Sensory Processing Disorder is under-recognized among medical professionals but known well among Speech language and occupational therapists. Also known as Sensory Integration Dysfunction, it overlaps with Autism Spectrum, Aspergers, ADD, and ADHD or may be its own disorder. Person with this are often highly reactive to their environment (but can be under reactive). Knowing how to structure their environment, provide family and client support, and calm secondary symptoms with Homeobotanicals is key for managing it.

1. Sensory Processing
Disorder
By Kimmer Collison-Ris
MSN, FNP-C, WOCN, MS CAM
Images by Bing & Google Images

2. Sensory Processing Disorder
 Sensory Processing is the way the
nervous system receives messages
from the senses; converting them
into motor and behavioral
responses.
 SPD is also known as "sensory
integration dysfunction"
 SPD sensory signals don't get
organized into appropriate
responses
 A. Jean Ayres, PhD, compared SPD
to a neurological "traffic jam" that
prevents certain parts of the brain
from receiving the information
needed to interpret sensory
information correctly
One study (Ahn, Miller, Milberger,
McIntosh, 2004) shows that at least 1 in 20
children’s daily lives is affected by SPD.
Another research study (Ben-Sasson,
Carter, Briggs-Gowen, 2009) suggests that
1 in every 6 children experiences sensory
symptoms that may be significant enough
to affect aspects of everyday life functions.

3.  *most commonly diagnosed in
children
 occurs within a broad spectrum of
severity
 difficulties are chronic, and disrupt
everyday life for children & adults
 Untreated SPD that persists into
adulthood can affect an
individual's ability to succeed in
marriage, work, and social
environments
SPD…

5. www.rollingrains.com

6.  The exact cause of Sensory Processing Disorder–like the
causes of ADHD and so many other neurodevelopmental
disorders–has not yet been identified
 Preliminary research suggests that SPD is often inherited
 Prenatal and birth complications have been implicated
 environmental factors may be involved
SPD Causes

7. alert.psychiatricnews.org
speech-language-pathology-audiology.advanceweb.com

8. Sensory Processing…

9. SPD Looks like

10. SPD Types

11. SPD Symptoms
 Out-of-proportion reactions to
touch, sounds, sights, movement,
tastes, or smells, including:
 Bothered by clothing fabrics,
labels, tags, etc.
 Distressed by light touch or
unexpected touch
 Dislikes getting messy
 Resists grooming activities
 Very sensitive to sounds (volume
or frequency)
 Squints, blinks, or rubs eyes
frequently
 Bothered by lights or patterns
 High activity level or very
sedentary
 Unusually high or low pain
threshold
 Motor skill and body awareness
difficulties, including:
 Fine motor delays (e.g., crayons,
buttons/snaps, beading, scissors)
 Gross motor delays (e.g., walking,
running, climbing stairs, catching a
ball )
 Illegible handwriting
 Moves awkwardly or seems clumsy
 Low or high muscle tone
Oral motor and feeding problems,
including:
 Oral hypersensitivity
 Frequent drooling or gagging
 “Picky eating”
 Speech and language delays

12. SPD Symptoms…
 Some signs of sensory processing
difficulties include:
 Overly sensitive to touch, movement,
sights
 Inability to habituate to sounds and
fear with unexpected noises
 Easily distracted
 Holding hands over ears in complex
environment
 Avoids tastes, smells, or textures
normally tolerated by children that
age
 Activity level that is unusually high or
unusually low
 Impulsive, lacking in self-control
 Inability to unwind or calm self
 Poor self-concept
 Social and/or emotional problems
 Physical clumsiness or apparent
carelessness
 Hesitation going up or down
stairs
 Difficulty making transitions from
one situation to another
 Holding on to walls, furniture,
people, or objects, even in
familiar settings
 Delays in speech, language, or
motor skills
 Delays in academic achievement
 Seeks out movement activities,
but poor endurance and tires
quickly
 Poor attention and focus: often
“tunes out” or “acts up”
 Uncomfortable/easily
overstimulated in group settings
 Difficulty with self-confidence and
independence

13. SPD Behavioral Problems
 Common Behaviors
hitting
 pushing
 yelling
 fighting with peers
 difficulty changing from one activity
to another
 sleeping problems
 excessive energy levels
 being unable to sit still and focus
 refusal to partake in normal
childhood experiences or play
 picky eaters
 frequent tantrums
 extreme sensitivities and excessive
fears
 Other unique or "autistic-type"
behaviors
 grinding teeth
 rocking back and forth
 lunging
 head banging, scratching or biting self
 spinning or mouthing objects
 constant humming or making noises
 finger flicking
 jumping or shaking extremities
 spinning self
 excessive smelling & sniffing

14. SPD
oursensoryjourney.blogspot.com

15.  Autism Speaks (2014). What is Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorders? http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism.
 http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/new/9steps.htm
 Bradshaw AJL and Rinehart NJ (2005). Autism and Asperger's disorder: Are they movement disorders involving the
cerebellum and/or basal ganglia? Brain Research Bulletin Volume 67, Issue 4, 30 October 2005, Pages 327–334
 Blaylock RL (2009).A POSSIBLE CENTRAL MECHANISM IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS, PART 2:
IMMUNOEXCITOTOXiCITY. Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine . Jan/Feb2009, Vol. 15 Issue 1, p60-67. 8p
Retrieved from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/abstract?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=10786791&AN=3
7570226&h=JpN2y%2b%2b6SmKzaEfH1cPa1eANggO0w08mWWjMYLQxcg%2bWBhvSuZfQYjDUcrc6X4kJcWZUXifdmHG
XgGQrkCc9tQ%3d%3d&crl=c
 Doney R and Thome J (2010). Inflammation: good or bad for ADHD? ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity
Disorders December 2010, Volume 2, Issue 4, pp 257-266 Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12402-
010-0038-7.
 Dunn, Winnie; Bennett, Donna (). Patterns of sensory processing in children with attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, Vol 22(1), 2002, 4-15.Retrieved from
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2002-00678-001
 Crane L, Goddard L, and Pring L. (2009). Sensory processing in adults with autism spectrum disorders. doi:
10.1177/1362361309103794 Autism May 2009 vol. 13 no. 3 215-228. Retrieved from
http://aut.sagepub.com/content/13/3/215.short
 Currenti SA (2010). Understanding and Determining the Etiology of Autism. Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology.
March 2010, Volume 30, Issue 2, pp 161-171. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10571-009-9453-8
 Frustaci A, Neri M, Cesario A, Adams JB, Domenici E, Bernardina BD, and Bonassi S (). Oxidative stress-related
biomarkers in autism: Systematic review and meta-analyses. Free Radical Biology and Medicine. Volume 52, Issue 10, 15
May 2012, Pages 2128–2141 Retrieved from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584912001827http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S
0891584912001827
 Herbert MR (2010). Contributions of the environment and environmentally vulnerable physiology to autism spectrum
disorders. Current Opinion in Neurology: April 2010 - Volume 23 - Issue 2 - p 103–110. doi:
10.1097/WCO.0b013e328336a01f. Developmental disorders: Edited by Geraldine Dawson. Retrieved from
http://journals.lww.com/co-neurology/Abstract/2010/04000/Contributions_of_the_environment_and.4.aspx
References