Occupational therapy with a sensory integration approach is fun. It's creative and intuitive, carefully planned but flexible enough to adjust to a child's moods and changing needs. It will make your child more comfortable with her body and more willing to try new things. With time, it may be able to effectively resolve some of your child's problems with sensory integration.

Other problems may always remain, but therapy will help your child find more acceptable ways to deal with them. At the very least, it will be someplace your child goes every week to do physical activities in an accepting, encouraging, celebratory environment, receiving praise and success for things she may struggle with under normal circumstances. That alone is a self-esteem and confidence booster that can't be undervalued.

You will most likely note improvement in your child, but it may not be dramatic — just a general increase in control and tolerance. The information you gain about your child's sensory strengths and weaknesses and what you can do for them at home will help as well.

Still, as a parent, you need to understand that therapy for sensory integration is not a magic wand. It will not instantly make your child move better, eat better, write better, or behave better. There's no timetable and no guaranteed cure. It's important to keep your expectations realistic.