“ Why Is My Child Easily Distracted from Completing Easy Tasks?” UNDERSTANDING SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER
Sensory processing refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. Whether you are biting into a sandwich, riding a bicycle, or reading a book, your successful completion of the activity requires accurate processing of sensation. Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), (originally called “sensory integration dysfunction” or SID) exists when sensory signals are either not detected or don’t get organized into appropriate responses. Pioneering occupational therapist, educational psychologist, and neuroscientist A. Jean Ayres, PhD, likened SPD to a neurological “traffic jam” that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks. Motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and many other problems may impact those who do not have effective treatment. Sensory Processing Disorder can affect people in only one of their senses– for example, just touch or just sight or just movement–or in multiple senses.OnepersonwithSPDmayover-respond to touchsensationandfind clothing,physicalcontact,other tactilesensory input tobeunbearableand/ or theymay respond to visualor auditoryor another sensory input. Another person might under-respond and show little or no reaction to stimulation, even pain or extreme hot and cold or just may be slow to respond to sensation. In children whose sensory processing of messages from the muscles and joints is impaired, posture and motor skills can be affected. These children have postural disorder and are the “floppy” children who prop themselves up on walls when standing, lean over on their hand when writing and love to hang out, but not to move. The old fashioned “couch
potato” has now turned “mouse potato” as society becomes 2-dimensional (auditory and visual) with I-Pads, I-watches and I-everything! In yet another subtype (dyspraxia) children are awkward and clumsy and get called “klutz” and “spaz” on the playground, always the last to be picked for a team in PE. Still other children exhibit an appetite for sensation that is in perpetual overdrive; we call these children “sensory cravers”. They seem almost addicted to intense stimulation but when they get it they become dysregulated. These kids often are misdiagnosed - and inappropriately medicated - for ADHD. Effective treatment for Sensory Processing Disorder is available at Synergy Healthcare. We can provide sensory processing therapy to improve the individual senses your child struggles with. We help patients understand how to respond to their senses appropriately. Call our office today for a FREE SCREENING. We look forward to working with you and your family!
CALL TODAY! 208-666-0611 www.synergyidaho.com Schedule a FREE Screening with Us!
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