What is SPD.... Sensory Processing Disorder????

helping to gain harmony within the seven senses 

When 'explaining' our child has ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, (or - is Autistic), there are still many people who will state they have no idea or knowledge regarding the exact specifics or understanding of the diagnosis/disability.

Then explaining the additional conditions the main cause of underlying concerns, it may confuse them even more.

*Noting* I know, most Autistics or family members don't like to label ASD as a disability, and in the general sense I can agree, although there are moments, like this, when it's the best way to explain the full extend of what ASD represents.

In general many have come to accept the term .... "Special Needs", this covering all areas of their diagnosis.

To help newcomers and novices better understand what they're beginning to encounter, or for some of us 'old-hats' at the game, to refresh our minds about a few things we may have forgotten, or to help with a new issue that may have recently arisen, etc, I will begin by reviewing the different dynamics of Autism.

Explaining Autism, in layman's terms......

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability, it begins in-utero (pre-birth).

Knowing the exact cause of autism is hard to specifically pinpoint because the Human Brain is very complicated, containing more than 100 billion nerve cells, ‘Neurons’, they each have hundreds or thousands of connections to carry messages to other nerve cells in the brain and body.

The connections and the chemical messengers they send, 'Neurotransmitters', keep the neurons working properly.

This process is used to help us see, feel, move, remember, experience emotions, communicate, and so on.

In the brain of an Autistic person, some of those cells and connections develop or organize differently, therefore having a dramatic influence on development, affecting how the person communicates with, and relates to, other people.

It also affects how they make sense of the world and everything around them. 

Along with a diagnosis of Autism, there are usually coexisting conditions (known as comorbidities), these may include-

Anxiety Disorder, Irritable Bowel Disorder, Neuroinflammation and Immune dysfunction, seizures, motor clumsiness, sensory sensitivity, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder,Tourettes Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder,  Tuberous Sclerosis (benign tumours of the brain or other organs), and other medical conditions including Chromosomal Abnormalities.

Directing our attention to one of these 'co-morbid' conditions - 'sensory sensitivities'

Officially diagnosed as -Sensory Processing Disorder.

The term ‘Sensory Processing’ 

describes our brain’s ability to, receive, and organize input from all of the active senses throughout our body at any given moment, and then interpreting the information to produce a meaningful response;

they are fundamental to a person’s ability to learn & function in any environment.

The sensory system gathers information externally in the form of our Seven Senses -

Touch, Smell, Taste, Sound, Sight, and also two that many don't always include, Movement and Balance.

The term ‘Sensory Integration’ 

is the body’s ability to receive, interpret, process, and respond to the different Sensory Stimuli.

The seven Senses are very important for our day to day activities, and for laying a foundation to an efficient operating process of our nervous system and any connecting areas of our body requiring its assistance to run efficiently while performing any required skills.

The process used by the brain and nervous system to receive input from our body and outside world, affect functions such as muscle movement, coordination, learning, memory, emotion, behavior, thought, and even sleep.

Therefore, as with a computer, if a breakdown or malfunction occurs in one part of the system it often affects other functions and areas of the whole system.

This is when a person will be diagnosed with 'Sensory Processing Disorder' SPD

This Sensory Processing dysfunction changes how the brain is processing or organising the flow of sensory impulses from the normal manner, making it hard to share precise information when required.

The functional skills process then misinterprets everyday sensory information, making the person feel ‘overwhelmed’ by the mismatched sensory information they receive.

As a result, learning can be difficult, they may feel uncomfortable, or have problems coping with the stress of daily sensory and organizational demands, causing additional or behavioural complications.

These special children (and adults) will face many underlying challenges, the main concern being their mind tends to register 'more' information than normal, and the impact of each bit of information tends to be both stronger and less predictable, giving a more intense and chaotic, sensory and cognitive experience. 

They may ‘seek out’ sensory experiences (under reactive -Hypo-sensitive),

or may ‘avoid’ certain experiences (over reactive -Hypersensitive).

They may also present with motor skill problems, react with strong emotional behaviours, and experience what is described as ‘Melt-Downs’.

While it's not always possible to avoid a "meltdown", the severity and frequency can be reduced significantly through providing soothing stimuli such as warm weighted items, gentle massage and vibrations, or the feel of various textured cloths, etc. Sometimes having the right temperature, or fabric texture, may be all that is needed to flip the switch from chaos to calm.

Overall, we need to give them a little patience and understanding, by helping to prevent additional issues that may exacerbate these conditions....

Eliminating or Minimising the demands of unrealistic educational pressures,

Give fair consideration and allowances for reasonable breaks and sensory assistance,

Having a full understanding of the diagnosis as being ... A true and real disability.....

Acknowledging and Accepting the child as a whole.

Having a 'complete' knowledge of how to truly help, beginning with 'Support Training' for staff, tutors, and any other person connecting or working with Special Needs people, to better understand what Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder etc is all about.