S.M.I.L.Y.

The ever growing field of Sensory Integration exists as both a theory of neurological functions (as they relate to behavior) as well as an on-going process of the human body and mind interacting with the environment.  Traditionally, three types of sensory input comprise the cornerstone of the SI approach.   These are:  tactile, proprioception and vestibular stimulation.

Tactile is our sense of touch, and is especially regulated through sensitive areas such as the hand, feet and head.     Proprioception is an umbrella term for the sense of body position and is involved in body awareness in space, planning and coordinating movements, and emotional security and confidence.  Proprioceptive input is sent to the brain through receptors in the muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments.  The vestibular system is comprised of sense receptors in the inner ear as well as the fibers of Cranial Nerve VIII (Vestibulocochlear) connected to those structures.

Sensory Integration theory teaches us that the vestibular system can have the greatest impact on both the modulation of sensory input as well as the development of all types of skills.  The vestibular system is related to the regulation of muscle tone, balance, motor control, postural control, visual space perception, visual-motor control, auditory language skills and attention.

As such, Sensory Integration involves an interpretation of sensory-motor integration within the global context of being human:   of receiving and processing sensory input and producing desired “out-come” behavior or result.   In this big picture view, sensory-motor integration is a continuous, fundamental constant of living and being for humans of all ages.  Seeing the children we work with as whole and complete beings is a central aspect of the SMILY approach.   Providing them with purposeful, multi-sensory based activities has been the objective of therapists for years.  In this regard, SMILY is indeed a process of sensory-motor integration.

This book will not cover more precise neurological elements or the efficacy of Sensory Integration theory and treatment.   These points are well documented and a vast array of literature is available to readers wishing to deepen their knowledge.  My intention is to show how the SMILY program, as a blend of music and movement, supports the principles, components and functions of a sensory-motor approach to therapy.  It is, however, necessary to review some basics in the field of Sensory Integration in order to highlight the SMILY approach.   I have simplified much of this information into the form of tables and lists so that this book is “user-friendly.”

So how can we view the SMILY program as a process of sensory-motor integration?    First, we must have some idea of what Sensory Integration is and why it is important to provide sensory-motor experiences to children as they develop.  For this we turn to the seminal work of Dr. A. Jean Ayres, the Occupational Therapist who first discovered and developed the theory and treatment techniques known as Sensory Integration.  In her book, Sensory Integration and the Child (1979), she writes:

Sensory integration is the organization of sensation for use.  Our senses give         us information about the physical conditions of our body and the environment             around us…Countless bits of sensory information enter our brain at every             moment, not only from our eyes and ears, but also from every place in our

bodies...You can think of sensations as “food for the brain”; they provide the        energy and knowledge needed to direct the body and mind.  But without well

organized sensory processes, sensations cannot be digested and nourish the          brain.

Sensory integration involves the brain’s ability to organize sensation from the body and from the environment in order to use the body (and mind) effectively.  Constant communication between the brain, the environment and the body involves all parts of the nervous system:  cortex and sub-cortical brain/ brainstem; spinal cord; autonomic nervous system for regulating bodily functions and the peripheral nervous system for processing sensory input and motor output.