Our Senses...
hearing
Our ears help us listen to the sounds around us
smell
Smell tells us the scent of different things.
sight
Sight helps us see the world around us.
touch
Touch helps us feel if something is soft or hard, rough or smooth.
Vestibular sense
Our vestibular system is our body's sense of movement and balance
taste
Taste helps us know the flavors in what we eat.
proprioception
Proprioception tells us what position our body is in.
interoception
Interoception is the way our body communicates with itself inside.
SENSORY PROCESSING
Sensory processing is the way our brain sorts information from our senses. Sometimes our senses are very sensitive. Sometimes our senses are not sensitive enough. Occupational therapy can help us learn how organize information or from our senses, or change our environment to make our lives better.
HYPER SENSITIVITY
People with hypersensitivity notice a lot of information around them. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. They notice too much. It is hard to figure out what is important to pay attention to. A person with hyper sensitive hearing might turn the volume on the TV very low. Otherwise, it might be too loud.
TYPICAL
Those with typical sensory processing can easily organize information from their senses. They use information from their body to make choices. For example, the TV is too loud so we turn it down.
HYPO SENSITIVITY
People with hyposensitivity miss a lot of information around them. They seem to be in their own world. It can be hard to get important information they need. A person with hypo sensitive hearing might need the TV volume to be very loud to hear their show.