ABSTRACT
In 1972, Ayres introduced the construct of sensory integration (SI). She defined SI as “the neurological process that organizes sensation from one’s own body and from the environment and makes it possible to use the body effectively within the environment” (p. 11). According to Ayres (1972), SI occurs in the brain cortex, and it requires balance between the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as between excitatory and inhibitory neurological systems (Bundy & Murray, 2002; Galvin Cook & Dunn, 1998). SI is viewed as necessary to maintain a personal “map” of one’s body (i.e., being aware of the body and what it is doing) and to perform sophisticated cognitive activities (e.g., planning, attending to the environment, and using language).
