The Sensory Integration Model of Practice (SI-MOP) focuses on behavioral responses to sensory input in order to improve motor, cognitive, and social skills. SI-MOP aims to address neurological reactions to sensory input to change behavior through activities that incorporate the senses. The model guides therapists to find techniques that bring the brain's sensory responses into balance. Puzzles involve cognitive, sensory, and motor skills like planning, problem solving, visual processing, and motor planning. They can be adapted for clients and come in sizes appropriate for different age levels.

1. SI-MOP’s purpose is to focus on be-
havioral responses to sensory input
which has been proven to increase
gross and fine motor skills, cognitive
and language skills, and social partici-
pation skills.
For more information go to:
http://spdfoundation.net/about-sensory-
processing-disorder.html
Our body takes in, responds to,
and even ignores sensory input
from our 7 senses. That’s right 7!
We all know and understand the
basic 5 senses: Taste, touch
(tactile), sight (visual), smell, and
hear; but our body also responds to
movement, changes in position,
and forces of gravity know as pro-
prioception and vestibular senses.
All of the senses are connected in
some form or another and all of the
senses result in a behavior con-
sciously or unconsciously. For
example when you ride a roller
coaster you are either holding on
the bars tight for a feeling of sup-
port or enjoy the vestibular move-
ments and lack of gravitational
support and throw your hands in
the air.
Sensory Integration Model of
Practice (SI-MOP), crated by Jean A
Ayres, focuses on the behavioral re-
sponses to sensory input and address
the neurological reaction to the sensory
input to change behavior also known
as neuroplasticity. SI-MOP is a bottom-
up approach that desires to fix the loca-
tion of the dysfunction not the resulting
behavior. Sensory disorders result in
hyperactivity, sensitivity to various
senses (touch, taste, sounds, smells,
etc.) abnormal muscle tone, lack of
organization and structuring, and diffi-
culty relating self or objects and relat-
ing objects to objects.
SI-MOP guides the therapist to find
techniques that will bring the brain’s
responses to equilibrium so that they
do not avoid certain sensory inputs like
smell of candles, or they are able to
move or play a game with decrease
clumsiness.
Sensory Integration Model of Practice
Motor Planning
Motor planning requires the use of
motor control, sensory systems,
and cognitive interactions for ulti-
mate success.
Motor control is defined as “the
ability to regulate or direct the
mechanisms essential to move-
ment.” usually by how the brain
organizes movement. On top of
motor control the brain is also
taking in sensory input such as
where am I positioned now, what
is moving around me, what is
someone telling me to do, how am
I moving, as well as the cognitive
aspects such as what is the ulti-
mate goal of this action.
Individuals who have difficulty
motor planning display difficulty
with handwriting skills, decrease
in social participation opportuni-
ties (such as sports, music, games),
and decrease muscle strength and
coordination.
Therapists of all disciplines can
increase motor planning difficul-
ties by addressing areas that hinder
motor planning such as motor
control, sensory processes, cogni-
tive processes, and increase
strength and ROM throughout the
body.
University of Toledo
Date: Sept 9, 2014Danielle Fowler, OTS
Sensory, Motor Planning
and Puzzles
Special points of
interest:
Sensory Integration
Model of Practice
Motor Planning
Skills related to
puzzles
Integrated Listening
System (iLs)
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2. Puzzles are wonderful games that can be
done in isolation or with friends. The sense
of accomplishment completing a 300-1000
piece puzzle is so strong people have been
known to glue the pieces together and
frame their success. Puzzles are not simply
placing pieces together; there is great
amount of skill and cognitive processing
that occurs. Included are two lists. One is a
list of skills that require cognitive, sensory,
and motor aspects and the second list are
age appropriate types of puzzle based off
normal development.
Puzzles can be adapted to great greater suc-
cess for clients. Give only three pieces at a
time or use puzzles with less visual stimuli.
The options endless.
Skills related to Puzzles
ity theory, neurons in the brain that fire
or work together will form more connec-
tions together to improve the brains abil-
ity to process information, react to multi-
ple inputs, and regulate responses to in-
puts.
More information on the iLs for all disci-
plines can be found at:
http://www.integratedlistening.com/
Integrated Listening System (iLs) is a
multi-sensory approach to learning and
developing the brain for improved func-
tion and participation. By use of the neu-
roplasticity theory, the iLs provides spe-
cific music choices and vibration input to
build new synapses in the brain. The
combination of auditory (music) and ves-
tibular (vibrations) input leads to multiple
outcomes such as greater attention, read-
ing abilities, language skills, social skills,
creativity, memory, motor skills, balance
and so much more.
The iLs directly incorporates two senses
to increase the brains ability to multi-task
and process information. The iLs itself
only provides auditory input and vestibu-
lar input through music and vibrations.
As therapists, we are guided to provide
exercises which add visual, propriocep-
tive (where body is in space), and vestib-
ular (how is the body moving ) input. The
complete iLs program incorporates 5
senses at once. Based off of neuroplastic-
Integrated Listening System (iLs)
Skills Related to Puzzles:
Planning– creating a strategy to com-
plete the puzzle
Problem solving-trying alternative
ways if 1st attempt was unsuccessful
Visual discrimination– identifying
edges, corners, and colors
Figure ground– finding required
pieces among many other pieces
Position in space-orienting and rotat-
ing piece in space to fit together
Spatial relations-relating similar
pieces together
Visual closure– finding pieces to
complete the whole picture, taking in
extra information
Form constancy—recognizing ob-
jects despite a change in feature
Motor Planning-what grasp pattern
to use, how far to reach for piece,
where to take piece.
Puzzles Related to Expectant Age
Development
Form-fitting, pegs puzzles, mo-
saic inserts (2 years)
2-4 large piece interlocking puz-
zles (2.5-3 years old)
10-20 large piece interlocking
puzzles (4.5 years and older)
20 and greater smaller interlock-
ing piece puzzles (8 and older)
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