Sensory Hypersensitivity: Nuanced Engagement Not Ball Pits and Bolster Swings
Julia Grover-Barrey OTR/L
Founder of In-Tuned®
I don’t have all the answers about why some are more hypersensitive to visual, auditory and tactile stimuli. There is no general consensus between researchers either.
Could it be some have less gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the sensorimotor cortex than others, as indicated in a study published April 2019 journal of Autism Research
Or
As Masakazu et all reported in the November 2017 edition of the Journal of Brain and Nerves, that individuals with strong hypersensitivity, such as those on the autism spectrum, have “high temporal resolution”, interfering with integration of sensory input over time.
As a practitioner who previously operated a pediatric clinic specializing in sensory integration – I fell out of love with what many consider the cornerstone of sensory integration…the equipment…and the practitioners over reliance on the equipment to shift the student’s nervous system.
Yes, I had all of it. The ball pit, playhouse, slides, inflatable jumping tires, swinging ladders, ropes and beams. The Whos down in Whoville had nothing on me.
What I do know about trying to educate a nervous system on the higher end of reactive, most of the sensory equipment works against what you are trying to accomplish…maturing the nervous system in a positive direction and helping set the stage for optimal neural plasticity.
You can provide more positive sensory supports when you take away the majority of the nonhuman tools, because the “human tool” is really the only essential, if used in an organized and nuanced way.
Helping someone else with sensory learning requires knowing where to start, how to use yourself to control inputs and in what combinations. Selecting the smallest, most viable of sensory inputs ensures digestibility on the part of the student’s nervous system you wish to influence.
When true sensory learning happens, you know it…the resistance just falls away.
I invite you to join me in becoming the best “human tool” you can be at an upcoming workshop.
Julia