Sensory Processing Disorder...

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What is Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)?
Sensory processing disorder, also called sensory integration dysfunction, is a term used in occupational therapy to describe a condition where a child has difficulty with the perception of the physical senses. This includes the traditional five senses of hearing, seeing, smell, taste and touch as well as the senses of movement and position.

It is very common. It affects 1 in 20.  To some it may be just a minor nuisance with no huge problems, but to others it can majorly impact their lives and cause them to not be able to function well in every day life.

How is sensory processing disorder diagnosed?
A health professional, often an occupational or physical therapist will evaluate your child by observing his or her reactions to sensory stimulation, posture, balance, coordination, and eye movements. Your health professional will look for patterns of behavior when diagnosing SPD.

How is it treated?
Sensory integration is best treated with therapy, usually conducted by an occupational or physical therapist with focus on activities that challenge the child with sensory input. The therapist then helps the child respond appropriately to this sensory stimulus.
Therapy might include applying deep touch pressure to a child's skin with the goal of allowing him or her to become more used to and process being touched. Also, play such as tug-of-war or with heavy objects, such as a therapy ball, can help increase a child's awareness of her or his own body in space and how it relates to other people.

SPD can affect one or more of the senses.

 I recently read a post that a lady wrote about SPD. She described SPD as being like a person  running their nails down a chalkboard and another person feeling the affect. She said, "Most people have a negative physical reaction to fingernails down a chalkboard.  They shiver or shudder, get goosebumps, squeeze their eyes shut, clench their muscles, some get nauseous, etc.   Children with SPD can and do have similar reactions to many sensory inputs."

A child with SPD may be clumsy, startle easily, fall often, may avoid being touched by others, may not be able to handle loud sounds, may chew on everything or may refuse anything in their mouth. They often set with their legs in a "W" position. They may not tolerate strong smells or may not be able to smell at all. These children may not be able to eat textured foods, they may only be able to tolerate their food cold or hot, they might cover their eyes when they walk in a sunny room, and avoid things such as grass or sand. They may not be able to stand their hands getting dirty. They may walk on their tiptoes to avoid fully touching the floor. Some can't handle tags on their shirts, touching metal objects, or textured materials such as carpet, blankets or stuffed animals. These are just a few things that come to mind. If any of these sound like your child then go here for a Sensory Processing Checklist. If you notice that several of these things describe your child then you may want to share your list with your health care professional.

 SPD and my baby (Joshua Blaze).
 Our OT says our little guy falls under both "Hyposensitive" and  "Hypersensitive" (most often hypersensitive).  Go to the checklist above to see the different types. From the beginning we knew something wasn't just right with our little guy. He was diagnosed with a condition called CMV or Cytomegalovirus  CMV caused Joshua to have obstructive hydrocephalous, microcephalous, hepatosplenomegaly, hepatic fibrosis, profound hearing loss, seizures, some vision loss, and significant delays in development. CMV was to blame for most of his health issues, but what about his odd symptoms that didn't seem related to CMV? Like him being to quiet as an infant (almost withdrawn acting) or how he couldn't handle tummy time at all. He didn't like to be held facing toward you or how he arched his back every time we picked him up. He kept his toes curled tightly under and his fist closed. He seldom made eye contact and turned away from kisses. He was most happy when he was NOT being held. In his johnny jumper he wouldn't put his feet down without closing his eyes and making terrible faces. We finally realized he didn't like the feel of carpet touching his feet. From birth he seemed to gag on everything even his bottle every time you put it in his mouth. It was like he forgot how to eat between bottles. These were the early signs that made us think we might be dealing with some sensory issues. Thankfully because he was already seeing an OT she picked it up rather early. May I add he has over come almost every one of the issues I mentioned above. Yes, there is hope!

 However, He still struggles with eating. He has extreme oral aversion.  He can't handle textures. His food has to be the consistency of stage 2 baby food. One tiny chunk in his food can lead to vomitting. He can't handle warm food at all. His food has to be room temp or colder. He craves cold and absolutely loves ice cream (Thanks to his Paw Paw!). He avoids all table foods and will often gag if he thinks you are going to give him a bite of table food. His OT describes his mouth like a person who has just had dental work and their mouth being numb. It may feel painful (like prickly needles). Which may be why he gags.  One day I handed him an ear of corn, I knew he wouldn't eat it, but I thought he would like playing with it (most 1 year olds would)...not my son. He instantly started vomiting.

Our little guy doesn't like his face, hands or feet to be touched and sometimes touching them can cause him to gag. He clings extra tightly to you when you hold him, often pinching you.  He doesn't like certain materials against his skin, like the fluffy blanket on my bed. He hates rubbery toys and has vomited from even touching them. Grass and thick carpet drives my baby nuts, but he has gotten better with these two, thanks to our OT and PT.

Our little boy failed the smell test. So in this area he is considered Hyposensitive. He was tested with a variety of scents and had no response. Normally if you put a scent such as vinegar up to a child's nose they will turn or push it away...not our little guy. Our OT doesn't think he can smell or if he does it takes a very strong scent to catch his attention. She thinks this may be affecting his feeding as well, because if you can't smell your food then it's not going to taste that good.

Our little guy  is profoundly deaf so his balance and coordination are a little off which has delayed his walking. He struggles with knowing how close or far he is from an object and where his body is in space. He often forgets to catch him self when he is falling. He mostly walks on his toes (when you help him walk) and he still keeps his toes curled tightly under pretty much all the time. He sets in a "W" style which is so cute, but not so good for the knees...This is very common in SPD kids.

 These are just a few things that come to mind.

Our therapists are working hard with Joshua Blaze. They push him to do things he does not always like to do and they push him as far as he can possibly tolerate. They do deep muscle massages and body brushing to help put input into his nerves and muscles. They make him do activities and exercises to make him more aware of his body and surroundings. Some times these therapies are very hard for him (and for me to watch), but they are necessary in order for him to be desensitized.

Yes, he can over come these!

The signs of SPD usually show up early in childhood. Most will be diagnosed by a doctor after they have been followed by an OT and PT for a period of time. There is no blood test for it. No magic medicine. No quick fix. Just therapy and lots of it to help these kids adjust and handle every day life.

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This was taken from my "Joshua's Story" post and I think it fits here as well.

My son's diagnoses *DO NOT DEFINE HIM*.  He is so much more. Yes, our child has these conditions and yes they have majorly impacted his life, but they haven't stopped him from living. He is still a little boy full of life. We don't set and dwell on his disabilities, because he has way more abilities.

What I do want you to know is that my baby is an amazing little boy with a beautiful personality. He is precious, he is funny, he is adorable, he is curious, he is loud, he is mischievous, he is full of life, and HE IS HAPPY! 

One day Joshua will be

able to handle anything!

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he will direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6