A Field Guide to Sensory Motor Integration: The Foundation for Learning

By Patricia Hadley PT and Beverly Butler Hall

As a response to questions and requests from parents, teachers, and therapists of individuals who are challenged by sensory motor integration difficulties, this field guide was written.
Some frequent questions were; Why cant' my child sit still? Why can't they remember what they just read although they read many books? Why do they move their head when they read? Why do they put their head down on the desk? Why do they dislike certain noises?
This guide is for clinicians and medical professionals ,laypersons and educators. It identifies areas that offer information and insight into connective links between sensory motor development and sensory motor anomalies with explanations of the connective links to the foundations of development.
The BLUEPRINT for the human body in both its creation and development will always be the same.
With guidance for identifying causes ,not symptoms , there can be better use of precious time and resources. This can lead to less frustration and confusion for individuals and family members.
For the therapist and medical professional: Despite giving your best efforts, you may be frustrated by only seeing limited or slow gains. This provides the tools to identify problems in a new way and further your own knowledge and skill. Through this guide, you may gain a new perspective to the underlying, foundational issues rather than the presenting behavior. It is designed to offer therapists a concise compilation of information that pulls the vestibular system functioning, reflex integration, and visual processing information together.
For the educator, diagnostician, school psychologist and any other related educational professionals: This was written to raise awareness of many problems students have that impede learning. You may have questioned why one seemingly bright student is failing and why previous attempts for learning have fallen short. This guide will help you better identify the underlying problem and seek the proper help.
For the parents and families: You may be struggling with where to go for help. It's not a recipe or guide for families to deliver therapy, but rather a guide to raise awareness of difficulties from a different perspective. If you see your child described in this guide, you will be better equipped to know which questions to ask and where to begin to seek help.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781667898131

Book preview

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Field Guide Disclaimer statement:

The information provided in this book is intended for informational purposes only. The author’s intent is that this guide is not intended to replace medical therapeutic evaluation or intervention by a trained therapist. This guide is intended to offer information of a general nature of presenting problems to help identify and seek appropriate medically trained guidance. By doing any of the interventions or exercises in this book, you take sole responsibility for yourself or other individuals. You assume full responsibility for anything you will be prescribing for yourself or other individuals. The authors and publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Copyright 2023

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN: 978-1-66789-812-4 (print)

ISBN: 978-1-66789-813-1 (eBook)

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Part 1 - A Well-Organized Vestibular System Is a Well-Organized Brain

Part 2 - Two Complex Systems

Part 3 - The Vestibular System

Part 4 - Vestibular System Function Testing as It Relates to Sensory Motor Processing

Part 5 - Motor Development: The Reflex System’s Contribution

Part 6 - Reflex Testing Positions and Grading

Part 7 - Connections Linking the Vestibular System and Reflex Motor System to Sensory Motor Integration

Part 8 - The Autonomic Nervous System

Part 9 - The Oculomotor System

Part 10 - The Auditory System

Part 11 - The Oral-Motor System

Part 12 - The Proprioceptive System

Part 13 - Summing It Up

Part 14 - Traveling the Path

Part 15 - Techniques and Exercises

Part 16 - Equipment Needs

Part 17 - Last Word

Quotes for Musing

Author’s Notes: Nods of Gratitude

Readings and References

About the Authors

Foreword

This field guide was written as a response to questions and requests by parents and teachers and therapists who have a close relationship with individuals who are challenged by sensory motor integration difficulties.

Many seeking solutions are confused by conflicting information as well as, at times, no information that provides a doable and viable path.

The purpose of this guide is to provide a map for clinicians and medical professionals, and a path for laypersons that is doable, reducing frustration, confusion, and the loss of precious time. It provides identified areas that offer information and insight into connective links to sensory motor development and insight into sensory motor anomalies.

Field Guide Defined: A tool to help you identify what you see, or to be used as a gateway to understand what you see in the natural world. A resource designed to help the reader.

Just as a Field Guide written for perhaps birds or plants would be a resource for learning, this guide is to be used by readers of different backgrounds and experiences who have a relationship with individuals who encounter challenges to learning and meeting daily living expectation of others.

For the therapist and medical professional:

Do you identify an area to learn more, tie it all together?

If so, this was written for you to provide insight into what may be needed to be added in your approach to a special problem. As a well-trained professional, despite giving your best efforts, you may have been frustrated by only seeing limited or slow gains. This approach may give you the tools to identify problems in a new way and to expect changes you are seeking. It is to provide a path, if needed, to identify where to further your own knowledge and skill. Through this guide, you may gain a new perspective into addressing the underlying foundational issues and not the presenting behavior.

For the educator, diagnostician, school psychologist and any other related educational professionals:

Do you see your students described here?

This was written to raise awareness of many problems seen in the educational setting that impede learning. You may have been questioning why one seemingly very bright student may be failing and why previous attempts for leaning have not helped. This guide will be for you to better identity a problem and know how to seek the right help for referrals. You may understand that a properly trained therapist will address the foundational causes and not the presenting symptoms.

For the parents and families:

Do you see your child or family member described here in this guide?

This was written to provide insight into some problems with sensory motor integration. You may be struggling with how and where to go for help. It is not a recipe or guide for families to deliver the therapy, but rather a guide to raise awareness of difficulties seen from another perspective and how to seek help. If you see your child