Sensory Processing Disorder

Take the Sensory Challenge. 


Are you ready? Good. Close your eyes and imagine this:


You're in a room with a group of people. You're trying to listen to the speaker but there is a buzz in your ears. It's so loud you wonder if there's a fly in your head. The lights in the room are continually flickering. You keep blinking to avoid the flashes. Now you have a headache.
Open your eyes. How did you feel? What did the speaker say?
This is the effect fluorescent lights have on some people with Sensory Processing Disorder.


You're watching a puppet show. There are people next to you, in front of you and behind you. The noise level is loud. There are people laughing all around you. One of the puppets has a shrill voice. It echoes in your head and you don't understand what the puppets are saying. You try and filter out the sound but it's impossible. You are continually startled as the audience breaks into applause, clapping and cheering wildly for no apparent reason. In desperation you cover your ears and squeeze your eyes shut hoping it will all just go away.
Open your eyes. How did you feel? Did you enjoy the show?
This is the effect typical noise levels might have on some people with Sensory Processing Disorder.


You're at a BBQ. The sun is hot. The heat makes your skin prickle and the light is blinding. Your friends call you to play ball but there is a haze in front of your eyes. You try and push it away with your hands. Why can't anybody else see it? The sound of insects is all around. You see them wherever you turn. They're on the leaves, in the sky and on the grass. You should be eating but you feel nauseated. The air is permeated with the smell of food, drinks, lotion and smoke from the grill. It's overpowering and all you can do is nibble on some chips.
Open your eyes. How did you feel? Did you participate in the BBQ?
This is how a summer day event can feel to someone who has Sensory Processing Disorder.


You enjoy playing basketball but today you have to wear your team clothes. The socks are rough and they hurt your feet. With each step, the seam slides across your toes and It's awfully painful. You're on the court and you miss the ball. You didn't see it because you were trying to reposition your shirt. The label on the inside feels like a jagged piece of paper that constantly grazes your skin. You can't shoot the ball in the hoop because you're rooted to the spot. Your shoes are so uncomfortable, you're afraid to jump in fear of the painful landing that's bound to happen. Your team is really mad at you.
Open your eyes. How did you feel? Did you enjoy the game?
This is the effect that some clothing can have on a person with Sensory Processing Disorder.


You like eating cereal. It's crunchy and it tastes good. You like eating yogurt. It's
smooth and creamy. Oh no! Somebody wants you to combine them! They think you should mix it up and eat them together. The very thought of lumpy and smooth swirling around in your mouth makes you physically gag. At your request they leave it separate but still put them on the same plate! How could you possibly eat? You feel physically ill looking at the lumpy and smooth on your plate. It reminds you of.. of.. Oatmeal! The King of all lumpy, smooth mixtures. Your stomach is churning and you need to throw up. You close your eyes and pray that the plate in front of you will magically disappear.
Open your eyes. How did you feel? Did you enjoy your breakfast?
This is the effect that some foods can have on a person with Sensory Processing Disorder.


You're at the mall. It's a large wide open space where everything echoes. Your skin begins to tingle. There are sights and sounds everywhere. You don't know where to look first. Your mind is reeling. You're afraid and you feel exposed. You long for protection. You want to swaddle yourself in a blanket and pretend you're in a cocoon. People whiz by. Their footsteps and chatter reverberate in your head. You lose sense of yourself and the space around you. You wonder if your feet are on the floor or if you've merged with the mall. In sheer terror, you retreat in the far corners of your mind ? a safe place that never fails you.
Open your eyes. How did you feel? Was the mall fun?
This is the effect busy places might have on people with Sensory Processing Disorder.






Sensory Processing Disorders:
Through The Eyes Of Dysfunction




Have you ever wondered what children or adults with sensory processing disorders feel like, or have to deal with? I certainly have.


Now I would like to give you the opportunity to see SPD "through the eyes of dysfunction". This can, in turn, lead to acceptance, understanding, and avoidance of blame and judgment.


Please open your hearts and minds to the struggles individuals with sensory processing disorders go through on a daily basis.


We can see the behavioral signs of distress with too much input, or the energy of not enough input. But, what does the child/adult really go through while trying to take in and effectively process the bombardment of daily sensory input?


Stanley Greenspan, the author of "The Challenging Child" (1995) has an insightful analogy to help us understand what people experience when they can not effectively process, or interpret, sensory input.


He describes it this way: 


"Imagine driving a car that isn't working well. When you step on the gas the car sometimes lurches forward and sometimes doesn't respond. When you blow the horn it sounds blaring. The brakes sometimes slow the car, but not always. The blinkers work occasionally, the steering is erratic, and the speedometer is inaccurate. You are engaged in a constant struggle to keep the car on the road, and it is difficult to concentrate on anything else." 


It's no wonder children with sensory processing disorders feel out of control, exhibit a whole host of behaviors, and have difficulty concentrating and focusing at school!


Now, also imagine being a parent of one of these children. Many parents have expressed how exhausted, rejected, lost, incompetent and alone they feel in trying to live with, and understand, their child.


I challenge you to remember this beautifully painful quote the next time you encounter a child with sensory processing disorders and begin the process of awareness, understanding, and treatment to help them take control of their bodies, minds and self-esteem.


It is so very difficult for them. Let's acknowledge that and do our best to understand and help them!


Let me put this another way for you, from an adult perspective.


I once did a presentation in a conference room full of adults that worked in day care and preschool settings. I wanted them to relate to and understand the children they saw in their classrooms that struggled with sensory processing disorders.


I explained it to them this way...


Imagine if:
You could see obstacles in your way, but you could not make your body move the direction you wanted it to to avoid them.




You felt like someone had given you a shot of Novocain in your backside so you couldn't feel if you were sitting in the middle of your chair and you fell off 3 times during this training.




Your clothes felt like they were made of fiberglass.




You tried to drink a cup of water from a paper cup, only you couldn't tell how hard to squeeze it to hold onto it. So, you squeezed it too hard and the water spilled all over you. The next time you didn't squeeze it hard enough and it fell right through your hands and onto the floor.




Every time you tried to write with your pencil, it broke because you pushed too hard.




The different smells in this room made you utterly nauseous.




The humming of the lights sounded louder than my voice.




You couldn't focus your eyes on me because everything and everyone in the room catches your attention and your eyes just go there instead.




The lights are so bright you have to squint, then you get a pounding headache half way through the presentation




Every time someone touches you, it feels like they are rubbing sandpaper on your skin.




You could only sit here for 15 minutes and then you had to take a run around the building or do 20 jumping jacks so you could sit for another 10 minutes before your muscles felt like they were going to jump out of your skin.




People's whispers sounded like they were yelling.




The tag in the back of your shirt makes you feel as uncomfortable as you would if a spider was crawling on you and you couldn't get him off.




You wanted to write something down but it took you at least 5 seconds to form each letter. You can see the letter in your head, but your hand will not go in the right direction to write it.




You had to pull the car over 3 times on the ride here because the motion makes you sick.
These examples may sound extreme but for some with sensory processing disorders they are not.


At least as adults we have grown to understand ourselves and our bodies. We know what we can and can not tolerate, what does or does not feel good and most importantly, we have the coping skills and problem solving abilities to deal with it the best we know how. These children do not!


Unless we understand what is going on, help them understand their own bodies and minds, get them the right treatment and help them find the coping skills and insight, they will continue to suffer until adulthood.


Sensory processing disorders are best treated if caught before the age of 7 when the nervous system is still malleable.


It is imperative we identify and treat these children as early as possible so we can make a positive difference and get to them before...


learning is too difficult
self-esteem has suffered too much
relationships never fully develop
and they begin to isolate themselves into their own little safe and protective world.




The time is now!