Natl Sensory Awareness Week

[cchavez]

Come to your Senses

National Sensory Awareness Week is Oct. 25-31, 2006

Is parenting or teaching some children more difficult than you expected?

Do you have days so frustrating you don’t know where to turn?

Do you know about Sensory Integration Dysfunction (DSI)

sometimes called Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) ?

Sensory Integration develops through ordinary childhood activities for most children. The child’s

motor planning ability is a natural outcome of the process, along with the ability to adapt to incoming

sensations. However, in some children (possibly as many as 5-15%) sensory integration does not

develop as efficiently as it should. When sensory processing is disordered, there may be problems in

learning, development, and/or behavior. Difficulties in processing sensory information was studied

and defined over thirty years ago, and yet many parents, teachers and physicians are not aware of the

warning signs and symptoms. DSI/SPD is a complex disorder of the brain that affects both children

and adults. They may feel overwhelmed by sensory information, such as touch, sound or movement,

or they may seek more intense sensory input. These children and adults do not experience sensory

information the same as others. Their brains interpret the information differently. They react differently

or may experience delays in development and daily living skills. There are several forms of the

disorder; each person may have a number of different behavioral and sensory patterns.

Here are a few common signs/symptoms from infancy and early childhood:

• Difficulty eating, sleeping, toileting.

• Under/Over responsive to sensory input (touch, light, sounds, textures, movement)

• Delayed speech and language, gross motor and/or fine motor skills

• Unusually high or low activity levels, sometimes a combination

• Difficulty transitioning from one activity/environment to another

• Can have a meltdown for no apparent reason, often inconsolable

• Difficulty with haircuts, bathing, brushing teeth, certain clothing

Here are a few common signs /symptoms from school-age through adulthood including some from

above:

• Difficulty sitting still, fidgety, restless or in constant motion

• Moves slowly and takes a long time to complete a tasks/homework

• Seems clumsy, awkward and uncoordinated

• Difficulty with handwriting, using scissors, buttoning, zipping, tying

• Easily distracted, disorganized, poor attention span

• Poor posture, slumps, leans while standing or sitting

• Difficult behaviors, aggressive, emotional, irritable

If you suspect a child may have a sensory dysfunction, locate a pediatric occupational or physical

therapist with specialized training in Sensory Integration. When children with sensory deficits are

accurately identified, they can begin a program of occupational or physical therapy conducted in a

sensory-rich environment, which helps these children to manage their responses to sensations and to

behave in a more functional manner. Contact the American Occupational Therapist Association

(AOTA) through their website: www.aota.org.

[brittone2]

Thanks for posting this. Sensory issues impact so many kids and often go undiagnosed.

[tarynsmum]

Wow, I didn't realize all the "warning signs" either. This sounds like our neighbor's daughter (DH and the father have been best friends for many, many years) to a tee. She freaks out at the slightest noise (like a car going down the street) -- hands over her ears, shrieking, etc. She's 3 and a half, and it is very, very difficult to understand anything she says (the mom usually 'translates' for her, and the father rarely understands what she's saying). She has frequent tantrums, at the slightest things. This totally sounds like SPD. I remember reading about it a couple years ago, but I couldn't remember what it was called, and I had no idea it was so prevalent.

The question is, should I bring up this information with my neighbor? I know people have said things it the past ("wow, she's really sensitive"), and they say that it's "just her temperament". Could I just email your post to her?

[cchavez]

I think emailing her my post is a good start. This website also has good information:

http://www.spdnetwork.org/aboutspd/

[chiqanita]

Thanks for sharing this info, I was just wondering about this exact topic.

[COElizabeth]

That certainly sounds like a sensory processing problem. If you say anything, you might also clarify a few things that SPD is not. Children with SPD are not necessarily less intelligent (many are very bright), and they are not necessarily autistic (some children with disorders on the autistic spectrum also have sensory processing difficulties, but many children with SPD do not have autism or autism spectrum disorders).

You might also tell her that you have friends (count me as one!) who can attest to the fact that occupational therapy for kids with sensory processing problems is FUN! My son loves it, and all of the many, many kids I have seen at his OT center seem to be enjoying it, too.

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02
and Charlotte, 11-04-04

[lizajane]

how do you tell the difference between sensory integration disorder and "the highly sensitive child?"

schuyler is highly sensitive, definitely not on the spectrum, very verbal, very social, very athletic... but also clumsy, often out of control, VERY fidgety- can't sit still, has issues with his socks, but not with other obvious clothing "things" like tags. has gone on and off about loud noises, LOVES to be touched and snuggled and "pet" or scratched (as in a back scratch.) so i am totally confused.

[brittone2]

Really, the only way IMO to get a definitive answer is to get an OT eval for sensory issues. It sounds like there may be enough to initiate an eval. OTs will often do a questionarre surrounding sensory issues that will help tease out what is going on.

As the PP said a child can have sensory issues *and* be on the spectrum (they often go hand in hand) but absolutely can have sensory issues without being on the spectrum.

IMO if it impacts function/day to day life, it is worth an eval, kwim? If they don't think it is problematic enough to warrant therapy, they'll happily tell you that. If it is a sensory issue, you can help set him up for life by helping him work through some of this stuff now. They can learn to regulate the sensations, etc. and better manage themselves as they get older.

People w/ impaired sensory processing can have mixed sensory issues..."craving" certain sensations and avoiding others. They can definitely have issues w/ just one item of clothes (like socks) but not tags. They may only have problems with one or two sensory areas (strong gag reflex and loud noises for example, but nothing else, kwim? It can manifest in a lot of different ways).

This is something that isn't my area of expertise but I've worked with a lot of kids with sensory issues and a lot of talented OTs. My thought would be to consider an OT eval...you might get some insight into what is bothering him and how you can help him *IF* he truly has some sort of sensory processing issue.

IMO it also can be really helpful to look into it before they start school, because kids w/ sensory issues can end up labeled by teachers, etc. as problematic because they might be squirming in their seat from a tag on their shirt, or have trouble if someone invades their "space" in line, etc. etc. They may have trouble screening out stimuli like flourescent lights flickering while the teacher talks, causing them to have difficulty paying attention (none of these things are absolute with sensory processing issues, just mentioning several types of things that can occur in a school setting...a child can have sensory issues and not experience these things, but they are possibilities. Overall, they can struggle with self-regulating/self modulating some of this stuff. OT can work with them and devise strategies for managing some of the sensory issues they experience. Sometimes something as simple as a special seat cushion that provides extra tactile input can help them sit more attentively rather than fidgeting in class.

Not sure if that helps or is more confusing?