Does your child have difficulties?
Your child may be finding the practical side of growing up difficult.
He/she may find learning how to 'do' activities hard or impossible and need constant teaching to master those things children generally do for themselves - stairs, bikes, toys etc. Your child may be having difficulty learning to get dressed, use a knife and fork, to write or use scissors. Your child may fall over their own feet, walk into doors, misjudge spaces, misjudge the amount of force required to play with toys or to push someone away.
He/she may be irritable or over sensitive, which makes him/her difficult to comfort, protect, sanction or help. Becoming 'over-excited' may happen too easily, or he/she may always be placid or difficult to motivate. Your child may get exceedingly tired, frustrated or avoid trying again.
School may be a struggle. Teachers may misunderstand him/her as lazy, naughty, or troublesome. Playing with friends may be a puzzle, not understanding the unspoken rules, how to be gentle, to take turns, dislike of being too close to others. Your child may have only some or all of the above.
Professionals may have already described your child as dyspraxic or as having development co-ordination disorder or a specific learning difficulty, clumsy, self-regulation and/or attentional disorder.
You may have found that many people offer advice but that this doesn't match your child's needs. You may know of a service to help, but will have to wait a long time, too long when you and your child are experiencing stress, frustration and worry.
'Sensory Integration' is an assessment and treatment approach used to identify and address children's difficulties with co-ordination, motor-planning (praxis) and response of the nervous system to sensory input. Sensory Integration is the way the nervous system filters, interprets and co-ordinates sensory information for use. Sensory Integration is the process by which the nervous system regulates and organises activity and movement.
Some children have particular difficulty with this process, and this can lead to over or under reaction and disorganised responses, which in turn disrupts normal development and learning.
Sensory Integration is but one way to understand a child's difficulties. After discussions with me you may feel that this is not for you, or I may advise that this is not an appropriate approach for your child. If this is so, I will do may best to put you in contact with other services.