What is Sensory Processing?
- Sometimes called “sensory integration”
- Term referring to the way the brain receives information and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral
Why Talk About Sensory Processing?
- Important to know how we process sensory information and how we react to them
- Important to know what we can do to set ourselves up for sucess
- Knowing this will help support us during our daily lives and during the stroke recovery process
Sensory Overload
- Can happen at any moment
- Can impact activity participation and/or performance
Sensory overload my look like:
- Difficulty concentrating on tasks
- Fidgeting with hands, bouncing feet
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Stress
Sensory Preferences:
- We all have sensory preferences and ways of responding when those preferences are challenged or not
- We all have our own “tags” (clothing tags) that drive us nuts – these might be itchy sweaters, rock in your sock, styrofoam rubbing together, for you
- We all respond differently to those “tags”
- These preferences may be labeled as “problems”, but they are just personal
- These can effect the activities we want and need to do in our daily
Different Preferences
- Let’s look at the different types of
- Try to identify which one on the following two slides sounds most like
Sensory Preferences
Threshold Definition – the point at which, or the amount of time it takes to notice something.
- Low threshold: notice much earlier/sooner than others – doesn’t take much to notice something
- Passive response: don’t do anything in response to the stimuli/input
- Distractible example: may just go through it and never address or do anything to get away from our “tags”, so these individuals may come off as easily distracted
- Low threshold: notice much earlier/sooner than others – doesn’t take much to notice something
- Active response: actively making effort to react to input
- Avoidance example: plugging ears, moving away from something, , so these individuals may come off as if they are avoidant of situations
- High threshold: notice much later than/not as often as others – takes a lot of input to notice something
- Passive response: don’t do anything in response to the stimuli/input
- Example: may may not notice the build up of all of the “tags” and then feel like everything hits at once “oil change, grocery shopping, laundry, no dog food, ” and may cause a “blow up”.
- High threshold: notice much later than/not as often as others – takes a lot of input to notice something
- Active response: actively making effort to react to input
- Example: These individuals may seek out high intensity experiences to hit that “Adrenaline junkies” – like sky divers, NASCAR drivers, etc.
Why Talk About It Reminder:
- Important to know how we process sensory information and how we react to them
- Important to know what we can do to set ourselves up for
- Knowing this will help support us during our daily lives and during the stroke recovery process
Sensory Changes Post-Stroke:
- Sensory changes are common post-stroke, making it difficult to focus on tasks
- When there is a lot of input it can feel like you are This is because your brain is having difficulty keeping up with the amount of information it receiving.
- Processing can be challenging post-stroke.
- May be the cause of more extreme and intense feelings, reactions, outbursts, isolation, or impulsivity.
Strategies To Set Yourself Up For Success:
Inventory:
- Inventory yourself to know what drives you nuts, angry, or makes you anxious – write it down somewhere
- Then write down what helps with that – use that information to take something with you for overwhelming environments or to access during stressful situations
Environment:
When in a multi-sensory environment – ground yourself
- Chair with feet on the floor
- Wear ankle weights
- Looking somewhere that is not highly activating
- Prepare yourself beforehand
Prepare:
- Performance degrades before you get there because you are not proactive before going
- Take time to prepare before going into a situation you know will be a “tag” for
- Do deep breathing in the in private ( i.e. the bathroom) for 5 minutes
- Carry your sensory items with you to help calm you when overloaded
Take away:
- We all have “tags” that take away from our day
- Knowing our tags, how we react, and how we can overcome them is important for recovery
- It is also important for everyone in our general day-to-day life
Also remember:
- It may not be a memory problem, it may be an activation For example, grocery shopping….you may have been activated poorly, maybe because of a crowded parking lot and had to park far away. So if you forget something on your list, it most like was not due to memory, it is because you were activated poorly before you even got there.
- Next time try to take the necessary precautions and leave early and/or do deep breathing in the car before going into the store