need the cooperation of teachers and the school because these sensory integration activities occur throughout the day. The length of these programs will depend on the receptiveness of the child to the therapy. Typically, sensory integration diets last between three to six months or longer.
Signs of SID
Medical professionals can have a difficult time diagnosing sensory integration disorders. If your child has any symptoms of this disorder, consult a doctor that specializes in SID. Some of the common symptoms associated with this disorder include oversensitivity or under sensitivity to touch, movement, sights or sounds. Additionally, delay of speech, language, motor skills and academic achievement or social and emotional problems can indicate sensory integration disorders.
References
- "The Out-of-Sync Child"; Carol Kranowitz and Lucy Jane Miller; 2006
- "Sensational Kids"; Lucy Jane Miller and Doris A. Fuller; 2007
- "Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics"; Robert Kliegman et al; 2007
