Sensory Processing Disorders

10 Key excerpts on "Sensory Processing Disorders"

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  eBook - ePub

  Behaviour Barriers and Beyond

  Practical Strategies to Help All Pupils Thrive

  • Rachel Thynne(Author)
  • 2021(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  Chapter 11

  Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

  DOI: 10.4324/9781003146292-12

  Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) may also be referred to as Sensory Integration Difficulties, sensory sensitivities or Sensory Processing Difficulties. SPD is ‘the inability to use information received through the senses in order to function smoothly in daily life’ (Kranowitz, 2005 ). Sensory processing is the body’s ability to process and respond to a variety of sensory information. A person with sensory processing difficulties has trouble responding to, making sense of and organising sensory stimuli received by the brain.

  Children with sensory processing difficulties may be hyper- (over-)responsive to certain sensory stimuli (being over-stimulated or overwhelmed and therefore withdrawing from or avoiding the sensation). Alternatively, they may be hypo- (under-)responsive to sensory information (seemingly unaware of sensory stimuli). Or they may be sensory-craving or sensory-seeking (needing additional sensation such as movement or pressure) (Kranowitz, 2005; Stephens, 2018 ). Kranowitz (2017) explains that people with sensory processing difficulties may struggle in ‘interpreting and managing ordinary sensations such as how things feel on your skin, how gravity affects balance and movement, where body parts are and what they’re doing. So, SPD affects the biggies, touching and being touched, moving and being moved.’

  SPD can present independently but are likely to co-exist with other conditions such as autism, ADHD, selective mutism, dyslexia, genetic syndromes and allergies (Kranowitz, 2005). They can also be linked to a child’s experiences of early trauma or attachment disruptions and with Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) and developmental delay (Stephens, 2018) as well as FASD (Blackburn et al., 2012 ) and Tourette Syndrome (Tourettes Action, undated

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  Diseases and Disorders in Infancy and Early Childhood

  • Janette B. Benson, Marshall M. Haith(Authors)
  • 2009(Publication Date)
  • Academic Press

    (Publisher)

  Sensory processing – The ability to detect information through the senses, organize that information, and interpret the information making a meaningful and appropriate adaptive response. For most people the process of sensory processing is automatic and unconscious. Sensory processing disorder (SPD) – This complex disorder is a neurological condition that affects children and adults. People with SPD misinterpret everyday sensory information, such as touch, sound, and movement. They may feel bombarded by information, crave intense sensory experiences, be unable to discriminate the fine qualities of sensation, or have awkward responses to sensory input. To be classified as a disorder, the symptoms of SPD must be severe enough that participation in daily life activities is restricted. Tactile system – Receptors for the tactile system are located in the skin and are responsible for the sense of touch. Theory of sensory integration – This theory explains the relation between deficits in interpreting sensory input and learning, behavior, or motor difficulties. The theory recognizes brain–behavior interactions and focuses on the role of the senses in creating a foundation for higher level cognitive, emotional, and motor activities. The theory postulates that adequate detection, modulation, discrimination, and responses to sensory information are needed for normal adaptive behavior to occur. Vestibular system – This sensory system responds to the position of the head in relation to gravity and to the acceleration or deceleration of movement. The receptors for the vestibular system are the semicircular canals and the utricle and saccule that are located in the labyrinth of the inner ear. These receptors detect the pull of gravity and movement of the head. 329

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  Wired Differently

  A Teacher's Guide to Understanding Sensory Processing Challenges

  • Keriann Wilmot(Author)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Gryphon House Inc.

    (Publisher)

  The Out-of-Sync Child is an excellent resource for parents seeking to learn about sensory processing disorder and to find strategies to assist with sensory integration.

  SPD is an individual’s inability to control or coordinate all the sensory input from the world that is entering their system through their senses. This results in feelings of being overwhelmed and overstimulated, which are exhibited as many different types of “unwanted behaviors.” Children who struggle with SPD have a hard time succeeding and coping when completing everyday life activities and routines, especially when they are required to participate in and focus on academic tasks as part of a large-group environment in school. Note that sensory processing issues do not discriminate based upon age. Because school is often the first time children are asked to participate and perform in new, challenging environments outside of their homes, sensory issues are often identified in school-aged children; however, infants and adults can struggle with SPD as well.

  It has been reported by the STAR Institute that one in twenty people in the general population may be affected by SPD. A 2013 study by Julia Owen and colleagues at Benioff Children’s Hospital at the University of California, San Francisco, was the first to identify structural differences in the white matter of the brain with children who have sensory processing issues. It is not known what causes SPD, but of those with diagnoses such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, the incidence of SPD may even be higher than one in twenty. Genetics could also play a factor in diagnosis. What we know for sure is that we need continued research to truly understand this complicated disorder.

  Everyone has sensory preferences that are part of who they are, and every human being can face sensory challenges. For example, you might not like the scratchiness of tags and seams in your clothes, so you buy soft clothes without seams and cut the tags out. Another person may absolutely refuse to mix their corn into their mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving dinner, keeping each food perfectly separated on the plate. But when a child has so many preferences that it impacts his daily functioning, we can identify that there may be sensory processing disorder.

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  Multidisciplinary Interventions for People with Diverse Needs - A Training Guide for Teachers, Students, and Professionals

  • Samuel Honório, Marco Batista, Helena Mesquita, Samuel Honório, Marco Batista, Helena Mesquita(Authors)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Bentham Science Publishers

    (Publisher)

  Sensory processing refers to the way the brain receives, organizes and interprets sensory input. The reception, modulation, integration and organization of the sensory stimulus, including the behavioral responses to said input, are components of sensory processing (Mailloux, & Smith-Roley, 2001).

  An optimal processing ability allows someone to give an adaptive response to the demands of the environment and to adequately take up his or her daily occupations. Any activity undertaken by the individual requires the processing of the sensation, or “sensory integration” (Humphry, 2002; Lane, Young, Baker, & Angley, 2010).

  ASD represent a wide range of conditions that manifest themselves in a series of deficits, but sensory issues are now part of the diagnostic criteria of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the most recent description of the disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition), including hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g. apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with light or movement) (APA, 2013 ). We know that the symptoms can vary with different categories, including social interaction, perseveration (repetitive and stereotyped movement), somatosensory disorder (movement or balance shifting frequency), atypical development standards, mood changes (hyper-reactivity or absence of responses to stimuli) and attention and security problems (Pfeiffer, Koening, Kinnealey, Sheppard, & Henderson, 2011). With the growing understanding of neuropsychology in ASD, research has been focusing more on the definition of motor performance and on the sensory processing of these children. Behavioral studies have shown that behavior is not only associated with difficulties in social communication and in restricted interests but also in what concerns the sensory experiences of children with ASD, which are different when compared with typically developing peers (Kuhaneck & Watling, 2010 ). Children with ASD have difficulty in processing the sensory input and adequately responding to the demands of the environment (

  Hilton et al

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  Secrets to Success for Professionals in the Autism Field

  An Insider's Guide to Understanding the Autism Spectrum, the Environment and Your Role

  • Gunilla Gerland(Author)
  • 2012(Publication Date)
  • Jessica Kingsley Publishers

    (Publisher)

  PART 2 Understanding the Impairments ...The Symptoms We Often See and What May Cause Them

  Passage contains an image

  6 ‘You never know if orange juice will taste like orange juice’ A Chapter on Sensory Processing Issues

  Sensory processing is about how sensations are processed in the brain. When we speak of sensory processing problems we mean that there is a difficulty in organizing and coordinating the sensory input. It has little to do with the sensory organ (e.g. the ear or the eye) itself but rather with how the brain deals with the impressions.

  Having sensory processing problems is not a criterion for autism spectrum disorders, but is the rule rather than the exception. For individuals with sensory processing problems, it may be that there are worse in childhood and then improve over the years. Others, however, continue having significant problems with sensory processing in adulthood. While some have several sensory problems involving more than one sense, others have only one. And a few individuals have none at all, but those are, as I mentioned, the exceptions.

  Are sensory processing problems unique to autism? No, but they are not all that common outside the neuropsychiatric field. There are descriptions of how sensory processing becomes a problem for people who have suffered a neck injury (like whiplash), and people with hemiplegia (a form of cerebral palsy)38 often have sensory processing problems. There are of course some people who have a single sensory processing problem without any disability in general. A friend of mine who is very sensitive to sounds (and she does not have autism or any other disability) describes it as having ‘glass ears’. I have another friend who cannot stand touching some materials (cotton-wool pads for example).

  Sensory processing problems are not entirely uncommon in the population, but within the autism spectrum people often have more intense problems, involving multiple senses. In addition, they already have a disability that affects, among other things, their energy consumption. Therefore, sensory problems are often more difficult for those with autism.

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  Available until 4 Dec |Learn more

  Raising Kids With Sensory Processing Disorders

  A Week-by-Week Guide to Solving Everyday Sensory Issues

  • Rondalyn V Whitney, Varleisha Gibbs(Authors)
  • 2021(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  Our philosophy is constructed on the foundation that your child is not only your child, but also a friend, a sibling, and a learner. Children are constantly growing and, therefore, constantly in a state of transition. In addition, a large role they play is that of being a student. As scientists, we study the activities that promote positive habits and routines related to the occupational role of student, and therefore homework strategies and morning routines. We are frequently invited to use the body of knowledge related to sensory processing as we observe sensory barriers interfering with an individual’s ability to interact with others, adapt to the environment, and perform expected tasks, such as getting dressed or eating with the family.

  Although we use social and behavioral theories, knowledge of medical science is also part of the toolbox. Our training in anatomy, physiology, and neurology helps us understand development from the basic systems of the body—the brain, the muscles, and the sensory system. Our background in psychosocial theory supports our interventions to be holistic and mindful of the spirit and the social-emotional aspects of development. We use evidence to guide our practices and the fields are science driven. Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is not an accepted diagnosis, but it has become increasingly used in clinical practice to explain behaviors that are sensory based and to describe processing through the sensory pathways that is disordered and impairs participation. Even while SPD is not an accepted diagnosis, the term can provide a framework with which parents and professionals can understand a child’s abilities.

  In this book, our goal is to help you see what we, as experts, would see and to provide helpful suggestions that might make daily life easier. Although occupational therapists can use wonderful strategies in the clinic, carryover to the home and community environments is the ultimate goal for our interventions. We want to help you learn how to recognize the “soft signs” that suggest a child is struggling to take in information from his environment, organize that input, and use what he’s learning to grow and learn and play. As a parent, you are the expert on your child, but when there is a gap between his development and his potential, what do you do? How do you prioritize what you provide for intervention? When do you worry and when do you watch and wait? We have worked with so many parents who say, “I wish I had started earlier” or “I wish I knew this information when he was younger.” We have wished that too, and this book is our gift to your child and to you. We hope to partner with you through the following pages and together close the gap between parent and practitioner strategies.

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  Early Childhood Music Therapy and Autism Spectrum Disorder, Second Edition

  Supporting Children and Their Families

  • Petra Kern, Marcia Humpal(Authors)
  • 2018(Publication Date)
  • Jessica Kingsley Publishers

    (Publisher)

  While atypical responses to sensation have generally been considered an associated, rather than diagnostic, feature of ASD, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association; APA, 2013) now includes “hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of environment” as a possible symptom under restricted/repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities. In addition, a number of the behaviors that may result from hyper-reactivity are included as possible symptoms as well. These include “insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns…of behavior.” Sensory Systems To understand sensory features and processing patterns associated with ASD, two basic pieces of knowledge act as a foundation. The first relates to the sensory systems themselves, and the second focuses on qualities of sensation. Figure 10.1 provides an overview of the sensory systems, and Figure 10.2 provides information about the qualities of sensation that should be considered; both include examples. It is important to note that although these sensory systems and qualities of sensation must be discussed individually, most sensory experiences that occur in “real life” are combinations of multiple sensory systems and qualities. Figure 10.1: Sensory System and Its Functioning Figure 10.2: Quality of Sensations with Definition and Examples Sensory Processing The sensory features associated with ASD have been characterized in various ways. Most current research considers three primary patterns of sensory processing: hyper-responsivity, hypo-responsivity, and sensory-seeking behaviors (Ashburner, Ziviani, & Rodger, 2008; Ben - Sasson et al., 2009; Boyd et al., 2010). Some young children with ASD present with mixed patterns of sensory processing, such as over-responsiveness to one or two types of sensation, and hypo-responsiveness to another type

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  A Practical Guide to Mental Health Problems in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

  It's not just their autism!

  • Alvina Ali, Michelle O'Reilly, Khalid Karim(Authors)
  • 2013(Publication Date)
  • Jessica Kingsley Publishers

    (Publisher)

  The brain has to interpret these senses and does so using previous experience as a point of reference. (For example, the smell of a flower is recognised as a rose because of prior experiences of that particular smell.) This process develops throughout life but obviously exists in an accelerated form in childhood as the child is exposed to new experiences. Difficulty in processing sensory information is commonly seen in children with ASD, but is also reported in other neuro-developmental and neurological conditions; it is even seen in people who are very tired. For example, when you are tired, the noise of children seems louder and more intrusive and the ability to block out this noise is reduced. This ongoing development in the ability to interpret the sensory environment and the changes throughout childhood may explain why younger children with ASD have more profound problems with sensory processing, which tend to improve as the child gets older. The ability to receive and modify these sensory problems is not a consistent feature in all individuals with ASD – clinically, it appears to occur more frequently in those children with comorbid conditions such as ADHD. In addition to this, the presentation of sensory problems differs significantly from child to child, with children being over-sensitive (hyper-sensitive) and under-sensitive (hypo-sensitive) to different sensations

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  The Autism Discussion Page on Stress, Anxiety, Shutdowns and Meltdowns

  Proactive Strategies for Minimizing Sensory, Social and Emotional Overload

  • Bill Nason(Author)
  • 2019(Publication Date)
  • Jessica Kingsley Publishers

    (Publisher)

  You are on guard for the next unpredictable sensory assault or unexpected social demand. The physical, social and task demands of your immediate environment are coming too fast and there are too many. Your brain starts to shut down, you lose the ability to speak and act purposely, and your body begins to hurt with pain. The panic overwhelms you with the need to escape. You scream, run or lash out in uncontrolled fear and rage. Just imagine! You try to intervene, discipline or support what you see from me, but please take a moment to “just imagine” what it is like to be me in that moment. Once you can imagine, you can begin to understand and learn how to support me. It is so important for my safety and security and to my emotional survival. Just imagine! Sensory processing challenges In the blue book, The Autism Discussion Page on the Core Challenges of Autism (Nason 2014a), I discuss in detail many of the sensory processing differences (fragmented/ distorted perception, hyper-/hypo-sensitivities, sensory defensiveness, mono-processing, poor sensory integration, etc.) commonly found in autism, both strengths and challenges. It is not my intent to reiterate this information here, for many of you have already read that book. In this book, I will only focus on sensory defensiveness and sensory overload, since they present the most difficulties for those on the spectrum. For a more detail discussion on the wide variety of sensory challenges in autism, I refer you to the blue book. Sensory Overload 235 Sensory defensiveness Sensory defensiveness is one of the most challenging sensory issues in autism. Those with sensory defensiveness experience hyper-sensitivity in one or more senses: touch, sounds, light, smells, taste or movement. Normal daily touch, sound, noise and lights that we process comfortably can be more intense, uncomfortable and even painful for those with autism.

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  A Practical Guide to Autism

  What Every Parent, Family Member, and Teacher Needs to Know

  • Fred R. Volkmar, Lisa A. Wiesner(Authors)
  • 2021(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  We do not know why all these unusual sensory issues develop in children with ASDs. It is likely that these problems are intimately related to other problems in development, particularly social development and attentional abilities. We do know, however, that they can make life more difficult for the child, families, and teachers. Sometimes unusual sensory experiences pose problems at home or school, for example, by diverting the individual’s attention from what is most relevant (maybe the teacher or a lesson) and onto what is much less relevant (the light switch or the sound of the air conditioner or tex- ture of the carpet on the floor). These behaviors also appear to peers to be very unusual and can result in isolation of the individual. At other times, unusual sensory sensitivities may be unpleasant for the person and their reactions may seem very odd indeed to onlookers as they become overly preoccupied with what, to the onlooker, seems a very minor detail! Various theories have tried to account for these problems, but with only limited success. It is not clear whether the problems have to do with too much (or too little) processing, with anxiety, with difficulties in dealing with change, or with basic aspects of information processing and attention—although probably all of these are involved in some degree. The social problems so characteristic of autism and ASDs also likely contribute, that is, probably, most of us learn very early in life from other people what is, and isn’t, so impor- tant to focus on. Similarly, most of us learn early in life to ask for help, one way or the other, when we need to cope with sensory stimuli or sensory overload, for example by turning to parents or caregivers. As we’ll discuss later in this chapter, some children who have visual impairments or deafness (but not autism) will show some unusual sensitivities and behaviors similar to those seen in autism.

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