Did you know
October is National Sensory Awareness Month?
What exactly is
“sensory processing disorder” anyways? What does it mean to have “sensory
issues”? How do I know if my child has sensory processing disorder? Will my
child have this forever?
These are frequently heard questions. We thought October
would be the perfect time to shine light on this sometimes confusing condition.
We hope that in raising awareness, we can educate others, offer support, and
provide services to help those affected by sensory processing disorder.
Sensory processing disorder (SPD) refers to the way one’s
nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into
appropriate behavioral and motor responses. You are bombarded with sensory
input throughout the day-through touch, sounds, sights, tastes, smells, and
movement. Your brain receives messages from these senses and makes an
appropriate response. For example, when you touch a hot stove, your brain
immediately recognizes it as danger and you quickly remove your hand. Making
sense of various sensations isn’t a conscious act; you just automatically and
appropriately respond. However, when the sensory signals don’t get organized into appropriate responses, we refer to this
condition as SPD.
SPD can be confusing because it looks different with each
individual. It may look different from one day to the next in the same
individual. A person may physically look typical and have severe SPD. Sensory
processing functions on a continuum and each of us have our own sensory preferences.
It only becomes a disorder when it becomes disruptive to daily life or to
developing age-appropriate skills.
The two ends of the continuum are over-responsive and
under-responsive. For example, imagine a child in art class where a painting
project is being introduced. An over-responsive reaction may be getting upset
about getting messy or refusing to touch the paint. An under-responsive
reaction may be not recognizing that the paint is not just on your fingers, but
all over your arms, face, or shirt. These reactions alone do not point to signs
of SPD; it is important to consider the frequency, intensity, duration and the
impact these symptoms have on one’s life in order to classify it as SPD. Again,
you may experience an over-responsive reaction to one kind of sensory input
(e.g. smells or tastes) and not another (e.g. movement or touch). Or, you may
be under-responsive to a particular sensation and perceive other sensations in
a typical manner.
There are checklists that can be administered by an occupational
therapist or other professional to determine if your child experiences
dysfunction in any areas of sensory processing. Multiple screenings can also be
found online. Two reputable sources are www.sensory-processing-disorder.com
and www.spdfoundation.net. Both of
these websites also offer a wealth of information on SPD in a very
parent-friendly manner.
If you suspect your child may have SPD, the first step is to
discuss your concerns with your pediatrician. You may find it helpful to bring
a checklist from one of the above mentioned sites to help articulate your
concerns. Your pediatrician should
recognize your concerns and refer your child for an OT evaluation. This
evaluation can help determine if your child has difficulties with SPD.
Diagnosing SPD is challenging because SPD is not a recognized diagnosis in the DSM. Research and advocacy is
ongoing in attempting to have SPD added. In the meantime, please remember
treatment is more important than the actual diagnosis. Your child’s therapist
will educate you on your child’s needs and how to best help him/her at
home.
Should your child’s OT evaluation reveal difficulties with
any area of sensory processing, treatment using a sensory integrative approach
should be implemented. This is therapeutic play that is child-directed and
subtly tweaked by the therapist to target challenges. A child will not even
realize they are “working”; they are simply playing and having fun! The goal of
OT will be to help the child respond appropriately to sensations so that the
child can behave in a more acceptable and appropriate manner. This should carry
over outside of the therapy area so that the child can participate in typical
childhood activities, such as school and playing with friends.
Length of therapy varies and depends on the needs of your
child. Early intervention is preferred, as SPD is a neurodevelopmental disorder
and changes can be observed quickly in younger children. However, even adults
and older children may benefit from therapeutic intervention; progress may
simply occur more slowly as brain plasticity diminishes. So, the quick answer to, “Will my child
always be this way?” is “No, not with intervention and carry over at
home.” You have the power to help your
child!
Recommended books: (1)Sensational
Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder by Lucy
Jane Miller, PhD, OTR, (2)The Out-of-Sync
Child by Carol Kranowitz, and (3) Raising
a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping our Child with
Sensory Integration Issues by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske.
Copyright 2012 Comprehensive Speech And Therapy Center
leif.borreson@gmail.com
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