Provided by a specially trained Occupational Therapist, Sensory Integration Therapy, a neurological process that helps organize sensations from one’s own body and the environment to help children with autism spectrum disorders who exhibit impairments in attention, arousal, social responsiveness, sensory processing, functional motor skills, and social-emotional factors. The aim is to generate a relaxing and calming effect, lowering aggressive behaviors, improving development of thought, intelligence, creativity and social skills, increasing concentration, focus, attention, and alertness, improving coordination and motor development, providing security, and becoming more vocal, happier, and having fun. The brain organizes and interprets sensory experiences that include touch, movement, body awareness, sight, sound, smell, taste, and the pull of gravity, foundations for complex learning and behavior. The approach is guided by the child’s motivation in selection of activities that involve visual and auditory stimulation and balance. Movement within the room is encouraged to explore new activities that provides opportunities for bridging barriers to vision, hearing, limitations of movement, cognitive ability, behavioral difficulties, pain, constrained space and other problems that create obstacles to enjoyment in life.
