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Proprioceptive System 101
Proprioceptive System 101 Thisi s a reader supported site and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The proprioceptive system is a vital part of sensory modulation. This sensory system is responsible for providing information of body awareness by providing position, orientation, and location of muscles, joints, and body parts. It is also responsible for giving feedback on how much effort is being used by the muscles. This is the second of the three systems focused on in sensory processing dysfunction treatment. Dysfunction can appear as difficulty with body awareness, grading of pressure or force needed to complete tasks, crashing or banging into furniture or people, not having…
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Social Emotional Growth in the First Year
Social and emotional development in a baby’s first year of life is a serious business, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be hilarious! Babies are natural comedians and never cease to amaze us with their silly expressions, funny noises, and unexpected movements. In their first year of life, babies form emotional bonds with their primary caregivers, like their parents or grandparents. These bonds create a sense of security for the baby and help them feel loved and comforted. And when a baby starts to feel comforted, they let their true personalities shine through! That’s when the giggles, grins, and coos come out. Babies also start to express their emotions through…
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The Interoception System 101
Our last and final system in this series! The interoception system. This system is responsible for the awareness of internal organs. The interoceptors are located throughout the organs, muscles, and skin. This system is responsible for sending signals of hunger, thirst, toileting needs, itch, and pain. Dysfunction in this system can effect understanding of hunger,not feeling hungry, or not understanding when full, difficulty controlling and understanding emotions, difficulty understanding signs of bathroom needs, not understanding feelings of pain or discomfort. Many times kids with sensory differences will eat large quantities of food for their age as they dont have a good connection with their satiety feelings. Many also don’t feel…
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Tactile System 101
Tactile System 101 As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. The tactile system is responsible for our sense of touch including our sense of pain and pressure which we receive through the receptors in our skin. This system helps us process the things we touch and understand the qualities of what we touch. For example, hard, soft, smooth, rough, weight, and size. This system plays a critical role early on in helping us learn body awareness and all that we come into contact with daily. This system plays a direct role in motor planning, self awareness, social emotional regulation, and visual processing.…
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The Gustatory System 101
We are already halfway through our 8 sensory systems!! Let’s talk gustatory system this week. This system is responsible for our sense of taste and flavor. It detects sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. It helps us with knowing what foods are safe or harmful to eat. This also includes tolerance of textures in the mouth and normal functioning of the gag reflex. Is your child a picky eater? An overstuffer? Do they gag when certain foods or textures are introduced in the mouth? Do they mouth non edible objects? These are very common concerns that I am presented with on a daily basis in my practice. Before we talk…
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Visual System 101
The first system that we will explore is the visual system. We are all familiar with what we use the visual system for–to SEE right! Yes, but of course, it is more complex than that. Let’s start out by first discussing the official role of this system. This system is responsible for taking in visual stimulation sensed and processed by the eyes and brain. It is not only what we see but also understanding if what we are seeing is safe or harmful, and how much we need to pay attention to it. The brain is consistently filtering images in our environment to help us weave components of images together…
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Sensory Systems 101
Sensory Systems 101 Did you know there were actually 8 sensory systems??? I know what you are thinking!! Wait- I only learned 5 in school! The 8 sensory systems are: Visual: is responsible for taking in visual stimulation sensed and processed by the eyes and brain. Auditory: is responsible for hearing, interpreting and processing sound, locating sound, and filtering sound. Gustatory: is responsible for our sense of taste. Olfactory: is responsible for our sense of smell, such as filtering smell, alerting us to dangerous smells also. Tactile: is responsible for our sense of touch, which includes our sense of pain and pressure Proprioceptive: is responsible for providing information of body awareness…
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Could That Bouncy Seat Be Doing More Harm Than Good?
What do most busy moms needing to get a few things done and still make sure the baby is safe do? They put the baby in the bouncy seat, the Bumbo, or the walker, right? These devices are meant to keep the baby safe after all, right? Could that bouncy seat or exersaucer actually be harming your child? The short answer is, yes! These “tools” can be doing more harm than good. So how do you manage to get things done and make sure your baby is safe and developing properly? I have a few tips to help you accomplish everything you need to, but also provide…
