here i am, but where am i going

Okay, I admit it’s been a while. And there’s a couple reasons..
1. The Red Sox made it to the World Series. And I’ve made it through some late nights watching them.
2. I’m still processing Sensory Integration Therapy. It’s kinda like doing brain surgery without ever cracking the skull. Pretty tricky stuff.
3. I’m deciding my fate as a future OT.

First point, the Red Sox are pretty unbelievable. Talk about a well integrated sensory system. Beckett’s perfected the pitching motor plan well enough to strike out the 1st 5 batters last night. He’s able to tune out the crowd, anticipate the batter’s swing style, and throw a killer fastball. Wonder if he had SI therapy as a child.

Secondly, forgive my ignorance, inexperience, or call it what you may, but I’m still grasping for a full concept of sensory integration therapy. I understand the theory, I think. But it’s so hard for me to see & understand the results of practice. I’d feel much better if there was a study out there that illustrated before treatment/ after tx pictures of the brain/spinal cord. SI treatment looks like play, in fact it should look like play. The more fun it is, the more effective it is. Jean Ayres, the queen of SI, stated herself… “The most effective therapy is often the least convincing to those not intimately involved in the child’s welfare.” A bit bold for my taste, but any other way of saying it might be a watered down truth.

And lastly, my career fate. Nearly halfway through my second fieldwork, it’s time to think about where I’ll be applying for my 1st job as an OTR/L. With two excellent, but very different fieldwork experiences exposing me to two very different pratice areas- long term acute care for adults & a private pediatric clinic… where will I end up? I wanted to avoid making this decision until later, but with an interview this Friday, seems I’ll have to make this decision sooner!

Sensory 202: Let's Integrate!

Okay so we have 10 senses, so what? The so what is that our nervous systems have to constantly process this information- selecting, ignoring, and choosing an response. While it's something most of us do effectively, some people's nervous systems have differences that make even simple activities of daily life difficult, even impossible. As the nervous system develops it becomes more and more efficient. Children with developmental delays often have an immature nervous system. This makes their world look, feel, and sound a lot different. The resulting behaviors are often curious and misunderstood, but analysis through the lens of sensory integration theory may begin to unfold the mystery.

The magic of therapy based on sensory integration theory is providing the child with the type, amount, and intensity of sensory input so that their nervous systems begin to process and integrate this information more effectively, making learning possible.

One of my struggles with this theory is the social judgement which determines the appropriateness of certain behaviors in children today. Perhaps with today's standards, my mother would have determined me a candidate for this therapy. I couldn't stand any labels on my clothes, drank out of a bottle till I was five, and could only sleep after my dad tucked in my sheets so tight and put all my stuffed animals around me. Strange behaviors, sure. Sensory Processing Dysfunction, not quite because it didn't interupt my learning or everyday function. Or did it? What would I be doing different today if I had receiving treatment? What's normal anymore? And who's to judge?

Sensory 101: The Hidden Senses (for non-OT folk)

Pop Quiz... How many senses do humans have? 5 right, wrong. You probably grew up hearing a lot about vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. But there are actually 5 more senses...6) Pain, 7) Temperature, 8) Visceral, 9) Proprioception, 10) Vestibular. I wonder if you've ever even heard of the last two (don't think I did before OT school.) But these two hidden senses are essential to our bodies functioning, movement, and learning.

Proprioception tells us where our bodies are in space, based on information detected in the muscles & joints. (Try to touch your finger to your nose with your eyes closed. Is your proprioceptive sense working?)

Your vestibular system provides the dominant input about our movement and orientation in space, based on receptors located in the inner ear. It is responsible for our ability to balance, to climb stairs, to walk easily, to adjust to changing levels, to react promptly, (recover our balance) when we step in a hole.

So be grateful, thank your hidden senses today! Tomorrow's lesson (Sensory 202) will focus on the integration of all these senses.