Sensory Integration and Self-Regulation: Sensory Contributions to Young Children’s Social-Emotional Development
This presentation provided an overview of sensory processing disorders, a set of conditions that can affect young children’s capacities for self-regulation, and often manifest in irritability, avoidant behaviors, and/or disruptive behavior problems.
Children with sensory processing disorders have difficulties in how they register, regulate and cope with sensory information that comes from their environment and bodies. Because they are too young to explain what is bothering them, their behavior can be confusing to adults and may contribute to stress in the parent-child relationship. Designed for a multidisciplinary audience of early childhood practitioners, Dr. Anzalone’s presentation will provide a framework for understanding the process of sensory integration in non-affected individuals, an overview of sensory processing disorders, and the importance of working with, and through, families and environments to establish sensory-based co-regulation in young children.