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Making Sense of Sensory Systems

by Marie Hendrix
March/April 2010
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Article Link: http://stage.exchangepress.com/article/making-sense-of-sensory-systems/5019266/

Our role as caregivers requires that we continuously assess the needs and performance of children and provide the support necessary for them to achieve their potential. Since children develop along a continuum ranging from typical to atypical, that is a greater challenge for some than for others. High achievers easily perform as expected. Other ­children, due to genetic factors or trauma, present with significant handicapping conditions that require support from medical and educational specialists to achieve success. Another large group of children falls between these two extremes. They are less successful than the highest performing children and sometimes it is difficult to identify their needs and provide effective instructional strategies. A thorough understanding of child development, including the role and impact of sensory development, is critical for caregivers to properly evaluate and assist these children.

Life is a sensory experience

Life is a succession of continuous sensory experiences. The ability to learn depends upon the quality of those experiences and a child’s capacity to uniquely process sensory information. It is important that caregivers not only provide a variety of sensory experiences, but also understand the role of sensory processing in order to support learning and behavior in young children.

An infant’s body ...

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