Sensory Processing Disorder

How and Why Children Misinterpret Ordinary Sensory Information

By Sue Marquette Poremba

Imagine being spun around on a merry-go-round or being in the middle of a frantic ride on the Tilt-a-Whirl. How long before you get dizzy? Thirty seconds? Five minutes? When an occupational therapist wanted to see how long it would take Nancy Hemenway's daughter to become dizzy, it took an hour and a half. In fact, Hemenway says, her daughter would hold her head in such a way to enhance the sensation of being spun.

Hemenway of Arlington, Va., knew her daughter had a number of serious emotional and physical problems when she was adopted in China. She has an aversion to water and for a long time refused to drink. She is orally evasive and won't put a spoon in her mouth or have her teeth brushed. "My first thought was 'do kids this young have sensory processing disorder?'" says Hemenway, whose professional background is in mental health. After doing some research, she discovered that yes, very young children can have sensory processing disorder (SPD).

Sensory processing is the ability to recognize and interpret all five senses in a meaningful way. Although everyone has some discomfort with some sort of sensory processing (fingernails on a chalkboard, accidentally biting down on a piece of aluminum foil, the tightness around the neck from a turtleneck sweater), most of us are able to process various tastes, smells and noises naturally.

SPD is a disorder of the brain that misinterprets ordinary sensory information. It also can affect body movement. SPD can be evident during infancy, but it can also occur after an illness or an injury. The inability to properly interpret sensory information can create emotional, mental and physical distress. Between five and 10 percent of children have SPD, but it can be difficult to diagnose, because it is very similar to other disorders.

"Many children can't process the world around them," says Victoria Nackley, assistant professor of occupational therapy at Utica College. "For the child with SPD, the floor isn't flat."

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