Intensive
Sensory Integration Training
EXPERIENCE in TAIWAN

Key factor for success of sensory integration training is:
Daily exercise for an hour with prone extension posture on scooter board for recapture of phylogenetically and ontogenetically early childhool experience.

Who and where do the training
Intensive Sensory Integration training is a modification of Sensory Integra-
tion therapy by Jean Ayres, adapted to the socio-econimic environment
in Taiwan. With semi-planned schedule we train a group of children at the
same time more with prone extension posture on a scooter board, for more
than 40 minutes daily. Key persons responsible for the training are shifted
from occupational therapists to parents and teachers. Trainings are performed
in schools, at home, or at private institutes rather than in the treatment
room of occupational therapy.

Methods
Main items of plays on scooter board are simplified: i.e. riding down a ramp
and crossing the floor for a distance of one to two classrooms up to about
100 roundtrips per day; pushing a volleyball against a wall for 500 to 1500
beats per day; and grasping a volleyball and passing to teammates in competition
between two teams for 30 minutes. Those numbers are for averge 1st grade pupils
and should be rescheduled according to individual capacity and divided into
several times per day for accomplishment.Jumping board, rolling forward,climbing
up pole or cage, swinging board, dog walking with feet elevated, and/or massage
etc., can be added for further sensory bombartment and interesting.
Within 2 weeks to 2 months, parents can see initial good result. It is necessary
to keep on daily training for 9 months to 1 year for prominent results.

Purpose and benefits
These prone extension acitivites are intended to further integrate vestibular,
proprioceptive, and tactile sensation while under strong contraction of neck
and upper back muscles, which is for recapture of ontogenetic and phylogenetic
early childhool experience, and can facilitate smooth movement of eye pursuit,
eye-hand coordination, body image as well as auditory and visual processes
of lower level and secondarily high cortical function, and which are also
helpful for attention deficit and hyperactivity condition frequently seen
in these children.
These intensive activities are originally designed to help large number of
children with learning disorders and emotional disturbance in schools, but
we have found that autistic children have much wrosening conditions of sensory
integration dysfunction, e.g. hypersensitivity of tactile, auditory, and visual
sensation of defensive type, much poorer body image and oral dyspraxia, and
much worse eye-hand and visual-auditory coordination. Therefore we apply sensory
integration training to autistic children with various intensitivity and duration
(from 2 monhts to 3 years), with very nice result with longer duration(2-3 years)
of trainings.


A control study of intensive sensory integration training
Intensive sensory integration training can improve dyslexia with jerking
eye movement, eye convergence and fatigability, eye drifting and hyperactivity,
and jumping reading and copy, up to significant level. See detail

Address:

Shin-siung Jung, M.D.
Springtide foundation for learning disabilities and emotional difficulty
#9 Ho-pen Rd. Ton-san, I-lan county,Taiwan 269
Fax:(886)3-958-1924
E-mail:ssjung@ms2.hinet.net