What are sensory issues and Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD)?

 
As I explained in my other blog entry (games and activities for sensory development), every child and adult have seven senses and in some cases (illness, disability, after an accident etc.) some of our senses can be without function or send too less or too much information to our brain. This means that the brain of the affected people process information different.

Our senses and sensory perception is essential for our life, but nevertheless you can even live independent with a restricted perception or senses without function. For example, think about people, who are blind from birth or have a palsy after a stroke. As long as they learn coping strategies, they can learn to live on their own.

In cases of children, there are often sensory issues or when your child is already diagnosed it is also called "Sensory Processing Disorders".

But what does that mean?

It means that your child is not ill or unnormal. Mostly your child´s brain just process information different or take longer to process information. For example, look at school, some children are good in sports, others in return are not good in sports, but better in maths. An that is a normal life thing. It is the same with our perception. The perception of some children develops really fast, others need more time or have some issues.

Two of the most known issues are undersensitivity (hyposensitivity) or oversensitivity (hypersensitivity).

Undersensitivity means that extern stimuli, such as noises, light, heat, cold etc., are processed too less by our brain. The child´s brain gets only a minimum of information. A typical example is that your child doesn´t feel much pain, when it falls down or is very rough in hugging or body contact with others. Children, who are undersensitive are often seen as rough or less emotional (they definitely have the same emotions as others!).

Oversensitivity describes that extern stimuli are perceived more intensive. Loud noises seem too loud or warm tactile stimuli can feel like hot. Children, who are oversensitive are often seen as very sensitive and sometimes overemotional.

Under - and oversensitivity can affect all of our senses (hearing, touch, sight, smell, taste, proprioception or vestibular perception).
Sensory issues can also have an effect on your daily life. Your child could have concentration problems, learning disorders or could show inappropriate behaviour in school.

In the following, I would like to give you an overview about different signs of over- or undersensitivity. It may help to understand and support your child better, because sometimes it can be really hard for children, when nobody can understand what is going on with them, including themselves.