Sensory Integration

Sensory integration is the neurological process by which the brain organizes and interprets sensory information from multiple sources — sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste, proprioception (body position), the vestibular sense (balance/movement), and interoception (internal sensations) — to produce responses adapted to the environment.

Sensory integration dysfunction — also called sensory processing disorder — is extremely common in autism and also in ADHD. It results in atypical responses to stimuli: hypersensitivity (senses that are strongly amplified), hyposensitivity (senses that are underresponsive), or seeking out specific stimuli (sensory seeking).

Sensory integration therapy, delivered by an occupational therapist, uses structured sensory activities to help the nervous system process input more efficiently. It's one of the most widely used interventions for autism and ADHD with a significant sensory component.