Sensory Integration Dysfunction

Sensory Integration Dysfunction is a neurological disorder causing a person to have difficulties in integrating information coming in from each of his five senses. Sensory integration is varied among the population and dysfunction in this area can range from very mild and unnoticeable to very noticeable and affecting a person's daily life.

Children can be born ultrasensitive, or insensitive, in varying degrees in any of their five senses. An example of an ultrasensitive child is one that complains that her clothes hurt or itch her, or that the light is too bright. Another example of ultrasensitive person is someone who does not like to be touched or caressed, or someone who won't look directly into eyes of another person. An example of an insensitive child is one who throws himself into a wall in order to get a sense of his body.

Sensory integration dysfunction is a common symptom of Autism. Often an autistic child receives too much information through his senses, and in order to turn down the volume, he avoids people, noises and bright lights. The autistic child has not learned to integrate and modulate the information from his five senses.