Trinity disAbility Service

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Sensory processing is how we register information through our senses and respond appropriately.  In addition to the five sense that are commonly recognised, there is proprioception, vestibular input, and interoception as described below. 

Sensory Systems Illustration and Explanation

Our Sensory Systems. Auditory: The auditory system is responsible for hearing and detecting sounds, sound frequency, sound loudness and interpreting language. Tactile: The tactile system helps us to process touch sensations from the body and detect light touch, deep pressure, texture, temperature, vibration and pain. Olfactory (smell) The olfactory system is responsible for processing smell and detecting different odours, discriminating between odours, determining the importance of odours and signalling to the brain about their significance. Gustatory (Taste): The Gustatory system is responsible for our sense of taste and detecting safe and harmful foods, and signalling when we need hydration. Visual: The visual system is responsible for seeing and detecting objects, shapes, colours, orientation and motion. Proprioception: The proprioception system is responsible for sensing position, location, orientation, and movement of the body muscles and joints. Detecting where our bdy parts are in space relative to other parts and how much effort we use to move our body parts. Vestibular: The vestibular system senses our balance and orientation in space. It informs us about the movement, rotation, and position of our head relative to gravity. It influences our posture, head and eye movement and breathing. Interoception: Responsible for detecting and interpreting internal senses that inform us about our physiology and what our internal organs are feeling. Reports what is going on inside our bodies. Detects hunger, tiredness, nausea, heart rate, breathing and other bodily sensations.