Sensory integration is a developmental process based on following a blueprint which is fundamentally the same for everyone. It involves the sensory experiences of movement, touch, smell, taste, hearing, vision, body position and gravity and the way the body learns to interpret and organise this information.

The blueprint is never followed in exactly the same way for everyone as a result of inherited and environmental influences. This results in differences in development which make each individual unique. Sometimes development in some areas of sensory integration can be delayed or prevented from unfolding fully as a result of the effects of toxicity or stress. This may lead to a pattern of dysfunction which results in underachievement, stress, learning difficulties or behavioural problems.

The development of sensory integration is a sequential process. To begin with it is essential that all the fundamental senses – sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing – have developed appropriately. Muscle tone, the movement sense (kinaesthesia), body in space awareness (proprioception) and balance (vestibular function) are equally important. These are the building blocks we (children) use separately and in combination to develop all our (their) higher order processing.

If there is any dysfunction at this lower level it will inevitably cause a problem somewhere higher up, although it may be many years before this becomes apparent. A hypersensitive sense of smell is likely to cause someone to be emotionally over-reactive, for example, which may seriously affect their social interaction as an adult. A problem with vestibular function on the other hand may result in the auditory and visual processing difficulties which underpin a dyslexic profile.

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