Sensory Processing

What Is Sensory Processing?  

Sensory processing, formerly known as sensory integration (SI), is the process by which the brain receives, organizes, and responds to sensory input from the body and the environment. It's how the brain interprets sensory information and uses appropriate motor and behavioral responses to help people interact with their environment in a meaningful way.  

Sensory processing involves eight sensory systems, including: visual, auditory (sound), touch (tactile), movement (vestibular), joint position (proprioception), taste (gustatory), smell (olfactory).  Our eighth sense, interoception, describes how we feel and interpret the signals from our internal body organs, such as hunger, heart rate, breathing, temperature, pain, feeling that the bladder is full and so on. 

Symptoms of Sensory Processing Challenges 

Symptoms of sensory processing challenges can vary and may affect one or more senses. Someone with sensory processing challenges might: 

• Find clothing too scratchy or itchy 
• Find lights too bright 
• Find sounds too loud 
• Find soft touches too hard 
• Extremely picky eater/Gags on new foods 
• Have poor balance or seem clumsy 
• React poorly to sudden movements 
• Misinterpreted behavior 

Discovering sensory preferences 

What is sensory processing? (video)