OUR children’s emotional well-being is as important as their physical health. Good mental health helps children develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them.
Today we are talking about Sensory Processing Disorder. According to Healthline.com, Sensory Processing Disorder is a disorder in which the brain cannot properly produce multi-sensory information.
Children with hypo-sensitivity may seem fearless, inappropriately touching people and/or objects and putting themselves in dangerous situations due to their extremely high pain tolerance.
Sensory issues occur when a child has difficulty in receiving and responding to information from their senses. Sensory processing problems are commonly seen in developmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder. Sensory Processing Disorder is not recognised as a stand-alone disorder, but many experts think that should change.
Children who have sensory issues may have a dislike of anything that triggers their senses, such as light, sound, touch, taste, or smell.
Signs and symptoms of Sensory Processing Disorder as adapted from Child Mind Institute:
- May cover ears when there are loud sounds such as vacuums, hair dryers and more; May have issues with food textures; gagging is also common when trying new things;
- Can’t be touched or can’t be touched enough;
- May show little or no reaction to stimulation, even to pain or extreme heat and cold, or overreaction to pain or heat or cold;
- May dislike hair being brushed or cut;
- May be sensitive to light;
- May cry or get upset over clothing tags and textures;
- May be an excessive risk-taker, crashing into things; and
May have poor co-ordination.
Treatment depends on a child's individual needs. But in general, it involves helping children do better at activities they're normally not good at and helping them get used to things they can't tolerate.
Occupational therapists see and treat children and adults with sensory processing problems. The goal for sensory processing is to integrate a child in a fun, playful way so they can learn to respond appropriately and function more normally.