Sensory Integration Education

It is the first day of term, and Peter is feeling very stressed. In spite of visiting the campus before on an induction visit, he is worried about where to go. He has difficulty with directions and has a hard time following a map. Peter notices that the induction events are taking place in different places across campus, and he hopes that he does not get lost trying to find them.

Sensory Integration Challenge: Difficulty with visuo-spatial processing.

Peter made it to his first event with minutes to spare. He didn’t have breakfast at his halls of residence and decided to try the students' union coffee shop instead. Peter immediately regretted the decision when he arrived there. The queue was very long, and it was too noisy and busy. He wishes that he had brought his noise-cancelling earpods along but was also worried about losing them on the first day.

Sensory Integration Challenge: Over responsive to sound (auditory sensory input).

The morning has gone reasonably well so far, considering all the new experiences and the noisy environment, but now Peter has realised that the next induction activity will involve a throwing and catching activity. The student reps planned a series of icebreaker activities, which could be seen as fun for most people but not for Peter due to his difficulties with motor coordination. Peter never got the hang of catching, especially from an unexpected direction and force, and spent the last few years at school preferring running instead. He is worried that he will make a fool out of himself.

Sensory Integration Challenge: Eye-hand coordination and motor planning difficulties (praxis).

After lunch, Peter is attending an induction session in a computer lab. The room is packed, and all students are told to find a computer. As Peter couldn’t find a sandwich that he liked (all the ones in the canteen closest to the lab had squishy fillings or sauce, which he couldn’t stand), he went elsewhere for lunch. However, as a result, he is one of the last students to find a seat.

The lecturer at the front starts explaining very quickly, and Peter gets lost in the log-in instructions. There is no one to ask, and he is too embarrassed to put his hand up. For the rest of the session, he pretends he is following even though he will have to ask someone to explain it all to him again.

Sensory Integration Challenge: Sensory over responsivity (gustatory); difficulty with auditory processing and following directions.

The first day of induction is almost over. Peter has had a full day trying to process all the new information and instructions. As a result, he is absolutely exhausted and not sure if he feels like going out to meet other first-year students at a social event that evening. Peter then gets a message from a school friend who is attending the same university, which convinces him to go out. Social events are always easier for Peter when he attends with someone he knows.

Sensory Integration Challenge: Sensory overload from all the experiences of the day.

Peter is at his first student party. He has spent most of the time keeping to the side as the venue is very busy, and he got fed up with people bumping into him. He enjoyed the event more than he thought he would as he enjoyed the music choices but didn’t socialise much as he finds it difficult to hear and process information over the loud noise. He is now scanning the room to try and find his friend to tell him that he is going home.

Sensory Integration Challenge: Over responsive to tactile sensory input; difficulty with auditory processing.

• Peter's difficulties with Sensory Processing and Integration may include:
• Being under or over-sensitive to sounds, textures, flavours, smells or other sensory input.
• Having difficulty carrying out new activities.
• Having difficulty with bumping into things and knowing where your body is in space.
• Seeking or avoiding certain types of movement.
• Having difficulty with emotional regulation.
• Not knowing whether you are hungry or full and misunderstanding the cues from your body.