Sensory dysregulation

Sensory dysregulation is a state in which the brain inefficiently processes and integrates signals from different sensory systems: visual, auditory, tactile, vestibular, proprioceptive. In some children this manifests as hypersensitivity (typical stimuli are experienced as excessive — the child avoids touch, noise, new environments); in others — as hyposensitivity (the child "seeks" additional input — rocking, jumping, pressing). It is often combined with weak balance and coordination, attention deficit, emotional instability, and stereotypies. Sensory dysregulation is one of the core manifestations of ASD, but it also occurs in isolation — in children with learning difficulties, clumsiness, and emotional instability without other ASD features.

At the H&B Neurolife International Rehabilitation Center (Shangrao), the core method for sensory dysregulation is sensory integration. Sessions are conducted on specialized equipment in a play-based format: swings, hammocks, tunnels, spinning discs, balls. The child receives the needed sensory input — vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile — and the brain learns to integrate it. In parallel — occupational therapy (targeted training of sensory integration, fine motor skills, self-care), Orff music therapy (multisensory stimulation through hearing, movement, rhythm), and developmental games (multisensory story-based sessions). For comorbid auditory hypersensitivity, AIT/Tomatis auditory integration is added. Pediatric acupuncture and Tui Na massage complement the program.

What parents should know

Sensory integration is the foundation on which the development of attention, emotions, speech, cognition, and social skills is built. Work on sensory dysregulation therefore often brings improvements not only in the sensory sphere but across the entire spectrum of functions. Some exercises require specialized equipment and are conducted only at the center, but parents are given specific home games — mandatory home-based rehabilitation of at least 1 hour per day.