We understand the world around us through eight main senses. The five we know well – sight, sound, taste, touch and smell – and three that are less well known. They are proprioception (the sense of muscle action), vestibular sense (movement and balance), and interoception (sensing inside our body e.g. breathing, digestion and heart rate).

However some children and adults have more significant difficulties which affect their ability to participate in everyday life. The severity of sensory processing difficulties and how it affects their life can vary between individuals. Some studies suggest that as many as 1 in 6 children could suffer from a sensory processing difficulty severe enough to impact their daily life.

Everyone processes sensory information differently and will present with difficulties in different areas. Sensory processing disorders can be diagnosed by an accredited Occupational Therapist.

An early childhood intervention and developmental therapy may be appropriate if your child displays some of the following behaviours:

A number of our Kids Play OTs have a special interest in supporting children with Sensory Processing Disorder. They are experienced in assessing sensory processing styles and finding strategies to help ground children and help them better interact with their world.

Our therapists have been trained by nationally and internationally recognized leaders in the field of Sensory Processing including Winnie Dunn, Chris Chapparo, The Star Institute, Jen Jereb, Colleen Hacker, Patricia Wilbarger, Tracy Stackhouse and Dianne Henry.

We use a predominantly Sensory Processing Framework to build our understanding of the child’s sensory processing preferences and how this is impacting on their life. Once we understand what is driving the child’s behaviour and actions we can start therapy and build strategies into the routine to support the child to achieve greater participation and skill development.

Help your child reach their potential.
Schedule a session with a Kids Play OT today.