ABSTRACT
The above quote graphically depicts the chaotic and overwhelming world of individuals with autism. The overt behaviors that occur because of this inner chaos can be daunting and overwhelming for parents, physicians, teachers, and all who come in contact with them. Occupational therapists believe that much of this behavioral chaos occurs because of a failure of individuals with autism to organize their sensory experiences, or sensory integration dysfunction (DSI). Sensory integration theory was developed over 50 years ago by a pioneering occupational therapist, A.Jean Ayres, while she was working with children with perceptual, learning, and behavioral problems of unknown etiology. She set out to examine how the brain processed sensations, not just sensations of the eyes and ears but other parts of the body as well (2). Ayers referred to sensory integration (SI) as “the organization of sensory input for use, through sensory integration, [of] the many parts of the nervous system [that] work together so that a person can interact with the environment effectively and experience appropriate satisfaction” (2). Carol Kranowitz broke down SI into four sequential steps: receiving, organizing, and using sensory
information, and reacting to sensory information (3). Sensory information is picked up peripherally, and travels to the CNS for organization and planning. The reaction and execution is then carried out in the motor system. DSI occurs when sensory information is not processed, integrated, or organized properly in the brain, resulting in dysfunction of information processing, behavior, and the ability to meet the demands of the environment (3). DSI makes it hard for the child to learn from his/her experiences.
