How does sensory integration therapy benefit in Autism?

Have you ever found yourself lost in translation while communicating with a group of foreigners?  Did you struggle to comprehend the words they uttered and the gestures they enacted? 

Well, this is how life is for people, especially children suffering from Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In fact, with time, it gets worse as undertaking simple tasks like maintaining eye contact or even crossing a road safely becomes difficult for people with ASD.  

So, can people with ASD get better? 

While there is no treatment for Autism or ASD there are several therapies that can help manage symptoms, giving individuals with the condition a renewed shot at life. One such therapy is Sensory Integration Therapy. But before we proceed any further let’s understand ASD and its symptoms better.  

So, what is ASD? 

It is a developmental disorder that affects an individual’s senses (touch, sight, smell), the ability to communicate leading to isolation, and overall behaviour with limited and repetitive patterns. Additionally, the term ‘spectrum’ in ASD refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity.

Moreover, ASD is hard to diagnose in the earlier stages as one looks for ‘abnormal behaviour’ not the absence of normal behaviour. For instance, in the case of toddlers, the early signs might be mistaken as ‘good behaviour’ as the baby remains quiet and is almost undemanding. 

What are the general symptoms of ASD? 

A patient of ASD will have: 

• Difficulty in communicating
• Sensitive reactions to sound/light
• Difficulty maintaining eye contact
• Unusual or extreme ways of expressing themselves 
• Resistance towards change in routine or surroundings
• Trouble paying attention
• Interest in a very limited number of things/activities

As mentioned earlier, diagnosis can be tricky when it comes to babies. The red flags mentioned below are usually dismissed to be signs of ‘good behaviour’.

 

• Maintains little to no eye contact
• Remains apathetic to sound/gestures
• Makes no noise for attention
• Fails to imitate facial expressions
• Shows no interest in playing with others 

 How can the effects of ASD be mitigated?  

The breakthrough in curing Autism is yet to take place. However, existing treatments for Autism focuses on managing the symptoms to a great extent. The following therapies enable patients to live better, dignified lives. 

Stem cell therapy — a painless, drugless process where cells with regenerative qualities are implanted into the patient’s body. Stem cells regenerate to replace damaged cells and mitigate the effects of the condition.

Speech Therapy — focuses on improving spoken language and bettering non-verbal skills such as signs or gestures. Patients can also be taught to communicate alternately by using pictures or technology.

Occupational Therapy — aims to make the patient as independent as possible by increasing his/her span of attention and stamina and improve play skills. An OT also focuses on the patient’s posture, balance, or manipulation of small objects. Moreover, adaptive strategies which include coping with transitions are also incorporated.    

How Sensory Integration Therapy tackles ASD 

Occupational therapy includes Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT). The patient undergoes specific sensory sessions that help him/her respond to light, sound, touch, smell, and other inputs in an appropriate manner. The interventions include sensory-related activities like brushing, swinging, and playing in a ball pit. Also, the therapist tries to expose the patient to sensory stimulation by repeating the activities.  

As the therapy goes on, the activities grow more complex and challenging helping the patient to respond to sensations in a more organized way. 

SIT focuses on three sensory systems: 

The Tactile System

This includes the nerves under the skin’s surface that send information to the brain. If there is a dysfunction here, one can withdraw himself/herself from being touched, refusing to wear certain types of clothing, not eating certain textured food, using fingertips rather than the whole hand. It also leads to misinterpretation of touch leading to isolation and hyperactivity.  

The Vestibular System 

The structures within the inner ear (the semi-circular canals) that detect movement and changes in the position of the head are targeted to solve either of the two problems. One, a patient’s hypersensitivity while displaying fear towards normal movements like swings and walking down inclines. This may also prop up as trouble climbing or descending stairs. The second problem it helps ease is that of a child’s extreme sensory experiences like whirling, jumping, or spinning.  

The Proprioceptive System 

This includes muscles, joints, and tendons that help the person control his/her body position subconsciously. This system provides the body with necessary signals from the brain, allowing a person to sit properly in a chair or step off a curb or a stair without any trouble. This system also regulates fine motor movements like using a pencil or buttoning a shirt. 

It should be noted that SIT should be carried under the observation of a specialist occupational therapist. At Plexus, a Bangalore based Neuro and stem cell research centre, Autism or ASD is treated by the finest occupational therapists of the country. Moreover, the Regenerative Rehabilitation Program of Plexus which includes stem cell therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy has been very effective and successful in the treatment of Autism, cerebral palsy, and Parkinson’s disease.