Have you often wondered why your child complains about the tags or seems of clothing? Or, why he or she might have difficulty with bright lights or loud noises? Have you ever noticed that your child often bumps into things, or gets scrapes and bruises after frequent falls? Or, does it seem like your child does not know his or her own strength when touching, hugging, or playing? Do you find yourself struggling when preparing meals because your child is a picky eater and refuses to eat certain types of food that the rest of your family enjoys?
If you answered “yes” to any, or all, of these questions, your child might be experiencing challenges with Sensory Processing or Sensory Integration. Sensory Processing is one’s ability to handle the information that enters through the five senses—sound, touch, taste, sight, and smell. Proprioception (sense of body awareness) and vestibular sense (sense of movement, balance, and coordination) are two additional senses that also assist with sensory processing.
When children experience too much, or too little, stimulation through their senses, they can feel uncomfortable, anxious, and /or irritable. They may perform behaviors that seem socially awkward or inappropriate. When a child’s sense of taste or smell is challenged, he or she may find it difficult to tolerate certain textures, tastes, temperatures, or smells of foods. Even though you know that your child is bright and wants to make and keep friends, he or she may have difficulty focusing, feeling confident, and performing successfully in school and socializing with peers.
When children are prone to having frequent sensory experiences that bring negative, or even traumatic, consequences, they can experience varying degrees of anxiety, or even flashbacks, and they often find ways to avoid the potential of negative sensory experiences in an effort to cope. However, when overly stressed and overwhelmed with negative stimuli in their environment, or when under-stimulated, they may respond in ways that seem oppositional, impulsive, manipulative, and/or hostile, leading the adults in their lives to feel puzzled, concerned, and/or frustrated. While some children diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or OCD can have sensory challenges, there are some children who have no diagnoses and have sensory challenges.
Symptoms
According to the Child Mind Institute (www.childmind.org), there are two types of sensory processing challenges—under-sensitivity and over-sensitivity—although one child can experience both kinds.
When children are hypersensitive, they are over-sensitive, and they often display extreme behaviors when feeling overwhelmed in response to sensory stimulation.
For example, they may:
• Scream, yell, and/or cry when they have difficulty tolerating bright lights and/or loud noises, like ambulance sirens or popping balloons;
• Refuse to wear certain types of clothing because they feel scratchy or irritating, or shoes because they feel “too tight;”
• Be distracted or irritated by background noises that others do not seem to hear;
• Be fearful of unexpected touch, and avoid hugs and cuddling, even with familiar adults;
• Be overly fearful of swings and playground equipment;
• Have frequent difficulty understanding where their body is in relation to other objects or people, causing them to bump into things and appear clumsy; and,
• Have trouble sensing the amount of force they are applying, like when they unintentionally rip the paper when erasing, tap someone too hard, or slam down objects.
When children are hyposensitive, they are under-sensitive, and they often go to extreme lengths to seek out more sensory stimulation. They may:
• Have a constant need to touch people or textures, even when it’s not socially acceptable;
• Have difficulty understanding personal space, even when kids the same age are old enough to understand it;
• Have an extremely high tolerance for pain;
• Have difficulty understanding their own strength;
• Be very fidgety and unable to sit still;
• Crave jumping, bumping, and crashing activities;
• Enjoy deep pressure like tight bear hugs;
• Crave fast, spinning, and/or intense movement; and,
• Love being tossed in the air and jumping on furniture and trampolines.
How Can Your Child Get Help
Occupational therapists (or OTs) are the specialists who work with children who have sensory processing challenges. Using Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT), occupational therapists work closely and carefully with children to help them manage and integrate environmental stimuli. In rooms that often contain colorful balls and other playful materials that are very inviting to children, occupational therapists facilitate safe and appropriate opportunities for physical movements, like spinning, crashing and jumping, so that children can experience an optimal level of arousal and regulation. Occupational therapists can also provide strategies for children, their parents, and their teachers to use at home, school, and playtime, so that children can experience greater moments of success socially and academically. Often, occupational therapists will work with children within their natural environments, like homes or schools, and they will collaborate and coordinate services with other important professionals in children’s lives, like physicians, mental health therapists, teachers, and speech therapists.
According to The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA), benefits of occupational therapy can include improved sensory processing, motor, cognitive, communication, and play skills. The earlier children receive Sensory Integration Therapy, the faster they can be on their way to experiencing greater self-confidence, and less discomfort, anxiety, and irritability in their daily lives. Parents can feel more joy, as they watch their children being more cooperative, experiencing greater success, thriving, and having more fun!
For more information, you can go to the following websites:
The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA)
www.aota.org
Child Mind Institute
www.childmind.org
Also see:
The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A.
Written by:
Sharon Lucas, LCSW, MSEd, is a Virginia Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who has been providing psychotherapy services for children, adolescents and families for over 15 years. She has worked extensively with children and adolescents who have had challenges related to adjustment, anxiety, depression, behavior and anger management, ADHD, sensory integration, learning disabilities, developmental delays, chronic illness, attachment disorder, parental separation and divorce, grief and loss and trauma. Sharon specializes in adoption and attachment-related issues.
