Sensory processing is the organisation of sensory input received from the body and the environment for use in daily life. Children with sensory-processing difficulties have specific sensory issues that can impede their ability to learn and appropriately interact with others.  This can present as self-stimulation behaviours including excessively touching people and things in the nearby environment, spinning, hand flapping, hyperactivity, etc.

The Sensory Group uses a sensory-motor approach and is strongly influenced by sensory integration (SI) theory. The group aims to improve the child’s ability to effectively regulate and process incoming sensory input.

These senses include:

• Tactile – input relating to touch.
• Auditory – input relating to sounds.
• Oral – input relating to the mouth.
• Olfactory – input relating to smell.
• Visual – input relating to sight.
• Proprioceptive – the sense of ‘position’; input from the muscles and joints about body position, weight, pressure, stretch, movement and changes in position.
• Vestibular – the sense of movement; input from the inner ear about equilibrium, gravitational changes, movement experiences and position in space.