Sensory Integration 

Sensory integration is a term that has been used to describe processes in the brain that allow us to take information we receive from our 5 senses, organize it, and respond appropriately. We also have a vestibular sense (balance) that tells us how to position our bodies and heads, and a proprioceptive sense (awareness of body in space) that helps us know what we do with our joints, muscles, and ligaments.

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In children who have ASDs, sensory processing deficits have been theorized to cause difficulties that affect behavior and life skills. As a result, some children may be hypersensitive or hyposensitive to stimuli in the surroundings. Loud music, for instance, may cause intense discomfort, while bright fluorescent lights that bother others may be riveting to some children with ASDs.

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Some children will look for ways to seek out certain sensations and engage in self-stimulating behaviors like rocking back and forth, head banging, and oral exploration of nonedible objects.