ABSTRACT
Sensory integration is the ability to take in, process and organise all the information around us, through our different senses, in order to respond and act appropriately within our environment. The proprioceptive system is a sensory system which should automatically inform us of where our body and limb position is in space when outside our field of vision. This sensory system can often be underreactive in children with dyspraxia, resulting in a reduced sense of body and limb position in space in relation to the environment. For some children with a developmental co-ordination disorder or dyspraxia, one or more of the systems may not be functioning at an optimal level. The vestibular system may be oversensitive to movement in some children with dyspraxia. It is therefore vital that learning methods are incorporated through a multi-sensory approach, especially in the early years, to allow the child to function comfortably and make sense of the information coming in from their environment.
