• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.51-63
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to provide definition of proprioception, foundations and roles of neuroanatomy, and systemical review of proprioceptive activities in sensory integration intervention. Proprioception exists in muscle, ligaments, joints and skin and it plays important role in controling body movements and interacting with environment during child development. Proprioception interacting with tactile and vestibular systems contributes to the change of muscle tone, postural control, refinements of planning and praxis. Children who are deficit in proprioceptive processing would seek hypo-responsive proprioceptive input or avoid hyperactive one. Outcome of poor proprioceptive input would cause the problems of praxis and postural control. Because proprioception provides information about the position and movement of body and limb it is important for development of body scheme and motor planning. It also influences the arousal and emotional tone. Sensory integration intervention which provides rich proprioceptive activities will improve the level of arousal and enhance motor planning.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 2008

Objective : This study verifies the effects of sensory integrative (SI) therapy on vestibular- and proprioceptive sensory (BPS) processing ability of a child with Asperger Syndrome (AS). Method : A boy who is 11 years and 2 months old took the Functional Independence Measure for Children (Wee-FIM), Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), Short Sensory Profile, Bruininks-Oserestky Test of Motor Proficiency-2 (BOT-2), and Test of Playfulness (ToP) for the baseline. The child participated in 3 evaluation sessions and 8 therapy sessions based on the AB research design. Duration of each session is 50 min and the therapy session is divided into 40 minutes for treatment and 10 minutes for evaluation. Since the vestibular sense and proprioception build up one's ability of postural control, several tests were employed to evaluate the child' postural control as outcome measure; distance from front leg of chair to heel of the child with sitting (C-H distance), angle between trunk and thigh (hip joint angle) with sitting, and the 'prone-extension posture' which is a subtest of Clinical Observation of Motor and Postural Skill (COMPS) to examine postural control embodied with integration of reflex and BPS processing. Result : During the therapy, average data of the C-H distance is decreased from 27.33cm to 11.69cm, average data of the hip joint angle is also decreased from $43.3^{\circ}$ to $20^{\circ}$, and average time for the prone-extension posture is increased from 13.15seconds to 24.84seconds. Conclusion : This result indicates that the ability to postural control in sitting and to maintain the prone-extension posture can be improved by sensory integrative therapy, with enhanced BPS processing.