Occupational/Speech Therapy
Occupational therapists assess, utilize, and adapt everyday activities to improve function, enhance performance, promote health, and increase independence in those persons to whom they provide services. They work collaboratively with their clients to identify areas of need and to develop creative solutions to address these areas while respecting clients' background and culture and valuing their quality of life.
- Comprehensive sensory evaluations
- Sensory diets
- Training families and/or support staff
- Setting up individual’s environment to make it conducive to learning
From this evaluation, if treatment is warranted, a customized sensory diet is developed. A sensory diet is a planned and scheduled activity program designed to meet a child’s specific sensory needs. The goal of a sensory diet is to help the child maintain optimal levels of arousal and performance in the nervous system.
Families and support staff are trained in the implementation of the sensory diet. This follow through outside of the clinic provides the individual with a more consistent sensory program. In addition to training families and support staff on sensory integration techniques, our occupational therapy practitioners will evaluate the individual’s environment and aid in setting up that environment to make it more conducive to learning.
Our team of dedicated, highly qualified, occupational therapy practitioners and customer agents at CWO take pride in providing customers with exceptional sensory services.
SENSORY INTEGRATION
Sensory integration, simply put, is the ability to take in information through senses (touch, movement, smell, taste, vision, and hearing), to put it together with prior information, memories, and knowledge stored in the brain, and to make a meaningful response. Challenges with processing this sensory information is sensory integration dysfunction. Sensory information is sensed normally, but perceived abnormally. This is not the same as blindness or deafness because sensory information is sensed but tends to be analyzed by the brain in an unusual way that may cause pain or confusion.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of sensory integration dysfunction may include:
- becomes fearful, anxious or aggressive with light or unexpected touch
- appears fearful of, or avoids standing in close proximity to other people or peers
- becomes frightened when touched from behind or by someone/something they cannot see
- runs away, cries, and/or covers ears with loud or unexpected sounds
- sensitive to bright lights; will squint, cover eyes, cry and/or get headaches from the light
- easily distracted by other visual stimuli in the room; i.e., movement, decorations, toys, windows, doorways etc.
- reacts negatively to, or dislikes smells which do not usually bother, or get noticed, by other people
- bothered/irritated by smell of perfume or cologne
- refuses to eat certain foods because of their smell
- prefers sedentary tasks, moves slowly and cautiously, avoids taking risks
- may appear terrified of falling even when there is no real risk of it
- fearful of feet leaving the ground
- startles if someone else moves them; i.e., pushing his/her chair closer to the table
- loses balance easily and may appear clumsy
- frequently bump into objects and people
- accidentally trips and falls often
- appear to be "limp" and lethargic all the time
- having poor posture during motor tasks
- is not bothered by injuries, like cuts and bruises
- may not be aware that hands or face are dirty or feel his/her nose running
- may be self-abusive; pinching, biting, or banging his own head
- mouths objects excessively
- seeks out surfaces and textures that provide strong tactile feedback
- has a preference and craving for excessively spicy, sweet, sour, or salty foods
- often does not respond to verbal cues or to name being called
- appears to "make noise for noise's sake"
- loves excessively loud music or TV
- appears oblivious to certain sounds
- may drink or eat things that are poisonous because they do not notice the noxious smell
- fails to notice or ignores unpleasant odors
- makes excessive use of smelling when introduced to objects, people, or places
- uses smell to interact with objects
- in constant motion, can't seem to sit still
- craves fast, spinning, and/or intense movement experiences
- is a "thrill-seeker"; dangerous at times
- always running, jumping, hopping etc. instead of walking
- rocks body, shakes leg, or head while sitting
- stomps feet when walking
- bites or sucks on fingers and/or frequently cracks his/her knuckles
- grinds his/her teeth throughout the day
- frequently hits, bumps or pushes others
- chews on objects
