So what exactly is SPD? If you would have asked me that question six months ago, I would have had no idea. I knew that some kids were more sensitive to noise and touch than others, but that is as far as my knowledge went. I knew Corby was picky about textures when he was a baby, and that it continued through his toddlerhood. I thought that was all there was to it, but I was wrong.
Before I go on, let me start by saying that the following are my own words. I've gained my knowledge from various books, websites, and health professionals, but I am just a mom.
SPD, is a disorder where the brain cannot properly process external or internal stimuli. A child with some form of SDP will either be overly sensitive (hypersensitive) or under sensitive (hyposenstitive). The following examples are just that - examples. The first "rule" in SPD is that no two children are alike. Some children might be hypersensitive in one sense, and hyposensitive in the next. Also, some children may exhibit one or two of these symptoms, but still be able to function like a "normal" child.
The hypersensitive child will be bothered by noises that "normal" people leave in the background. That child will cover his ears or cry at the sound of the heater or a fan. That child will feel pain when touched, be overly ticklish. He may be bothered by simple things, like the seam of a sock or a tag on a shirt. The hypersensitive child will sort toys in groups because it's easier on his eyes than seeing a large pile. He will also be a very picky eater because of the way foods feel, not because of how they taste. He will also smell things before the rest of the family, and be bothered by ordinary aromas. A busy playground or crowded room could put the child into a meltdown where he wants to go hide in a corner. Or it can stimulate him to the point where he can't stop running, jumping, or singing.
The hyposenstitive child will be the opposite. Instead of ordinary, everyday things bothering her, she will instead seek out things to stimulate her senses. She will do what is known as "stimming" in the autism community. She will lick concrete just for the feel of it, or run her blanket on her face. She will sing and yell just to hear something. She often seems like she is ignoring people, when in fact, she just doesn't hear them. She will be drawn to bright colors and busy playgrounds because there's lots for her eyes to see. She will love spicy and flavorful foods and won't notice bothersome smells.
There are two other senses that this disorder involves that most people don't know about. The vestibular and proprioceptive senses. The vestibular sense is about balance, movement, and feeling the pull of gravity. The proprioceptive sense is all about the body position. Children with problems in these senses will seem too afraid to play on the playground and hate piggyback rides, while another child will crave that type of movement. One child may hate to move and always seem tired and lethargic, while another one won't stop moving, even while engaged in a quiet activity.
What causes it? No one really knows for sure. Most professionals think there is a genetic component to it, but they don't have any hard evidence for it. Some think it has to do with trauma during pregnancy and delivery. Others think it has more to do with toxins in the environment and nutritional deficiencies. The general consensus among health professionals today is that it is probably a combination of all of these.
What makes it happen? I'm not sure I could explain it completely, but I'll try. When you touch something with your fingertips, your nerves send messages to your brain, and your brain then processes those messages, and fires messages back to your fingertips. It all happens so quickly, we don't even realize it's happening. When a sensory dysfunction happens, it means that one of the messages got crossed, or dropped along the way. Carol Kranowitz describes it as a "traffic jam" in her book, "The Out-of-Sync Child". The brain either takes in too little or too much, or the brain outputs too little or too much. Either way, the messages get mixed up, and the child either overreacts or underreacts to stimuli.
No comments:
Post a Comment