A Field Guide to Sensory Motor Integration

The blueprint for the human body, both in its creation and development, will always be the same. This field guide was written as a response to questions and requests from parents, teachers, and therapists of individuals who are challenged by sensory motor integration difficulties. The purpose of this guide is to provide a map for clinicians and medical professionals and a path for laypersons that reduces frustration, confusion, and the loss of precious time. It identifies areas that offer information and insight into connective links between sensory motor development and sensory motor anomalies.

As we move through life, we are consciously and unconsciously seeking health and balance. We are looking to interact with our environment and others with health, hope, pleasure, anticipation, purpose, and growth. There are times when individuals miss a step, hit a snag, or function at a level of basic survival. When there are snags or "missed steps," contributing factors may be atypical development in motor control, behavior, and learning. Investigations have shown that in the absence of an identified neurological/neuromuscular condition, these "missed steps" during the process of central nervous system maturation can be remedied or improved. This guide gives guidance for this path of progress in sensory motor integration and therefore establishes the foundations for learning. The blueprint for the human body, both in its creation and development, will always be the same. This field guide was written as a response to questions and requests from parents, teachers, and therapists of individuals who are challenged by sensory motor integration difficulties. The purpose of this guide is to provide a map for clinicians and medical professionals and a path for laypersons that reduces frustration, confusion, and the loss of precious time. It identifies areas that offer information and insight into connective links between sensory motor development and sensory motor anomalies. For the therapist and medical professional: Despite giving your best efforts, you may be frustrated by only seeing limited or slow gains. This provides the tools to identify problems in a new way and further your own knowledge and skill. Through this guide, you may gain a new perspective to the underlying, foundational issues rather than the presenting behavior. It is designed to offer therapists a concise compilation of information that pulls the vestibular system functioning, reflex integration, and visual processing information together. For the educator, diagnostician, school psychologist and any other related educational professionals: This was written to raise awareness of many problems students have that impede learning. You may have questioned why one seemingly bright student is failing and why previous attempts for learning have fallen short. This guide will help you better identify the underlying problem and seek the proper help. For the parents and families: You may be struggling with where to go for help. It's not a recipe or guide for families to deliver therapy, but rather a guide to raise awareness of difficulties from a different perspective. If you see your child described in this guide, you will be better equipped to know which questions to ask and where to begin to seek help.

Patricia graduated from Southwestern University Medical School's Allied Health Division in Dallas, Texas with a BS in Physical Therapy in 1983. She has been certified in Neuro Developmental, Sensory Integration and Praxis Testing, and Sensory Integrative Treatment. Patricia has delivered physical therapy in the areas of adult neurological rehabilitation, orthopedic rehabilitation, pediatric physical therapy, long-term care facilities and acute care facilities, as well as home health physical therapy. She has served as director of physical therapy in a hospital based adult neurological rehabilitation unit and in many school districts. In her private therapy clinic, her clinic provided physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech language pathology services for twenty-three years. She has been a frequent speaker, educating and advocating early childhood screening for sensory motor anomalies and intervention for sensory motor difficulties. In 1998, she presented a paper in England on the vestibulocochlear system's impact on learning and nervous system organization at the 10th European Conference on Learning Disabilities. She made subsequent travels there to further provide training to European delegations.