This can offer huge benefits including:
- Increased understanding of behaviour and body responses
- Learning ways to manage emotions
- Managing successful responses to sensory needs / preferences
A well cited definition of sensory integration, by Dr Jean Ayres, is that ‘Sensory Integration is the organisation of sensations for use. Our senses give us information about the physical conditions of our body and the environment around us…The brain must organize all of our sensations if a person is to move and learn and behave in a productive manner.’
“It was good to discuss our sensory preferences and discuss the differences.”Service user, Cygnet Hospital Beckton
The team were fortunate to have Angela Dyer, an occupational therapist with sensory integration experience, join the service for a couple of weeks. This allowed them to provide introductory workshops for staff and service users on every ward, review the sensory rooms and to offer individual assessments to some service users to share the value and impact of this approach to mental health care.
Cygnet Hospital Beckton is a gender specific hospital for women with complex mental health needs. Situated in the East End of London, the hospital has four different specialist wards including learning disability, personality disorder, PICU and low secure.