either be under-responsive or over-
responsive. These life-impacting
difficulties come under the umbrella
of SPD.”
SPD can manifest in a multitude
of ways, more so than can ever be
covered in a single article. Rebecca
highlights some of Joe’s sensory
processing challenges: “Joe was a
very fidgety baby. I put it down to
him being a colicky baby with reflux
but when, at around 18 months, he
would howl every time he woke from
a nap, I realised that a sensitivity
to light was causing him sensory
irritation. In a mall, the lights would
be too bright, the shops too colourful,
people’s movements too bothersome
and the smells too strong for him. He
could only wear red because his visual
sensitivity was so high and, preferring
hard toys to soft, he would sleep with a
shovel instead of a teddy.”
Spotting the signs
Depending on the severity of the
difficulties a child is facing, and their
particular challenges, a child can
be identified as having a profile of
SPD as early as his first month of
life. However, Virginia and Rebecca
both agree that children are often
offered the support they need very
late on in their journey, often because
their symptoms are dismissed or
misdiagnosed. Virginia comments, “I
so greatly wish that parents, educators
and the medical community would
be empowered to look at the sensory
processing ability of each child as
standard practice. It has always been
crystal clear to me the stress that
coping with the sensory world causes
many children.”
SPD can look like inattention,
hyperactivity, aggression, social
ineptitude, fidgeting, clumsiness,
extreme shyness or even extreme
compliance. These are all strategies
adopted by children in order to
compensate for their difficulties in
understanding their world, advises
Virginia.
Rebecca attests, “Joe would show
his discomfort by throwing a tantrum,
screaming, pushing and shoving,
and generally being unhappy. He
was always speaking louder than
his friends which some viewed as
him being overbearing. Actually, he
was self-regulating his sensitivity by
blocking out others and their noises by
being louder than them.”
Sometimes SPD is confused with
attention deficit disorder or autism,
but these are all unique disorders.
Research suggests that children on
the autism spectrum and children
identified as intellectually gifted are
more likely to have SPD, but not the
other way round. Chronic sensory
impairments can occur in any child.
How to help
Help is available to children who
are accurately diagnosed with
SPD. SPOT HK for example, has
purpose-built sensory gyms designed
to provide joy-filled, intense and
safe sensory experiences. “Sensory
integration therapy should look and
feel like play to the child; every session
should be tailored to meet that child’s
sensory needs and move them up the
developmental ladder,” says Virginia,
who reminds parents to always look
for an occupational therapist who is
sensory integration certified (USC/
WPS).
At home, you are your child’s best
therapist. “Ask questions, learn about
the complexities of sensory processing
and help your child advocate for
themselves,” Virginia comments.
Rebecca continually helps Joe
to self-regulate. He wears a pair of
sunglasses if the light is bothersome
and headphones when sounds are
overbearing. He mostly wears
collarless clothes with the tags cut off
to avoid itchiness and, as a child who
constantly needs movement, he spends
ample time outdoors playing and
exercising.
Cutting hair remains a huge
problem, says Rebecca. “He is scared
of clippers, hates wearing a soft apron,
and dislikes the smell of the chemicals
at the salon and the sensation of dry
hair tickling his skin. Now I cut his
hair in bundles while wet and cover
him with a rough towel, which he
much prefers.”
Having received appropriate
support for his sensory processing
difficulties from an early age, Joe now
understands his unique self and, better
equipped to manage his challenges,
enjoys his home, school and social life.
Rebecca concludes, “Without the right
support, children with SPD can go
on to struggle with anxiety issues and
depression. Why waste valuable years
of their lives filled with crying,
out-of-the-blue tantrums, discomfort
and unhappiness? With tailored
support and understanding, Joe is a
much happier child and our lives have
changed 100 per cent for the better!”
Read all about it
Rebecca’s favourite reads on
the subject of SPD include:
•
Raising a Sensory Smart
Child
, by Lindsey Biel and
Nancy Peske.
•
Sensational Kids, Hope and
Help for Children with Sensory
Processing Disorder
, by Lucy
Jane Miller.
April 2015
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