What is Sensory Processing Disorder?
October 7, 2009 Posted by The Painted Hen
Today, our good friend Cat Lichtenbelt shared her very personal story with us about her struggles and triumphs with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Cat mentioned how many doctors she had to go through before she finally discovered an occupational therapist who was able to properly diagnose her son’s disorder as SPD. So, to hopefully help others out there who may be wondering if their child has SPD, here’s a quick summary of what SPD is. Technically, SPD can be described as a neurological disorder causing difficulties with processing information from the five senses (vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste), the sense of movement (the vestibular system) and/or the positional sense (proprioception).
Sensory processing disorders can vary widely between individuals both in their characteristics and in how intense the disorder is. Kids can also be affected in only one sense or multiple senses. To make it even more confusing, SPD can manifest itself in two different ways:
- Hypersensitivity: Kids may feel pain from simple things like clothes rubbing against their skin, their inability to tolerate a normal lighting level, dislike of being touched (even lightly), or they may be unable to tolerate loud sounds like household appliances.
- Hyposensitivity: Kids may show an usually high tolerance to stimulation. According to The SPD Foundation, hyposensitive kids “exhibit an appetite for sensation that is in perpetual overdrive“.
There is a lot more to SPD than we can really write about here, and we’re no experts on the topic. But, if you’re looking for more information about SPD, The SPD Foundation Website should be your first stop. The site is packed with information about SPD, it’s treatment, help in finding services, SPD events, news, and advocacy programs. It also features a good checklist of symptoms called The Red Flags of Sensory Processing Disorder to help you determine if you should consult a doctor or occupational therapist about SPD in your child. They also offer Sensations – a quarterly newsletter with helpful strategies, useful resources, research updates, and other information for individuals and families living with SPD. Here are some other SPD resources worth checking into:
- STAR Center: STAR Center is the premier clinic for multidisciplinary assessment and research-based treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and other sensory challenges in children, adolescents, and adults. The site has plenty of helpful information.
- Two recommended books on the topic of SPD are Sensational Kids by Lucy Jane Miller, Ph.D., OTR and The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz
To read Cat’s entire story about her experiences with SPD click here.
Therapeutic Threads says:
October 7th, 2009
Thanks for the article. I just linked to it from my blog http://therapeuticthreads.blogspot.com/.
Kate says:
January 24th, 2010
My grandson who will soon be 9 years old was diagnosed with ADD/SPD and exhibits some autistic behaviors. He has had a multitude of health issues since birth, none of which SEEM to be related. He has had chronic rhinitis, reflux, and was sick ALL the time for the first years of his life. None of his illnesses were life threatening, just infection after infection. He tested negative for allergies and cystic fibrosis. The congestion in his sinuses was so bad it required surgery before school age. He also had tonsils and adenoids removed at about 2 yrs. old. Nothing seemed to make infections stop, so he was sent to a pediatric endocrinologist who diagnosed CVID and started him on IVIG. This DID help tremendously with infections (still took daily antibiotics from about age 4 to present, along with rhinocort and pulmocort), but did not keep him from getting them altogether. He had another sinus surgery and continues to receive IVIG monthly. He also seemed to have minor physical development issues, but we attributed them to his illnesses and at an early age did not seem out of the normal range. As he got older and tried to play organized sports he did not stand out too much since the other boys were also just learning. In the past two years it has become very clear that he is not able to coordinate his mind and body to perfor m the physically to hit or catch a ball. He seems fatigued most of the time and comments have been made by other parents because he seems uninterested and as if he is not “trying” to play. We always noticed some quirks he had like some slight hand flapping, slouching as he got older, awkward running, nconsitency in any activity requiring a ball. Since infancy he had an extremely difficult time transitioning from being awake to sleeping. His mother had to wrap him and hold him close as he sobbed for over an hour. Every light and of course the TV had to be off. If anything interrupted that process, it pretty much had to start again. He acted as if cutting his fingernails was torture and would hold his hands out, palms toward him for some time afterwards still crying. To this day, he has a fit when we cut (usually he won’t allow us to, but he does it himself under supervision) his nails. Now, wouldn’t you think this child would have come under the radar before now…no, he swims like a FISH and has a ton of energy when he is in the water compared to his participation in other sports. He learned to ride a bike and skate before school age. Children who are considered STARS in physical activities were BEHIND him in these categories at age 3-4. Now, of course, they are not. He also did super in K-2, although his 2nd grade teacher did continue to express concern about some of his behaviors that seemed to keep him from reaching his full potential. This and our mounting concerns over physical development or awkward development prompted a visit to a doctor (actually two who agreed on the dx), and led us to where we are now. We have not seen an OT yet. As I read others’ accounts of experiences, I see how different my grandson is. He does have the picky clothes issue, but otherwise does like to hug and be hugged. I definitely need to read the books you suggest and get educated. Thank you for your information.