From the ages of newborn – 7 years old, the primary way that we learn is through our senses.  It’s why the first year of our life is mainly focused on gaining control of our body and our movement (as we start to move against gravity – sitting, crawling, cruising, and independently walking).  Subsequently, this movement becomes more refined and skilled over the next six years.  Sensory Integration and Sensory Processing refers to this learning process.  It is taking in information about our body and the world around us, developing the perception (or brain level understanding) of this input, and using it to engage with the world around us.  By understanding these sensations and what they do for us developmentally, it becomes easier to analyze our child’s preferences, unique development, and what they need in order to be successful in developing their skills.