Sensory Processing Disorder: What is it and how can I support?

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) affects how an individual’s brain processes incoming stimuli from our different senses. SPD can affect all five out senses (i.e., taste, smell, hearing, sight, and touch) or just one (Staff & Rice, 2020). Individuals with SPD may overreact to a sensory experience in a way that is jarring for those around them (i.e., a tantrum, screaming, or hitting). In some cases under react to a sensory experience causing them to want to experience it more (i.e., hit something harder, swing higher, etc.; Staff & Rice, 2020). Most frequently SPD is noticed in children as early as toddler years as they begin to explore different sensations around them. Children will begin demonstrating hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to senses making it difficult for them to remain regulated in many situations (Child Mind Institute, 2021).

How do I know if my child may have SPD? SPD can be difficult to decipher as several developmental disorders also have sensory sensitivity components. For example, often SPD related symptoms are noticed in children who have Autism or ADHD. Because of its high rates of comorbidity with ADHD and Autism many people have a hard time deciphering if it is a completely separate disorder (Staff & Rice, 2020).

According to Child Mind Institute (2021) SPD symptoms can include, but are not limited to:

Being startled by touch
Struggling with bodily awareness
Be unaware of how much pressure they are applying to an object (i.e. break a crayon when coloring)
Refusal around wearing clothes that may feel itchy or uncomfortable
Inability to sit still and/or always fidgeting
Enjoying intense pressure like a bear hug
Not understanding personal space even when developmentally appropriate to do so
High pain tolerance

Each of these symptoms are ones that can be experienced by a child without SPD. As some symptoms make sense due to other disorders. However, if a child is struggling with sensory experiences there are a few things that can be done by caregivers to support their children. Caregivers can begin to take note of the triggers and/or preferences of the child and tailor things to fit their needs. This may look like buying noise canceling headphones for plane rides or giving big hugs when the child feels dysregulated. Essentially parents want to help manage the sensory input so that it can be navigated by the child. Further, Occupational Therapy (OT) is a great resource to help manage sensory related disorders. OT’s are specifically trained in working with children with sensory related difficulties so that they are able to control and manage their responses to outside stimuli. Overall if your child is struggling with sensory related sensitivities, it may be helpful to look into Occupational Therapy as a way to support both your child and your family.

References:

Sensory processing FAQ. Child Mind Institute. (2021, August 8). Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://childmind.org/article/sensory-processing-faq/

Staff, F. E., & Rice, A. (2020, August 31). Sensory processing disorder (SPD). familydoctor.org. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://familydoctor.org/condition/sensory-processing-disorder-spd/#:~:text=Sensory%20processing%20disorder%20(SPD)%20is,that%20other%20people%20are%20not

About the Author: Samantha earned her M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy at Virginia Tech. She enjoys working with children, adolescents, parents, and families to address varying concerns, including anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, and school/home behavioral issues.