Sensory Processing Disorder

1. Sensory Processing Disorder Anna Kirby

2. Have you ever met a student who… • Jumped and crashed into everything? • Couldn’t do puzzles or write well? • Cried at loud sounds? • Don’t like to be touched? • Only wear certain clothes? • Don’t play with messy things, like play doh or glue? • Fear playground equipment? • Melt down in a crowded store?

3. Sensory Processing Disorder • Originally called Sensory integration disorder • Originally researched by Jean Ayres

4. Proprioceptive sense Sense of Body position • May bump into things • Have trouble planning or sequencing • Likes to jump or rock • Likes hard hugs

5. Vestibular Sense • Sense of balance • May either fear or crave swinging on a swing set • Fear having head tipped back in the bathtub • May fear heights or having feet off the ground • May love to spin around

6. Tactile Sense • Sense of Touch • Extreme reactions to clothing, combing, haircuts, dental work • May not enough to pain, cold, discomfort • May avoid hugs or like hard hugs • Likes to tickle and cuddle • May confuse hot and cold

7. Visual Sense • Sense of sight • May not be able to stand bright lights • Can’t pick items out of a detailed picture • Put a puzzle together

8. Auditory Sense • Sense of hearing • May have extreme responses to sirens, alarms, vacuum cleaners • Can’t calm down in noisy rooms • Doesn’t hear or respond to calls in a noisy room.

9. Olfactory Sense • Sense of smell • May have trouble telling difference between smells • Can’t identify odors • Have extreme reactions to certain smells • OR has no reaction to strong smells

10. Gustatory Sense • Sense of taste • May crave strong, sharp, or sour flavors • OR refuse all but bland foods • Can’t tell the difference between foods

11. Are they acting out? Under-Responsive vs. Over-Responsive

12. Gaining Awareness • Estimated 5-10% of all students • Up to 68% of students on the autism spectrum • Common misdiagnoses.

13. Over-Responsive OR Are you bothered by: Fuzzy textures Sticky hands Walking barefoot on coarse carpet or grass Having hair or fingernails cut Food textures Background noises while you’re trying to concentrate Loud, unexpected sounds Being upside down Noise in a restaurant, mall or large gymnasium Fragrance from perfume or bath products Are you cautious and afraid to try new things? Are you upset by transitions and unexpected changes? Under-Responsive Do you: Not bothered by minor injuries Not seem to notice when someone touches you Not like to try new physical activities Not always hear your name being called Find you can tune out sensations such as hunger, heat, cold Watch your hands as you complete tasks Are you easily lost in a fantasy world? Difficult to engage in conversations or other social interactions? Check it out for yourself – some common flags. Are you:

14. Dyspraxia • May or may not come with SPD • Symptoms include: • Slow to sit up, walk, roll, crawl • Difficulty with multi-step activities • Is awkward, clumsy, accident-prone • Trips or bumps into people or things • Has difficulty keeping organized • Has trouble with manipulatives, beads, sports, etc.

15. What do we do as educators? • Biggest problems are lack of focus and trouble staying still enough to learn. • Some accommodations we can put in place • Physical • Visual • Auditory • Organizational • Sensory

16. A Sensory Diet • Like diabetes, small meals help regulation • Activities to alert a lethargic child • Activities to calm an active child

17. The most important thing • Be there • Trust me -a mom 