Sensory Processing Disorder

What is Sensory Integration?

Sensory integration is the process by which information from our senses (touch, sight, hearing, taste, smell, as well as balance) is interpreted by the brain so that we can respond appropriately to our environment. A child with good sensory integration automatically filters the important from the unimportant stimuli as she makes her way through the world. At school, she sits alert at her desk without thinking about her posture. She pays attention to the teacher and filters out the noise of children in the hallway. On the street, she ignores the booming car radios and honking horns, and the itch of her wool sweater, but attends to the sound of the bus turning the corner, “telling” her to wait before crossing the street.

For some children with sensory processing disorder (SPD), information reaching the senses often feels like an assault of competing stimuli. To get the idea, imagine this scenario: Three children are telling you conflicting stories about who had the toy, the phone is ringing, and you suddenly smell the cake burning in the oven — and did I mention the itchy rash on your legs?

For others, outside stimuli are dulled, as if a shade has been pulled over the environment, muting sights, sounds, and touch. These children crave extra stimulation to arouse themselves — similar to needing the jolt of a wake-up shower after a sleepless night. These are the kids who love to spin and swing upside down. Most children with SPD display elements of both extremes, suffering from sensory overload at some times, seeking stimulation at others. It’s not difficult to see how the symptoms — distractibility, the need for intense activity, problems with social interactions — could seem like ADHD.

A child playing in a sandbox can ignore the sweat trickling down her face and neck because she loves the sandbox, and there’s a breeze to cool her off a little. A highly sensitive child with SPD cannot ignore anything — the sweat is distracting and irritating, and the wind makes her feel worse, not better. Lacking an inner ability to cope with these irritations, she may kick the sand in frustration and lash out at her playmates, ruining her playtime and her entire afternoon. The bad feelings stay with her long after the physical triggers are gone.

Children with SPD can be frustrating to parents and teachers, but their behavior is most frustrating to the children themselves.