Sensory processing disorder

This model simplifies the complex information on praxis and aims to guide clinical reasoning of practitioners who adapt sensory integrative approach. It lists three levels of theoretical considerations and specifies the neural processes, systems, and outcome functions associated.

Sensory Integration Theory aims to explain behaviors, plan intervention, and predict behavioral change through intervention, and provide specific intervention strategies to remediate the underlying sensory issues that affect functional performance. It purposes therapeutic interventions that incorporate sensation to affect multi-sensory perception to influence learning and behavior, as the central nervous system does not process sensory information in isolation.

The clinical reasoning framework aims to guide practitioners in selecting strategies in approaching sensory challenges in order to optimize participation of children with autism spectrum disorder. Several clinical reasoning considerations are based on this framework, and these include research evidence, client- and family-centeredness, practice contexts, occupation-centeredness, and risks. This framework emphasizes on the use of mutual information-sharing and coaching to empower families or teachers and develop their own solutions to supporting children’s participation.

The Sensory Integration (SI) frame of reference focuses on how the interaction between the sensory systems including auditory, vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, and visual systems, provides integrated information that contributes to a child’s learning and adaptive behaviors. The key consideration is that children have the abilities to make adaptive responses to constantly changing sensory environments. The sensory integrative abilities include sensory modulation, sensory discrimination, postural-ocular control, praxis, bilateral integration, and sequencing.

The Dunn’s Model of Sensory Processing proposes four basic patterns of sensory processing which are emerged from the interaction of the neurological threshold and self-regulation. Neurological threshold is a personal range of threshold for noticing and responding to different sensory events in everyday life. People who have low sensory threshold would notice and respond to stimuli more often because their neurological system activates easier and more readily to sensory events.