What is Sensory Processing Disorder?
Every moment of every day each one of us is exposed to various sensory stimuli. Sensory stimuli can include the touch of different fabrics on your skin, the sound of the coffee pot brewing in the morning, the taste of the warm hot chocolate as it slides down your throat, or even how your body is able to stay in an upright position when you find yourself slipping on the ice.
Each one of us has 8 sensory systems including: touch, taste, sound, sight, smell, body positioning, deep pressure, and internal system processing. Our brain must take in the sensory stimuli and determine how to respond to the information it receives. For example, if you are walking at the store and someone bumps into you, your brain processes that information and you continue shopping unbothered.
What happens if our brain and sensory systems do not know how to respond to sensory stimuli? This is called Sensory Processing Disorder. Sensory Processing Disorder occurs when the brain receives sensory information and the brain does not know what to do with it or how to turn the information into an appropriate response. The exact cause is unknown. In the above example, if someone with Sensory Processing Disorder is bumped into while shopping, his or her brain may interpret the unwanted touch as a threat, resulting in pushing the other person, screaming, or even running away.
Here is a great video on Sensory Processing Disorder.
If your child is experiencing sensory challenges, he or she should see your Pediatrician and will most likely be referred to Occupational Therapy. Occupational Therapy (OT) works with children with Sensory Processing Disorder by helping the brain learn how to appropriately respond to sensory input. In OT, the treatment looks a lot like touching a variety of textures, or even playing on a slide or a swing to teach the body how to respond to different sensory input.
For any other questions, please feel free to reach out via email at alysha@collaborativecorner.org.
Alysha Stoner, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
alysha@collaborativecorner.org