Friday, 2 September 2016

Therapies For Sensory Processing Disorder

By Robert Wright


When one has SPD, their brain is unable to receive and respond to sensory input coming from various senses of the body. This medical condition is also known as sensory integration dysfunction. For an individual to perform properly, their brain receives information from senses from various modalities. Some of the modalities from which information comes from include taste, tactile, olfactory, audition, vision, and vestibular system.

The condition is characterized by certain major problems. Patients with sensory processing disorder will normally experience trouble in organizing sensations that come from their bodies and the surroundings. These problems manifest in the individual through difficulty in functioning in various areas of life. Some of the areas of life where subjects find it difficult to function are daily activities, leisure and play, and productivity.

There are several types of SPD and each type may have several subtypes under it. The various types may have effect on one or multiple senses. As such, the symptoms that one experiences are usually dependent on which type or subtype of the condition one is suffering from. If one is suffering from oversensitivity, they may dislike certain textures, avoid crowded and noisy places, experience motion sickness, refuse normal skin contact interactions, and be picky eaters.

Oversensitivity also causes patients to experience sleep disorders. They wake up at minor sounds as a result of sensory overload. The individuals also feel seriously sickened, discomforted, or threatened by normal stimuli such as lights, smells, sounds, and tastes. Some even feel discomforted because of their own heartbeats. These experiences make coexistence and functioning difficult in social and other environments.

Other subtypes of this condition include under-responsivity, sensory craving, sensory motor based problems, and sensory discrimination problems. People suffering from sensory discrimination will often have poor handwriting, drop things constantly, have hardship eating and dressing, and use inappropriate force when handling objects. Those suffering from sensory craving will often fidget a lot, appear impulsive, seek extreme sensations, bite pencils, clothing, or fingers, and make loud noises.

In medical manuals such as ICD-10, SPD is not classified under medical disorders. The condition is diagnosed by performing tests. Some major diagnostic tests and procedures are standardized questionnaires, standardized tests, expert observational scales, and free play observations. Occupational therapy gyms are the places where free play observations are conducted. Observation is performed in various settings such as homes and schools.

The diagnosis of SPD can be done by any of the many medical practitioners who work with children depending on the country. Physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, and learning specialists are some of the practitioners who diagnose. Full psychological and neurological evaluation is often performed if symptoms are very severe. Among the standardized tests that are conducted are TSFI, TSI, and SIPT. Examples of standardized questionnaires administered are adolescent/adult sensory profile, SPM, SPM-P, and SP.

Many kinds of therapies have been formulated for treating SPD, including sensory integration therapy and sensory processing therapy. The former is motivated by four main principles. These principles include adaptive response, active engagement, child directed, and just right challenge. Each principle has specific goals that it aims to achieve.




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