Ence Pence - sensory aids using ecological materials
Ence Pence is a Polish company that produces sensory aids made of ecological materials, designed with children and children in mind.
All aids are created by ENCE PENCE - from idea through design and execution.
Each product was created in cooperation with therapists and was tested before being marketed, which guarantees the highest quality standards.
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Dyski sensoryczne
Dyski sensoryczne są doskonałym narzędziem wspomagającym terapię integracji sensorycznej
Ścieżka sensoryczna
Ścieżka sensoryczna pozwala rozwijać wyobraźnię dotykową dziecka, a ta jest niezbędna do prawidłowego rozpoznawania przez nie bodźców
Puzzle i Gry sensoryczne
Puzzle i gry podobnie jak typowe dyski czy ścieżki sensoryczne wspomagają terapię integracji sensorycznej poprzez zabawę.
Labirynt
Labirynty są wykorzystywane w ćwiczeniach letalnych w trakcie terapii SI. Usprawniają koncentrację i pamięć ruchową
Dekoracje
Czy dekoracje nie mogą wpływać pozytywnie na rozwój najmniejszych? Według nas TAK
What is sensory integration?
Sensory integration is a neurological process in which the brain receives and organises sensory information from the body and the environment and then creates an appropriate response. Correct processing of sensory input forms the basis for school readiness, and is important for normal emotional development and the development of social skills.
When do we talk about sensory integration disorders?
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is the difficulty in correctly interpreting sensory stimuli and using information obtained through the senses to function effectively in everyday life. They occur when the nervous system cannot cope with processing what is sent to it by the senses. Sensory integration disorder makes many everyday activities very challenging for the child. If a child with a sensory integration disorder does not receive appropriate help, his or her problems can get worse and can lead to, among other things, clumsiness of movement, behavioural problems, difficulties with social relationships, depression, and difficulties at school.
What is sensory integration therapy?
Sensory Integration Therapy is primarily focused on guided play, which aims to elicit an appropriate response to internal and external stimuli.
The aim of the therapy is to help the child correctly perceive, organise and order the stimuli that come to him through the different senses. During sensory integration therapy, in addition to equipment stimulating the basic sensory systems, various sensory aids are used to stimulate the sense of touch, hearing, sight, smell and didactic aids such as puzzles, jigsaw puzzles and mazes. Here you will find teaching aids that are both sensory and natural - with different textures, shapes and colours and making different noises. We have taken care of everything - welcome to the shop!
SENSES
Senses are very important in human life– They inform us about the world around us and warn us of dangers. The proper development of sensory integration depends on the functioning of the senses. Man has seven senses. They receive stimuli from the outside world (touch, hearing, sight, smell, taste) and from the body (balance, deep sensation) and then send them to the brain, where they are interpreted and integrated with earlier experiences. The three senses that are crucial for the development of sensory integration are touch, balance (vestibular system) and deep sensation (proprioceptive system).
Sense of touch
Our skin, which is the largest human organ, is primarily responsible for receiving sensory stimuli. It is thanks to the receptors on it that we perceive not only someone's touch, but also pain or a change in temperature. The skin receives superficial sensory stimuli.
Examples of problems occurring in a child with a sense of touch disorder:
- avoiding touching and being touched
- aversion to grooming, certain clothes, walking barefoot
- difficulty in feeling dirty hands and face
- chewing on inedible objects, intesne search for tactile sensations - rubbing against others
Vestibular sense
The vestibular sensory receptors are located in the inner ear and inform us of every change in body and head position. Among other things, the vestibular system influences balance, motor coordination and muscle tone. Any kind of movement will stimulate the vestibular sense – swinging, spinning, but also overcoming obstacle courses and walking on curbs.
Examples of difficulties of a child with a vestibular disorder:
- poor balance, tipping over frequently
- an inclination for rapid, intense movement - whirling, spinning, swinging, jumping, etc.
- unwillingness to change the position of the body, being excessively static
Proprioceptive sense
The proprioceptive sense, called deep sensation, informs us about the position of different parts of the body in space and in relation to each other, and allows us to perform various activities without constant visual control. Proprioceptive receptors are located in muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. The sense of proprioception enables us to feel ourselves well.
Examples of difficulties of a child with a deep sensory disorder:
- clumsiness, sloppiness
- difficulty in adapting the force to the task - using too little or too much
- a predilection for jumping, squeezing, pulling, dangling, etc.
Sense of hearing
Ears are responsible for hearing. They, or more precisely the bones inside them, pick up air vibrations, which the brain perceives as specific sounds.
Examples of problems experienced by a child with a hearing impairment:
- covering ears, complaining about noises that do not distrurb others,
- ignoring sounds of normal intensity,
- a predilection for loud noises
- not noticing differences between sounds, difficulty in reproducing rhythm
Sense of sight
Sight is a very important sense because it allows us to perceive most information from our environment. The organ of sight is the eye, which receives and recognises electromagnetic waves. It has two types of receptors - the first can identify and name colours and the second assesses their brightness, which is why some people think that sight is actually two separate senses. Interestingly, our eyes see 'upside down'. Only after the image reaches the brain, or more precisely the visual cortex, is the image interpreted and given its proper form.
Examples of problems that occur in a child with visual impairment:
- difficulty perceiving differences in pictures, words and objects
- over -excitement or covering the eyes when there are too many elements in the field of vision,
- looking for visually stimulating places/objects e.g. flashing lights and looking at them for a long time
Sense of smell
The nose is used to perceive smells. Its millions of olfactory receptors pick up chemical molecules. Very often the sense of smell acts as the body's first defence barrier. An odour that we perceive as unpleasant can make us refrain from eating something - the olfactory signal is taken as a warning that the food is spoiled and can cause, for example, serious poisoning.
Examples of problems occurring in a child with a sense of smell disorder:
- aversion to certain smells or ignoring unpleasant smells,
- searching for intense odours, smelling people, food, objects
- difficulty discriminating between tastes and smells, choosing food based on appearance
Sense of taste
Taste perception is mediated by taste buds which are mainly distributed on the tongue, but also on the soft palate and the back wall of the throat. They allow us to perceive the basic tastes: salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami.
Examples of problems in a child with a sense of taste disorder:
- intolerance of certain food textures and temperatures,
- a predilection for spicy foods
- licking/eating inedible items
How to support the development of sensory integration on a daily basis?
- The sense of touch - massage, stroke and hug your child, then go for a walk, preferably barefoot, combined with collecting treasures :)
- Sense of sight - pay attention to shapes and colors, observe the world around you together, look for details
- The sense of hearing - listen together to the singing of birds, the sound of wind or falling rain, you can also try relaxing music
- The sense of balance and proprioception - run together, crawl, wrestle and play, jump and play sports together, and finally hug tightly
- The sense of taste and smell - cook together, diversify the menu, try new flavors
During the first seven years of life, children learn to receive stimuli from both their bodies and their surroundings with all their senses. Each activity they perform, such as the first contact with their parents right after childbirth, a walk in the park on a sunny day or attempts to move on the floor, provides them with information that will affect their learning abilities in the future, as well as functioning in a group of peers at school . That is why it is so important to wisely support the child and stimulate its development naturally from an early age.