Sensory Processing Disorder: When Sense Does Not Make Sense

Ever wonder why your child cries or covers their ears with their hands with every loud noise? Why they don't like to be touched or want to be touched all the time? Why they have a meltdown when their hands get dirty? The answer may be Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).

Sensory Processing Disorder, also known as Sensory Integration Disorder or Dysfunction is a condition that exists when sensory signals do not get organized into appropriate responses. Sensory processing refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and then turns them into appropriate motor or behavioral responses.

Research completed by the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation shows that 1 in every 20 children has some symptoms of Sensory Processing Disorder that is significant enough to affect their daily life. The exact cause of SPD like many other neurodevelopmental disorders is unknown.

Many children with Sensory Processing Disorder are intellectually gifted; their brains are just wired a little different. Treatment is mostly beneficial through occupational therapy using sensory integration methods. Sensory integration is a neurological process that organizes sensation from one's own body and the environment, making it possible to use the body effectively within the environment.

Sensory Integration Therapy starts by usually placing a child in a room specifically designed to stimulate and challenge all the senses. During the session, the occupational therapist works with the child to provide a level of sensory stimulation that the child can cope with, and encourage movement within the room.

SPD can affect one or multiple senses, and children may display a range of symptoms. One of the reasons Sensory Processing Disorder is an elusive diagnosis is that the disorder appears different in different people. In general, children with SPD are either over-responders or under-responders to particular situations. A child who is hypersensitive to touch may be very fussy about the seams or tags in clothing. They may avoid finger paints or other things considered messy. Over-responders may develop sensory defensiveness and try to control every part of their lives in order to prevent unwanted senses. This defensiveness makes them appear angry, meticulous and demanding.

Children who under-respond feel the need to immerse themselves to an abnormal degree in order to experience certain senses. They may squeeze the cat too hard, they may crave motion and jump, swing, spin or run all the time. Some children insensitive to touch may be unaware of cuts that are bleeding or even an injury as serious as a broken bone.