How is it nearly the end of October!? This month seemed to fly by! But even so, we could not let this month pass without recognizing that October is Sensory Processing Awareness Month!
Check out this post below that one of our OTs on staff, Lauren, put together for us!
What is Sensory Processing?
Sensory processing refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses, called adaptive responses. Efficient processing continues to develop over your first few years of life to create a foundation to achieve higher level motor, cognitive, and social emotional skills.
What is Sensory Processing Disorder?
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) exists when sensory signals are either not detected or don’t get organized into adaptive responses. Sensory Processing Disorder can affect people in only one sense – for example, just touch or just sight or just hearing – or in multiple senses. One person may over-respond to touch sensation and find clothing, physical contact, and other tactile sensory input to be unbearable, while another person might under-respond and show little or no reaction to stimulation, such as pain or extreme hot/cold, or may be slow to respond to the sensation. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks and managing emotions. It is most commonly diagnosed in children, but people who reach adulthood without treatment also may experience significant symptoms and continue to be affected by their inability to accurately and appropriately interpret and respond to sensory messages. Aside from SPD, sensory processing differences also coincide with many other diagnoses, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Check out this video from the Wall Street Journal to find out more…
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