Sensory Processing Disorders

Have you ever witnessed a person overwhelmed by background noise at a crowded restaurant or a toddler who believes his comfy shirt is too itchy for them? These are some of the concerns that might arise due to a condition known as sensory processing disorder (SPD). These processing issues affect the brain's ability to take in sensory information, such as what you see, smell, hear, touch, and taste.

• What is a sensory processing disorder?
• What are symptoms of sensory processing disorder?
• What are tests for sensory processing disorders?
• What are types of sensory processing disorders?
• How is sensory processing disorder different from autism spectrum disorder?

Understanding Sensory Processing Disorders

Sensory processing disorder is a neurological condition where a person's brain has problems receiving information from the senses. This information is either not detected or not adequately processed. As a result, the brain cannot turn it into appropriate behavioral responses. This condition makes it difficult for the person to accomplish everyday tasks. Sensory processing problems can affect men and women of all races and age groups, and children with autism spectrum disorders.

Symptoms of Sensory Processing Disorders

Adults and children with SPD respond to stimuli in different ways. Some of the most common sensory processing disorder symptoms are listed below.

Fg. 1 Crying child in response to sensory overwhelm, pexels.com

Sensory Processing Issues in Infants and Toddlers

Younger children with SPD might feel uncomfortable in their clothes or avoid physical contact, such as hugging and cuddling. They sometimes experience motor delays and eating or sleeping problems. Finally, children with this disorder seldom play with toys and have difficulties calming themselves.

Sensory Processing Problems in Pre-school/Grade School

Some older children might be oversensitive to touch, smell, noise or people. Because of this, they might avoid standing close to others or throwing tantrums. Their motor skills are sometimes underdeveloped, and they might be afraid of swings and other playground equipment. Dressing, eating, or sleeping are often challenging for older children with SPD.

Sensory Processing Issues in Adolescents/Adults

Adolescents and adults with SPD usually appear sluggish and clumsy. They are impulsive, easily distracted, and restless. Staying focused and concentrated is challenging for them, making completing tasks and making friends more difficult. They have low self-esteem and motivation.

How to Test for Sensory Processing Disorders

Early diagnosis and intervention can prevent sensory processing problems from developing into adulthood. An assessment is needed to rule out conditions like ADHD, Autism, anxiety disorder, and other related disabilities. A trained occupational therapist can identify SPD as they observe motor development linked to sensory disability.

Identification starts with a screening at a school or clinic where a parent's checklists and developmental history may show differences that need further evaluation. The sensory processing evaluation involves standardized testing, clinical observations, and parent-report procedures. The process may include physical health, speech, and psychological assessment, after which a child can be referred to other specialists.

According to STAR Institute (n.d.), a standardized assessment involves comparing the child's behavior to a standard sample. The sensory processing test helps determine a baseline of current behavior, identify strengths and weaknesses, form a treatment strategy, and endorse the child for services. The most commonly used assessments are:

Types of Sensory Processing Disorders

The type of sensory disorders present depends on the pattern expressed. Usually, people with SPD experience different sensory issues across different types. The three significant patterns of SPD are sensory modulation disorder, sensory-based motor disorder, and sensory discrimination disorder.

Sensory Modulation Disorder

When a person has sensory modulation disorder, they have difficulty controlling their reactions to sensory stimulation. In this sensory processing disorder, a person may find themselves over-responsive, under-responsive, or craving sensory stimuli.

The tendency to respond excessively to stimuli is known as sensory over-responsivity. People suffering from this type of disorder have a higher sensitivity to sensory input than an average person. An acute stress reaction, sometimes known as the "fight-or-flight" response, is triggered by overwhelming feelings—people with this tendency cope by staying away from or reducing these sensations. For example, an exaggerated response to the sound of an ambulance siren or appliances would be to cover one's ears. They also avoid trimming fingernails, applying lotion, or wearing socks.

Sensory under-responsivity is defined as a slow or non-responsive reaction to sensory inputs. Persons with sensory under-responsivity aren't as sensitive to sensory stimulation as others. They have a less intense response to extreme temperatures, and pain from a scratch, cut, or scrape may often go unnoticed. Because of the difficulty of detecting stimuli around them, they may seem indifferent, unconcerned, or withdrawn. The impaired tactile sensitivity also leads to incoordination of body movements.

Sensory craving is described as having continuous sensory stimulation urges that never seem to get satisfied. People with high sensory appetites actively seek thrill and action and continuously move around. They like to jump, roll, spin, and touch things. The craving and overarousal from sensory input cause them to become disorganized. Sensory seekers experience difficulty regulating themselves when exposed to overstimulating places or situations like malls or carnivals.

They may also lack a sense of personal space when interacting with other people, which is attributed to a lack of typical sensory processing capabilities. A typical illustration of this would be a child in a restaurant having difficulty sitting still and becoming restless. They spin and jump around and may even shout.

Sensory-Based Motor Disorder

People with sensory-based motor disorders have difficulties keeping steady, coordinating body movements, and doing motor tasks. In this type of sensory processing problem, a person may have postural disorder or dyspraxia.

Fg. 2 A child having difficulties coordinating motor movements, known as dyspraxia, pexels.com

The postural disorder makes it difficult for a person to maintain body stability with any physical movement required by the situation or performing motor tasks. They may quickly lose their balance, fall over, or trip. It is challenging for them to coordinate both sides of the body to perform activities because of impaired control.

Dyspraxia is a neurologic condition wherein sensory inputs are processed differently, making it challenging to integrate with bodily movements to execute motor actions. Poor motor coordination may affect daily life, and symptoms might continue into adulthood. This sensory processing motor condition doesn't affect intelligence, but persons with dyspraxia process things differently.

People with this sensory issue may struggle with planning, creating ideas, and putting them into action. Difficulties become apparent in situations where fine and gross motor coordination is required, such as catching a ball, drawing, and riding a bike. For example, difficulties become noticeable in the uncoordinated and inaccurate movements while trying to catch a ball.

Sensory Discrimination Disorder

Sensory discrimination disorder predisposes a person to identify and attribute meaning to a sensory stimulation received inaccurately. To discriminate is to correctly interpret and make sense of the different sensory inputs in one's environment. Persons with sensory discrimination disorder have trouble recognizing and distinguishing details between other sensory stimuli. They may come off as stiff and not paying attention to what is around them and their surroundings. Understanding the many characteristics of sensory processing stimuli may take some time for individuals with this disorder.

Eight sensory processing systems may be affected by this disorder. It could range from one, two, or more depending on the individual: auditory, visual, tactile, vestibular, proprioceptive, gustatory, olfactory, and interoception. Fg. 3 A child displaying challenges in sensory discrimination, pexels.comThe following are examples of difficulties evident in each sensory system:

Auditory Sensory Processing – Difficulty in Processing Sounds and Frequencies

A person has problems following instructions and appears to be inattentive when someone is talking. They may speak too loudly or too softly.

Visual Sensory Processing – Difficulty in Processing Sensory Input That Is Seen

Tactile Sensory Processing – Difficulty in Processing Sense of Touch

Vestibular Sensory Processing – Difficulty in Processing Sensory Input Based on Body Movements

Proprioceptive Sensory Processing – Difficulty Processing Sensory Input Based on Muscle Movements

Gustatory Sensory Processing – Difficulty Processing Sensory Input from the Sense of Taste

Olfactory Sensory Processing – Difficulty Processing Sensory Input Based on Smell

Interoception Sensory Processing – Difficulty Processing Sensory Input Related to Physiological Signals

Differences between Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Individuals with under-responsivity often require a lot of stimulation to become attentive and active, which is common in children with autism spectrum disorders. Other children with ASD, on the other hand, show symptoms that are more akin to over-responsivity. Because both Autism and sensory processing conditions display over-reacting and under-reacting categories, these two are frequently confused. Here are a few differences:

Sensory Processing Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Is ADHD a Sensory Processing Disorder?

Experts and families alike are eager to learn more about the link between sensory processing conditions and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a more well-known disorder routinely treated with medication. Although the two illnesses have different neurological bases, children with the sensory seeking category of SPD are more likely to be identified and treated for ADHD because their behaviors are comparable to those of children with ADHD.

According to STAR Institute (n.d.), SPD and ADHD are different disorders with distinct symptoms. This distinction indicates SPD isn't a category of ADHD, and ADHD isn't a category of SPD. However, 40% in the general community and 60% of children in clinical samples with one condition exhibit signs of the other condition.