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Super Duper® Handy Handouts!® Number 155 Feelings, Nothing More than Feelings: Sensory Integration in the Classroom by Ann Stensaas, M.S., OTR/L Sensory Integration Our senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) tell us about our environment. Our senses receive information from both inside and outside of our bodies. Sensory integration (SI for short) refers to how our senses work together to organize and process incoming information from the world around us. The central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) controls our sensory system. When our sensory system works together, it allows us to interact with the environment in purposeful and meaningful ways. In addition to the five senses, we also have two special senses, proprioception and vestibular. The proprioceptive sense gives us information about where our body parts are and what they are doing. The vestibular sense gives us information about our position in space and the movement of our head in relation to gravity. “Sensory Smart” Classroom Sensory integration plays an important role in the social, emotional, and cognitive development of a child. Sensory integration theory indicates that sensory processing difficulties can get in the way of a child’s ability to learn basic skills. Teachers routinely observe this in the classroom among children who “fall behind” because of their inefficient sensory systems. You may have observed a child who has difficulty staying alert to participate or a child who is in constant motion and unable to settle down to complete an assignment. These children may not know how to cope with the different sensory information they are receiving. A “sensory smart” classroom provides chi