Living with Sensory Impairments.

SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) can effect children (and adults) who have Autism and ADHD.  It can be found in 90% of all people who are diagnosed with Autism. It can cause physical discomfort and in my opinion does not gain the recognition it deserves. 

There are 8 senses:

Sight:  Lower sensitivity can mean children need help from others or use their other senses to help them.  Higher sensitivities can mean that lights can seem brighter than normal which can cause discomfort. It can also mean a child can spot tiny differences really easily.

Smell:  Hypersensitive smell can mean it can be difficult to try foods or go to different places that may smell ‘funny’.  You may find that children smell food, objects and people.

Hearing: Perhaps a child is unable to filter out sounds.  Sounds can feel louder, therefore creating discomfort or be distracting.

Interoception: Is how we feel the inside of our body. Signals such as hunger, thirst and needing to go the toilet. It has been said that people with ADHD never get thirsty this is because their interoception is effected. My own children mix up the feeling of excitement with sickness or anxiety.  This makes for all things exciting to not be exciting at all.

Touch: Being touch sensitive or perhaps even seeking more touch than usual are common.  This could mean that crowded places are a problem in fear of being brushed past and touched by someone.  Showers can cause discomfort by the water hitting the skin.  Hair brushing may prove difficult.  Labels and seams in clothing may be itchy and uncomfortable.

Vestibular: This means balance and located in the inner ear.  This can mean difficulty in understanding where the child is in comparison to the world around them.  A child may be oversensitive to movement.  This is me!  I cannot do fairground rides, boats or anything without a huge physical reaction such as sickness. Even the merry go round will set me off!  My children on the other hand seek movement such as spinning and swinging to seek stimulating the vestibular senses.

Taste: Being hypersensitive to taste can mean seeking out strong flavours such as sour and fizzy sweets or strong spicy flavours.  You may find a child will separate these foods and eat them separately to avoid sensory overload.  Alternatively, the complete opposite can be true, being hyposensitive to taste means perhaps sticking to a beige diet including potatoes, chicken nuggets and bread.  These food taste and look plain so can feel ‘safe’ to eat.  This extends further than only foods though and can effect using toothpaste, taking medicine or drinks too.

Proprioception: Is the ability to understand our bodies, the movement of our body and its location in comparison to other items in the space.  Also, how our muscles work with force, for example being able to use a pen on paper to write but without ripping the paper by pressing too hard. Autistic children may appear clumsy, knocking over things, misjudging personal space and may not be able to regulate pressure.

Sensory experiences will depend on the stress, anxiety and exhaustion of the child, therefore it can be seen as worse in some moments and a little better in others. Although it never completely goes away, coping strategies can be taught to help soothe any discomforts.

Sensory processing disorder then is a big deal?  Just look at the list above.

Now imagine you were sat in a classroom with 32 other people, in a small crowded space with unpredictable noise and smells.  You may be able to hear another teacher shouting down the corridor and the strip lighting may feel unnecessarily bright.  You may feel hot, with the uniform feeling itchy and uncomfortable. Perhaps, even that seam in your sock feels like a pebble in your shoe.  Would you be able to concentrate on a 40 minute lesson and sit still or would you be distracted?

It's not only SPD (Sensory processing disorder) and it needs a care plan and reasonable adjustments if a child is to have the opportunity learn and develop.

You can find support and help at www.send-parenting-balance.com Videos, podcasts and further blogs on parent wellbeing and children with AUTISM/ADHD/PDA.