Tightrope Pt. 3A; sensory integration
You know your blog post is too long when it breaks the pipe...
I have been hesitating to post this, as I fear it will be too long & too boring. I have rather a bee in my bonnet on the subject of sensory integration, since several members of my family have problems in the ADD/autistic spectrum, & sensory integration issues are a big part of that equation. Actually, folks on the ADD/autistic spectrum & others with various learning disabilities are often labeled with "Sensory Integration Dysfunction." (Doctors who work in this area are so judgmental about what is "normal" & what is not! Being different is not always a bad thing. Poor Superman -- did you hear? He can see through WALLS! Isn't it awful?)
Anyway, it was clear to me during my visit that Chester has experienced some significant changes in sensory processing, & I wanted to share with you a bit of what I have learned about sensory processing over the years. (It really is germaine, if you can stand it.)
First of all, most of us are blissfully unaware of our own sensory processing. It is handled unconsciously much of the time. This is both the good news & the bad news -- because when you start to have problems with it, or experience changes in it, it is hard to figure out what the hell is going on.
We all have at least 5 senses (I won't argue about any others that may or may not exist), which are bombarding us CONSTANTLY with data about everything around us & inside us. Every single hair on your body is connected to a nerve that can register a touch or a tickle -- every bit of your skin is monitored by sensory nerves -- internal organs like the bowels & bladder are keeping you updated on their function. Your ears are constantly bombarded with noises, near & far, soft & loud, important & unimportant. Within your field of vision are more objects than you can really deal with at any given time. Everything around you is exhuding an odor, whether you are conscious of it or not. Everything you put in your mouth tickles a variety of taste-buds. We even have a nifty little ability called proprioception, which is our ability to monitor our body's position in space using feedback from the muscles, tendons, etc. (You can close your eyes, & still have a pretty good idea what your hands are doing -- because the nerves in the hands are constantly reporting to your brain. And when you tiptoe through your darkened bedroom -- proprioception is busy guiding you.)
I have been hesitating to post this, as I fear it will be too long & too boring. I have rather a bee in my bonnet on the subject of sensory integration, since several members of my family have problems in the ADD/autistic spectrum, & sensory integration issues are a big part of that equation. Actually, folks on the ADD/autistic spectrum & others with various learning disabilities are often labeled with "Sensory Integration Dysfunction." (Doctors who work in this area are so judgmental about what is "normal" & what is not! Being different is not always a bad thing. Poor Superman -- did you hear? He can see through WALLS! Isn't it awful?)
Anyway, it was clear to me during my visit that Chester has experienced some significant changes in sensory processing, & I wanted to share with you a bit of what I have learned about sensory processing over the years. (It really is germaine, if you can stand it.)
First of all, most of us are blissfully unaware of our own sensory processing. It is handled unconsciously much of the time. This is both the good news & the bad news -- because when you start to have problems with it, or experience changes in it, it is hard to figure out what the hell is going on.
We all have at least 5 senses (I won't argue about any others that may or may not exist), which are bombarding us CONSTANTLY with data about everything around us & inside us. Every single hair on your body is connected to a nerve that can register a touch or a tickle -- every bit of your skin is monitored by sensory nerves -- internal organs like the bowels & bladder are keeping you updated on their function. Your ears are constantly bombarded with noises, near & far, soft & loud, important & unimportant. Within your field of vision are more objects than you can really deal with at any given time. Everything around you is exhuding an odor, whether you are conscious of it or not. Everything you put in your mouth tickles a variety of taste-buds. We even have a nifty little ability called proprioception, which is our ability to monitor our body's position in space using feedback from the muscles, tendons, etc. (You can close your eyes, & still have a pretty good idea what your hands are doing -- because the nerves in the hands are constantly reporting to your brain. And when you tiptoe through your darkened bedroom -- proprioception is busy guiding you.)
posted by Anne Seals at 12:35 PM
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