I received an email with a question regarding someone who believed a family member might have a child with autism. She was interested in learning more about autism and things you could look for to see if the issues that were being observed could be related to autism. So, I thought I'd take a portion of the email I wrote to her and discuss some of the signs or red flags one might notice in a child as he/she are developing.
Some signs to look for (every autistic kid does not have every one of these -- the severity of the autism has to do with how much, how often and how many of them):
Age Appropriate Toys -- does the child play with age appropriate toys or still hold on to baby toys or cause and effect toys (by 3, children should move on to more imaginary play toys like cars, dolls, action figures, drawing, etc)
Tip toe walking --- some do, some don't, but it is a sign of autism
Hand flapping --- some do, some don't, but another sign of autism (often referred to as "self stimulating behavior" -- if over stimulated, the child may wave his hands up by his face to show excitement or nervousness)
Eye Contact --- many children with autism have no eye contact issues with family and close friends/relatives, but can't look strangers or acquaintances in the eyes -- they may glance, but nothing sustained
Joint attention -- does the child point to objects when asked (whether in a book or out on a walk, like point to the tree, or fire hydrant or stop sign) they look for finger pointing -- actual single finger pointing to an object - autistic children often do not point out things and have "poor joint attention", only picking and choosing what to draw their attention to
Interest in things that spin --- many children will spin themselves (another form of self stimulating behavior, but do not get dizzy); others like objects that spin and will stare at it for unusually long periods of time
Appropriate use of everyday objects -- does the child know how to use a hair brush on a doll or self, or know that a spoon is used to stir, -- autistic kids often need to be taught about what an object is used for and these kids do not learn by imitation; how do they play with cars -- line them up & stare at the pattern or spinning the tires are 2 signs that they look for
Interest in shiny objects --- many kids will stare for unusually long periods to shiny objects
Attention span- many autistic kids have a very short attention span; many can't sit through the reading of a book or show no interest in books as infants/toddlers
Chewing/Mouthing objects -- many autistic kids chew or mouth objects as tiny babies without teeth would do; these kids have shirt collars constantly in their mouths, seatbelt straps, toys, etc.
Interest in new toys - does the child have a hard time wanting or knowing what to do with a new toy; does the child show interest in the new toy or pick it up and then move on
Attention to task - this one has to do with two extremes --- either the child bounces from one task to another without long attention or the child is sooo attentive to the task that they can't move away from it or won't do anything else -- both extremes are signs of autism like behavior
Response to own name - a majority of the time will ignore their own name when called
Speech/Language - Most autistic kids have some sort of language or speech delay; extreme cases never gain speech; some have cognitive/receptive issues; others have pronunciation; many/most have both; almost all are late talkers
Dietary Concerns - many kids are "sickly"; have food allergies, bowel issues, stomach problems; weight loss/weight gain; picky eaters; many hate textured foods; many need food purified -- each need is different but there is usually some sort of "feeding" issue one way or another; some are messy eaters and don't know how to use utensils correctly, others can, but prefer to use hands,
**Sensory Issues - Most kids have some sort of Sensory Integration issues which is the source of the manifestation of some of the above listed behaviors -- the brain processing the sensory information received through the senses incorrectly -- some are "sensory seekers", constantly looking for sensory input -- these kids are "crashing into" things like furniture and people's legs; they might spin and not get dizzy; they love "messy" play like paint and glue and might put it all over their hands and arms -- others "avoid" all the sensory input -- they might hate touching certain textures, glue, sand, etc. --- then on the auditory side, they may fear loud noises, including hair dryers or toilets flushing, while the other extreme is that they don't even notice sound and seem like they might have 'hearing' issues, but test within range for hearing (hence not reacting to own name);
on the sensory issues -- there are a ton -- other issues may be poor gross motor skills -- may walk unstably, may have a hard time avoiding obstacles, may avoid or seek swinging for long periods of time, may feel more "grounded" with feet always touching the floor, so can't sit still at a chair with feet up or on a toilet without feet touching a stool
I have a good book that talks about sensory issues that is a good introduction into children that just seem to be a bit different -- not necessarily autistic, but have Sensory Processing Disorder. It's called The Out of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz. She also wrote a companion book called The Out of Sync Child has fun, which is a workbook that teaches parents tips to practice in the home to help your child overcome the sensory issues. The good news is that if it's Sensory Processing Disorder by itself, then there are things that you can do that helps the child and makes it go away. Many kids with autism have Sensory Processing Disorder, but not every child with it has Autism. It is a good resource for a parent to read who has just begun to understood their child is a bit "different".
Showing posts with label Carol Stock Kranowitz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carol Stock Kranowitz. Show all posts
Monday, January 19, 2009
Monday, August 4, 2008
Proprioceptive Sense
To continue on with the last few days theme, I am going to concentrate on the Proprioceptive Sense, as documented in The Out-of-sync Child, by Carol Stock Kranowitz.
"Proprioception tells us about our own movement and body position"
It informs us about where we are in space, how our body parts relate to one another, how much and how quickly our muscles stretch, how fast we are moving through space, how our timing is, and how much force our muscles put forth.
"We get the most and best proprioception when we actively stretch and tighten our muscles in resistive motions, against the pull of gravity" (doing a push-up or doing heavy work like hoisting a loaded laundry basket)
Muscle sensations come through the proprioceptive system, which works closely with the tactile and vesitbular senses (discussed in previous blogs). Proprioception helps integrate touch and movement sensations. Due to the relationship, there are two kinds of processing: Tactile-proprioceptive (judging the weight of a glass of milk or holding a pencil efficiently to write) and Vestibular-proprioceptive (to help throw and catch a ball or climb stairs).
"Another very important function is to help modulate our arousal level".
Proprioceptive experiences calm and organize us. It's these kind of activities that help settle children before they sit to listen to a story. Oftentimes, this is the purpose when someone tells you to stand and stretch for a minute before continuing a lecture or seminar.
Proprioceptive Dysfunction
Proprioceptive dysfunction is the inefficient processing of sensations perceived through the muscles and skin, as well as the joints. (it is almost always accompanied with tactile and/or vestibular problems).
The difficulty in processing the sensations about position and movement of body parts can cause the child to have difficulty using this information for adaptive behavior. Oftentimes, this kind of child is labeled the 'klutz'. Exerting too much or not enough pressure while handling objects is a problem for these children. (breaking pencil points or poor grip on objects or trouble holding two objects of different weights)
To compensate, these children oftentimes needs to use their eyes to see what the body is doing. They need the aid of vision to do things that can normally done by feel. (zipping a jacket, getting out of bed in the dark, orienting body to get dressed)
Overresponsive - avoids stretching and contracting muscles; lacks the 'internal eyes' to see what body parts are doing; shun playground activities; typically picky eaters
Underresponsive- lacks the inner drive to move and play; usually clumsy with toys and materials, may not know they are sitting in an uncomfortable position; may not be able to orient body to get dressed
Seeking - bumper and crasher, active mover; craves passive movement to muscles; may bite, kick, hit and behave in an aggressive manor; oftentimes engaging in self-stimulation, such as biting their own skin or banging head against wall.
Proprioceptive Sense and John
As far as I can tell from the checklists, John again, is a sensory seeker. Many categories here had checkboxes that were not age appropriate for John, as I could not answer one way or another. He is too young to tell if he has low self esteem, lacks self confidence saying "I can't do that", has messy school work, , etc. There are times in his speech that I can tell he 'knows' he can't say the hard E sound. (as in bee, Mommy, please). He is now imitating almost everything we say and if we ask him to say a word with the hard e sound, he all of the sudden won't imitate. So, there might be something there, but again, he seems to young to tell for sure.
"Proprioception tells us about our own movement and body position"
It informs us about where we are in space, how our body parts relate to one another, how much and how quickly our muscles stretch, how fast we are moving through space, how our timing is, and how much force our muscles put forth.
"We get the most and best proprioception when we actively stretch and tighten our muscles in resistive motions, against the pull of gravity" (doing a push-up or doing heavy work like hoisting a loaded laundry basket)
Muscle sensations come through the proprioceptive system, which works closely with the tactile and vesitbular senses (discussed in previous blogs). Proprioception helps integrate touch and movement sensations. Due to the relationship, there are two kinds of processing: Tactile-proprioceptive (judging the weight of a glass of milk or holding a pencil efficiently to write) and Vestibular-proprioceptive (to help throw and catch a ball or climb stairs).
"Another very important function is to help modulate our arousal level".
Proprioceptive experiences calm and organize us. It's these kind of activities that help settle children before they sit to listen to a story. Oftentimes, this is the purpose when someone tells you to stand and stretch for a minute before continuing a lecture or seminar.
Proprioceptive Dysfunction
Proprioceptive dysfunction is the inefficient processing of sensations perceived through the muscles and skin, as well as the joints. (it is almost always accompanied with tactile and/or vestibular problems).
The difficulty in processing the sensations about position and movement of body parts can cause the child to have difficulty using this information for adaptive behavior. Oftentimes, this kind of child is labeled the 'klutz'. Exerting too much or not enough pressure while handling objects is a problem for these children. (breaking pencil points or poor grip on objects or trouble holding two objects of different weights)
To compensate, these children oftentimes needs to use their eyes to see what the body is doing. They need the aid of vision to do things that can normally done by feel. (zipping a jacket, getting out of bed in the dark, orienting body to get dressed)
Overresponsive - avoids stretching and contracting muscles; lacks the 'internal eyes' to see what body parts are doing; shun playground activities; typically picky eaters
Underresponsive- lacks the inner drive to move and play; usually clumsy with toys and materials, may not know they are sitting in an uncomfortable position; may not be able to orient body to get dressed
Seeking - bumper and crasher, active mover; craves passive movement to muscles; may bite, kick, hit and behave in an aggressive manor; oftentimes engaging in self-stimulation, such as biting their own skin or banging head against wall.
Proprioceptive Sense and John
As far as I can tell from the checklists, John again, is a sensory seeker. Many categories here had checkboxes that were not age appropriate for John, as I could not answer one way or another. He is too young to tell if he has low self esteem, lacks self confidence saying "I can't do that", has messy school work, , etc. There are times in his speech that I can tell he 'knows' he can't say the hard E sound. (as in bee, Mommy, please). He is now imitating almost everything we say and if we ask him to say a word with the hard e sound, he all of the sudden won't imitate. So, there might be something there, but again, he seems to young to tell for sure.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The Vestibular Sense
Using Carol Stock Kranowitz' book, The Out-of-Sync Child as a reference, I am going to concentrate on the Vestibular Sense today.
The Vestibular System
The vestibular system sends sensory messages to our brain about balance and movement, generating muscle tone so we can move smoothly and efficiently. The receptors for vestibular sensations are hair cells in the inner ear, stimulated by gravity. It is what responds when we feel ourselves "falling"-- the response being self-protective reflexes.
Vestibular Dysfunction
Vestibular dysfunction is the inefficient processing in the brain of sensations received through the inner ear. Posture and coordination can be off. Eye movements are influenced by the vestibular system, so visual problems can occur --- inadequate gaze stability, inability to focus on moving objects, reading problems due to coordination issues with left-to-right eye movement, etc. It can contribute to difficulty processing language. Certain movements that should produce a calming effect do not for the out of sync child, causing them to be unable to calm themselves down. Difficulty moving smoothly interferes with behavior and attention.
Overresponsivity - children respond negatively to movement; causes emotional outbursts or overexcitement; can't organize sensory stimuli due to overload; some may be intolerent to any movement at all;
Gravitational Insecurity - no sense of stability; primal fear of falling - abnormal distress and anxiety about falling
Underresponsivity - this child doesn't seem to notice changes in movement; these children typically were called "easy babies"; loved curling up for long naps; later lacks any motivation to want to move; does not usually seek movement; needs extra movement just to get going, but then once started, has difficulty stopping; oblivious to the sense of falling
Seeking more - can't get enough of movement; increased tolerance for movement; enjoys vigorous activity; loves being upside-down, loves to climb - -uses everything for a ladder; loves swinging for exceptionally long times; loves twirling in circle --oftentimes seeming like they don't get dizzy; darts from one activity to another; short attention span even for things they enjoy; constantly on the go, but moves without caution or good motor coordination
Muscle Tone is the degree of tension normally present when our muscles are in the resting state. A child with a vestibular dysfunction may have low muscle tone. (this is not strength of muscles, but the state at which the muscles are at rest). Their muscles lack the energy needed to be ready to move. It takes a little bit of extra effort to just get them started.
Bilateral Coordination is a term used to describe using both sides of the body to work together. A well-regulated vestibular system helps to integrate sensory information from both sides of the body. Children by age 3 or 4 should be able to cross the mid-line, which means reaching with one hand to the other side of the body (crossing the center of one's body) -- think 'cherry-pickers' from grade school PE class (arms outstretched-twisting and bending to touch our right hand to our left foot and then back to center, reverse) or shaking hands with someone (your right hand with their right hand, crossing over your center of your body).
It's also what contributes to the ability to jump with both feet from a ledge to the ground, as opposed to just stepping off with one foot.---- or using both hands to clap.
The Vestibular Sense and John
For John, I checked 2 of the 4 listed for underresponsive in movement
and 4 of 7 in sensory seeking. I had a lot checked and a lot of question marks in the "sensory slumper with sensory-based postural disorder affecting movement of head, balance, muscle tone, and bilateral coordination".
John had lots of scattered skills throughout this section, but nothing that is definitive for me, although my gut tells me he is the sensory seeker for movement.
For example, he moves all the time and is almost always in constant movement, which would tells me that he is a sensory seeker. However, he doesn't vigorously shake his head, doesn't rock back and forth, doesn't like trampolines more than other kids (he will jump for 2 seconds and then he is done, as with everything else he does), etc. Many of the questions in the checklist were not age appropriate for me to know yet with John (like seeks out thrill rides at amusement parks).
He appears at times to be uncoordinated, but can clap, cross the mid-line, open doorknobs, is already potty trained (poor bladder control is one checkbox), and loves structured activities (hard time with structure was another check box) -- he actually loves the structure.
So, to sum it up, there seems to be an issue here for John, but I can't pin point it myself. I'll have to see what the OT evaluation shows.
The Vestibular System
The vestibular system sends sensory messages to our brain about balance and movement, generating muscle tone so we can move smoothly and efficiently. The receptors for vestibular sensations are hair cells in the inner ear, stimulated by gravity. It is what responds when we feel ourselves "falling"-- the response being self-protective reflexes.
Vestibular Dysfunction
Vestibular dysfunction is the inefficient processing in the brain of sensations received through the inner ear. Posture and coordination can be off. Eye movements are influenced by the vestibular system, so visual problems can occur --- inadequate gaze stability, inability to focus on moving objects, reading problems due to coordination issues with left-to-right eye movement, etc. It can contribute to difficulty processing language. Certain movements that should produce a calming effect do not for the out of sync child, causing them to be unable to calm themselves down. Difficulty moving smoothly interferes with behavior and attention.
Overresponsivity - children respond negatively to movement; causes emotional outbursts or overexcitement; can't organize sensory stimuli due to overload; some may be intolerent to any movement at all;
Gravitational Insecurity - no sense of stability; primal fear of falling - abnormal distress and anxiety about falling
Underresponsivity - this child doesn't seem to notice changes in movement; these children typically were called "easy babies"; loved curling up for long naps; later lacks any motivation to want to move; does not usually seek movement; needs extra movement just to get going, but then once started, has difficulty stopping; oblivious to the sense of falling
Seeking more - can't get enough of movement; increased tolerance for movement; enjoys vigorous activity; loves being upside-down, loves to climb - -uses everything for a ladder; loves swinging for exceptionally long times; loves twirling in circle --oftentimes seeming like they don't get dizzy; darts from one activity to another; short attention span even for things they enjoy; constantly on the go, but moves without caution or good motor coordination
Muscle Tone is the degree of tension normally present when our muscles are in the resting state. A child with a vestibular dysfunction may have low muscle tone. (this is not strength of muscles, but the state at which the muscles are at rest). Their muscles lack the energy needed to be ready to move. It takes a little bit of extra effort to just get them started.
Bilateral Coordination is a term used to describe using both sides of the body to work together. A well-regulated vestibular system helps to integrate sensory information from both sides of the body. Children by age 3 or 4 should be able to cross the mid-line, which means reaching with one hand to the other side of the body (crossing the center of one's body) -- think 'cherry-pickers' from grade school PE class (arms outstretched-twisting and bending to touch our right hand to our left foot and then back to center, reverse) or shaking hands with someone (your right hand with their right hand, crossing over your center of your body).
It's also what contributes to the ability to jump with both feet from a ledge to the ground, as opposed to just stepping off with one foot.---- or using both hands to clap.
The Vestibular Sense and John
For John, I checked 2 of the 4 listed for underresponsive in movement
and 4 of 7 in sensory seeking. I had a lot checked and a lot of question marks in the "sensory slumper with sensory-based postural disorder affecting movement of head, balance, muscle tone, and bilateral coordination".
John had lots of scattered skills throughout this section, but nothing that is definitive for me, although my gut tells me he is the sensory seeker for movement.
For example, he moves all the time and is almost always in constant movement, which would tells me that he is a sensory seeker. However, he doesn't vigorously shake his head, doesn't rock back and forth, doesn't like trampolines more than other kids (he will jump for 2 seconds and then he is done, as with everything else he does), etc. Many of the questions in the checklist were not age appropriate for me to know yet with John (like seeks out thrill rides at amusement parks).
He appears at times to be uncoordinated, but can clap, cross the mid-line, open doorknobs, is already potty trained (poor bladder control is one checkbox), and loves structured activities (hard time with structure was another check box) -- he actually loves the structure.
So, to sum it up, there seems to be an issue here for John, but I can't pin point it myself. I'll have to see what the OT evaluation shows.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Tactile Sense
The tactile sense is the sense of touch. Tactile dysfunction is the inefficient processing in the central nervous system of sensations perceived through the skin.
In today's blog, I will be using Carol Stock Kranowitz' book, The Out-of-Sync Child, as my main source of reference for this information. I will be concentrating on the tactile sense today, but there are other senses that need to be and will be discussed in later blogs.
Tactile Sense at Work
A normal tactile sense lets us know when something feels nice and when something feels wrong. We can sense danger through touch (self preservation), as well as enjoy touch. Touch lets us know when someone is "too close" to us or if something is "too hot" for us. Normal tactile sense allows us to discriminate what kind of touch we are feeling.
Tactile Dysfunction
Children can be tactile defensive (overresponsive) - they respond negatively to unexpected, light touch senstations; uncomfortable with touch; will over respond with a fight, flight, fright or freeze response
Children can be tactile underersponisive -they disregard touch --soothing or painful; may not be able to self-protect because he can't 'sense' anything touching him
Children can be tactile sensory seeking - they crave deep pressure, more skin contact than most, touch & feel everything in sight, handle things that other children understand are 'no-nos'; they just have to touch it; intense & impulsive; loves messy play, crams mouth with food; gets too close to other people - can touch to the point of annoyance
The tactile sense affects everyday skills, such as body awareness, motor planning, visual discrimination, language, academic learning, emotional security, and social skills.
"The child with poor tactile awareness in his mouth, lips, tongue, and jaw may have a sensory-based motor problem called oral apraxia, which affects his ability to produce and sequence sounds necessary for speech". quoted from The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz.
How Tactile Dysfunction affects John
I see John with a Sensory Seeking Tactile dysfunction. In this section of the Kranowitz' book, there is a checklist. In the Sensory Seeking category for Tactile dysfunction, I checked 12 of the 15 options. In the other categories, I checked 0 of 17 boxes for over responsive to being touched, 0 of 17 for over responsive to active touch, 4 of 14 for Under responsive and then 12 of 15 for sensory seeking. (the ones I didn't check in that category were 1. twirls hair in fingers 2. seeks really cold or really hot bath water 3. prefers steaming hot, icy cold, or spicy food )
In today's blog, I will be using Carol Stock Kranowitz' book, The Out-of-Sync Child, as my main source of reference for this information. I will be concentrating on the tactile sense today, but there are other senses that need to be and will be discussed in later blogs.
Tactile Sense at Work
A normal tactile sense lets us know when something feels nice and when something feels wrong. We can sense danger through touch (self preservation), as well as enjoy touch. Touch lets us know when someone is "too close" to us or if something is "too hot" for us. Normal tactile sense allows us to discriminate what kind of touch we are feeling.
Tactile Dysfunction
Children can be tactile defensive (overresponsive) - they respond negatively to unexpected, light touch senstations; uncomfortable with touch; will over respond with a fight, flight, fright or freeze response
Children can be tactile underersponisive -they disregard touch --soothing or painful; may not be able to self-protect because he can't 'sense' anything touching him
Children can be tactile sensory seeking - they crave deep pressure, more skin contact than most, touch & feel everything in sight, handle things that other children understand are 'no-nos'; they just have to touch it; intense & impulsive; loves messy play, crams mouth with food; gets too close to other people - can touch to the point of annoyance
The tactile sense affects everyday skills, such as body awareness, motor planning, visual discrimination, language, academic learning, emotional security, and social skills.
"The child with poor tactile awareness in his mouth, lips, tongue, and jaw may have a sensory-based motor problem called oral apraxia, which affects his ability to produce and sequence sounds necessary for speech". quoted from The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz.
How Tactile Dysfunction affects John
I see John with a Sensory Seeking Tactile dysfunction. In this section of the Kranowitz' book, there is a checklist. In the Sensory Seeking category for Tactile dysfunction, I checked 12 of the 15 options. In the other categories, I checked 0 of 17 boxes for over responsive to being touched, 0 of 17 for over responsive to active touch, 4 of 14 for Under responsive and then 12 of 15 for sensory seeking. (the ones I didn't check in that category were 1. twirls hair in fingers 2. seeks really cold or really hot bath water 3. prefers steaming hot, icy cold, or spicy food )
Friday, August 1, 2008
Recognizing Sensory Processing Disorder
I am continuing to read the book, The Out-of-Sync Child, by Carol Stock Kranowitz and am positive that an OT evaluation will reveal that John has Sensory Processing Disorder. (SPD)
According to Carol Stock Kranowitz, SPD is the inability to use information received through the senses in order to function smoothly in daily life.
There are 3 categories within Sensory Processing Disorder and 5 sub-categories under those 3 main ones. The three Disorders are:
1. Sensory Modulation Disorder
2. Sensory Discrimination Disorder
3. Sensory Based Motor Disorder
Under the Sensory Modulation Disorder, the subgroups are :
1. Sensory Over-responsivity
2. Sensory Under-responsivity
3. Sensory Seeking
Under the Sensory-Based Motor Disorder, the subgroups are:
1. Postural Disorder
2. Dyspraxia
John falls under the Sensory Modulation Disorder as a Sensory Seeking Child, based on my own evaluation using Carol Stock Kranowitz' checklists.
This kind of child wants "more" -- wallows in mud, dumps out toys (rummaging through them for the texture), chews on objects and shirt collars, runs and 'crashes' into furniture on purpose, moves constantly, fidgets, loves being upside down, takes bold risks, craves bear hugs, loves being squeezed, seeks heavy work and vigorous playground activities.
With sound, I see John having aspects of all 3 main categories -- he covers his ears to close out normal everyday sounds (microwave and hair dryer) -- overresponsive child
He ignores ordinary sounds and 'turns on" to exagerrated sounds -- underresponsive child
He loves crowds and places with noisy action --- sensory seeking child
I also notices some motor skills issues -- low muscle tone and fine motor planning with his mouth (although with speech therapy, this is getting so much better -- this week, he can now blow bubbles consistently!)
Many issues can arise because of sensory processing issues. Such as:
Self Regulation - inability to adjust mood (calm down once aroused)
Sleep Issues - want or need to sleep with parents, difficult falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up
Eating Issues - picky eater, texture issues, lack of coordination to chew, swallow, and breathe
High Activity Level
Inattention
Impulsivity
Poor Communication
Other issues like Autism, ADHD, Selective Mutism, Down Syndrome, etc may accompany SPD
So, to sum it up for the day, Sensory Processing Disorder is difficulty in the way the brain takes in, organizes and uses sensory information, causing a person to have problems interacting effectively in the everyday environment. Through OT/SI (Occupational Therapy Sensory Integration), children learn to develop their nervous system. A professional evaluation and diagnosis is necessary to begin OT/SI therapy. John has had a primlimary screening through Casa Colina, in which they determined he needed a full evaluation.
*This information was taken from Carol Stock Kranowitz' book, The Out-of-Sync Child.
According to Carol Stock Kranowitz, SPD is the inability to use information received through the senses in order to function smoothly in daily life.
There are 3 categories within Sensory Processing Disorder and 5 sub-categories under those 3 main ones. The three Disorders are:
1. Sensory Modulation Disorder
2. Sensory Discrimination Disorder
3. Sensory Based Motor Disorder
Under the Sensory Modulation Disorder, the subgroups are :
1. Sensory Over-responsivity
2. Sensory Under-responsivity
3. Sensory Seeking
Under the Sensory-Based Motor Disorder, the subgroups are:
1. Postural Disorder
2. Dyspraxia
John falls under the Sensory Modulation Disorder as a Sensory Seeking Child, based on my own evaluation using Carol Stock Kranowitz' checklists.
This kind of child wants "more" -- wallows in mud, dumps out toys (rummaging through them for the texture), chews on objects and shirt collars, runs and 'crashes' into furniture on purpose, moves constantly, fidgets, loves being upside down, takes bold risks, craves bear hugs, loves being squeezed, seeks heavy work and vigorous playground activities.
With sound, I see John having aspects of all 3 main categories -- he covers his ears to close out normal everyday sounds (microwave and hair dryer) -- overresponsive child
He ignores ordinary sounds and 'turns on" to exagerrated sounds -- underresponsive child
He loves crowds and places with noisy action --- sensory seeking child
I also notices some motor skills issues -- low muscle tone and fine motor planning with his mouth (although with speech therapy, this is getting so much better -- this week, he can now blow bubbles consistently!)
Many issues can arise because of sensory processing issues. Such as:
Self Regulation - inability to adjust mood (calm down once aroused)
Sleep Issues - want or need to sleep with parents, difficult falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up
Eating Issues - picky eater, texture issues, lack of coordination to chew, swallow, and breathe
High Activity Level
Inattention
Impulsivity
Poor Communication
Other issues like Autism, ADHD, Selective Mutism, Down Syndrome, etc may accompany SPD
So, to sum it up for the day, Sensory Processing Disorder is difficulty in the way the brain takes in, organizes and uses sensory information, causing a person to have problems interacting effectively in the everyday environment. Through OT/SI (Occupational Therapy Sensory Integration), children learn to develop their nervous system. A professional evaluation and diagnosis is necessary to begin OT/SI therapy. John has had a primlimary screening through Casa Colina, in which they determined he needed a full evaluation.
*This information was taken from Carol Stock Kranowitz' book, The Out-of-Sync Child.
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