Sensory Integration Therapy for Kids in the Bay Area

Many children who struggle behaviorally or emotionally are actually responding to a nervous system that needs more support.

Sensory processing refers to how the nervous system receives, interprets, and responds to information from the body and environment. When that process works differently than expected, everyday experiences, a scratchy tag, a crowded cafeteria, the texture of certain foods, can feel genuinely overwhelming or barely perceptible.

Common signs that a child may benefit from sensory integration therapy include:

• Strong negative reactions to clothing textures, hair washing, nail cutting, or unexpected touch
• Constant movement, crashing, jumping, or need for deep pressure (sensory-seeking behaviors)
• Difficulty tolerating loud environments, bright lights, or unexpected sounds
• Poor balance, clumsiness, or difficulty with motor coordination tasks
• Extreme food selectivity tied to texture, smell, or appearance
• Emotional dysregulation that seems disproportionate to the situation
• Difficulty with transitions, routines, or unexpected changes

These behaviors are not defiance. They are communication. Your child’s nervous system is telling you it needs a different kind of support, and that’s exactly what we’re trained to provide.

SI therapy is not desensitization. It’s targeted neurological training disguised as play.

Sensory Integration Therapy, developed by occupational therapist and neuroscientist Dr. A. Jean Ayres, is a structured, evidence-informed approach to helping the brain better process and organize sensory input. The therapy uses movement-based, playful activities, swinging, climbing, spinning, pushing, and pulling, to provide the nervous system with controlled sensory experiences that build the brain’s capacity to regulate and respond appropriately.

Three sensory systems are central to this work: the tactile (touch), proprioceptive (body position and movement), and vestibular (balance and spatial orientation) systems. When these systems are well-integrated, children can focus, self-regulate, coordinate their bodies, and engage with the world. When integration is disrupted, those capacities suffer, and that shows up everywhere, from the playground to the dinner table to the classroom.

SI therapy is not about forcing a child to tolerate something uncomfortable. It’s about gradually building the nervous system’s capacity to process input more efficiently, in a safe, supportive, child-led environment.

Certification matters. Advanced assessment leads to a more targeted, effective plan.

Not all occupational therapists are trained in sensory integration at the same level. At Therapeeps, our clinicians hold advanced certifications in the two most rigorous SI frameworks available:

• SIPT (Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests): A standardized, norm-referenced assessment tool used to identify specific patterns of sensory processing and praxis differences. SIPT certification requires specialized postgraduate training and supervised clinical practice. It gives us a precise, individualized picture of how your child’s sensory system is functioning, and where to target therapy.
• STAR (Sensory Therapies and Research) Certified: The STAR framework provides a comprehensive, research-supported clinical protocol for assessing and treating sensory processing challenges in children. It adds structured outcome tracking to ensure therapy is actually working.

Together, these frameworks allow us to move beyond general observations and build a therapy plan grounded in objective data and developmental science. Your child’s plan is not a template, it’s built specifically for their nervous system profile.

Every plan starts with a thorough evaluation and ends with a clear picture of progress.

A sensory integration program with Therapeeps typically follows this sequence:

1. Initial Evaluation: A comprehensive assessment using SIPT and/or clinical observation tools to understand your child’s sensory profile. We gather information from you, observe your child during activities, and review any existing developmental or educational records.
2. Goal Setting: We sit down with you to set meaningful, functional goals, not abstract clinical targets, but real outcomes like “able to tolerate hair washing without distress” or “can participate in a classroom transition without shutting down.”
3. Weekly Therapy Sessions: Delivered in your home, school, or outdoor setting. Sessions use structured sensory activities calibrated to your child’s current regulatory state and developmental level.
4. Home Programming: We teach you strategies and activities to support sensory regulation between sessions, your “sensory diet” (a personalized schedule of sensory activities designed to keep your child’s nervous system organized throughout the day).
5. Progress Review: Regular check-ins to assess whether goals are being met, adjust the plan, and celebrate every step forward.

Most families notice meaningful changes within 8 to 12 weeks of consistent therapy, though every child’s timeline is different.

The goal is a child who feels capable and comfortable, in their body and in the world.

Progress in sensory integration therapy doesn’t always look like a milestone on a chart. It often looks like a morning routine that no longer ends in tears, a child who can sit at the lunch table without bolting, or a family dinner where the conversation isn’t derailed by a meltdown over food texture.

Families who work with Therapeeps often describe their children becoming more regulated, more confident, and more able to participate in the activities that matter to them. Parents tell us they feel better equipped to support their child at home, and less alone in navigating a nervous system that works differently. That partnership, between your family and our team, is at the center of everything we do.