Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

For those of you who would like to keep updated on my son’s progress with his SPD diagnosis and Asperger’s Syndrome assessment, I have created a new blog just for that purpose.  I will still be blogging here on multiple subjects.  But, if you’re interested in keeping up with Austin’s progress without misc. posts in the way, you can visit the new blog Understanding Austin.

 

I’m sure that you’ve heard the term Sensory Processing Disorder or SPD here a few times.  So, here is some information on what it is and what happens to those who have SPD.  You can also find this information and more on my new blog Understanding Austin.

Sensory processing disorder or SPD:

So, what is Sensory Processing Disorder?  Well, to put it in layman’s terms, it is a neurological disorder that causes difficulties with taking in, processing and responding to senses.  People can be born hypersensitive or hyposensitive to varying degrees.  There are seven sensory areas, called the Sensory System, that can be affected by SPD.

Sensory System- is a part of the nervous system responsible for processing sensory information.

1. Visual-sight. 
2. Auditory-hearing.
3. Tactile-touch.
4. Olfactory-smell.
5. Gustatory-taste.
6. Vestibular-balance.
7. Proprioception-is the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body.

What happens to people with SPD?
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For those with SPD, sensory information may be sensed and perceived in a way that is different from most other people. Unlike blindness or deafness, sensory information can be received by people with SPD, the difference is that information is often registered, interpreted and processed differently by the brain. The result can be unusual ways of responding or behaving, finding things harder to do.

Difficulties may typically present as difficulties planning and organizing, problems with doing the activities of everyday life (self-care, work and leisure activities including work and play), and for some with extreme sensitivity to sensory input; sensory input may result in extreme avoidance of activities, agitation, distress, fear or confusion.

People can be born hypersensitive or hyposensitive to varying degrees and may have trouble in one sensory modality, a few, or all of them. Hypersensitivity is also known as sensory defensiveness. Examples of hypersensitivity include feeling pain from clothing rubbing against skin, an inability to tolerate normal lighting in a room, a dislike of being touched (especially light touch) and discomfort when one looks directly into the eyes of another person.

Hyposensitivity is characterized by an unusually high tolerance for environmental stimuli. A person with hyposensitivity might appear restless and seek sensory stimulation.

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