Effects of Sensory Integration Therapy on Sensory Integration and Motor Development in Preschool-Age Children With Developmental Delays

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of combining vestibular-proprioceptive activities, bilateral coordination exercises, and visual perception training on sensory integration function and motor development in preschool-age children with developmental delay. This study is a case report of two male children with developmental delay, and was conducted over 16 sessions. In the initial evaluation and re-evaluation, the patients underwent a sensory profile, a motor fitness test (Bruininks-Oseretsky test of Motor Proficiency-2), and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Both sensory integration function and motor development were evaluated. During the intervention period, vestibular-proprioceptive activities were alternately combined with bilateral coordination exercises or visual perception training and performed for 40 minutes each. The differences between the initial evaluation and re-evaluation results of each patient were analyzed. When sensory integration function and motor development results before and after the intervention were compared, the first patient demonstrated improvement in seven areas and the second in four areas in the sensory profile. In the exercise fitness test, both patients demonstrated improved scores in all areas. Thus, it was confirmed that vestibular-proprioceptive activities, when combined with bilateral coordination exercise and visual perception training, had a positive effect on sensory integration function and motor development for preschool-age children with developmental delay.