Signs of SPD in Children – from Picky Eating to Temper Tantrums

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) affects five to ten percent of all children – an average of one child in every classroom.

Imagine having a child who finds hugs unbearable, or a child who throws temper tantrums virtually every time he or she is taken to a restaurant or store, or a child who refuses to eat. These behaviors are daily realities for more than three million children in the United States alone.

October is National Sensory Awareness Month. The Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) Foundation wants parents to know the Red Flags of SPD:

•     Overly sensitive to touch, noises, smells, or movement
•     Floppy or stiff body, clumsy, poor motor skills or handwriting
•     Difficulty dressing, eating, sleeping, or toilet training
•     Frequent or lengthy temper tantrums
•     Easily distracted, fidgety, withdrawn, or aggressive
•     Craves movement
•     Easily overwhelmed

Most children with SPD are just as intelligent as their peers, and many are intellectually gifted. Not all children are affected the same way. One child with SPD may over-respond to sensation, and find clothing and certain foods unbearable. Another might under-respond and show no reaction to pain, while yet another might have coordination problems.

Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, founder of the SPD Foundation, provides parents with background information about SPD and common sense strategies for helping children with sensory issues in her books, “Sensational Kids” and “No Longer A SECRET.” According to Miller, “SPD is not a reflection of bad behavior, and it is not caused by bad parenting. In fact, it’s not ‘bad’ at all. It’s physiologic in nature.”

Treatment for SPD typically involves occupational therapy, which enables children to participate in the normal activities of childhood, such as playing with friends, enjoying school, eating, dressing, and sleeping. Depending on the child’s symptoms, other types of treatment might also be recommended, including feeding programs, listening therapy, speech and language therapy, or the DIR® Floortime model.

Click the following links to purchase the books mentioned:

• Sensational Kids
• No Longer A SECRET

Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation Reacts to Breakthrough Study

In reaction to the breakthrough study revealing a biological basis for Sensory Processing Disorder in children, Dr. Lucy Jane Miller of the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation released the following statement. To read about the study, click here.

SPD affects 5% to 16% of children in the general population. That is more than 1 child in every classroom. Typically these children are misdiagnosed with ADHD or autism, or they are not diagnosed at all…Instead an assumption is made that the child has ‘bad’ behavior. Sadly, parents are accused of not disciplining their children appropriately or not providing enough structure for their children. Researchers at the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation have been studying SPD for over 30 years and supports continued research of SPD. The Foundation organized a multi-disciplinary team of experts called the SPD Scientific Workgroup that includes 50 physicians and scientists from research institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Duke and many other universities. These researchers have provided physiological, neurological, psychological, etiological, familial and other data about SPD.

Breakthrough Study Reveals Biological Basis for Sensory Processing Disorders in Kids

Sensory processing disorders (SPD) are more prevalent in children than autism and as common as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, yet the condition receives far less attention partly because it’s never been recognized as a distinct disease.

In a groundbreaking new study from UC San Francisco, researchers have found that children affected with SPD have quantifiable differences in brain structure, for the first time showing a biological basis for the disease that sets it apart from other neurodevelopmental disorders.

One of the reasons SPD has been overlooked until now is that it often occurs in children who also have ADHD or autism, and the disorders have not been listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual used by psychiatrists and psychologists.

“Until now, SPD hasn’t had a known biological underpinning,” said senior author Pratik Mukherjee, MD, PhD, a professor of radiology and biomedical imaging and bioengineering at UCSF. “Our findings point the way to establishing a biological basis for the disease that can be easily measured and used as a diagnostic tool,” Mukherjee said.

(The image above shows areas of the brain that can be affected by sensory processing disorders. Using an advanced form of MRI, researchers at UCSF have identified abnormalities in the brain structure of children with SPD primarily in the back of the brain.)

Decoding Sensory Processing Disorder

People are always trying to find ways to explain Sensory Processing Disorder. This article may give you some ideas on how to explain it easily.

One Family’s Struggle with Sensory Processing Disorder

You are not alone in struggling with Sensory Processing Disorder. Here is one family’s struggle.

The Out-of-Sync Child

Book: The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz

The Out-of-Sync Child broke new ground by identifying Sensory Processing Disorder, a common but frequently misdiagnosed problem in which the central nervous system misinterprets messages from the senses. This newly revised edition features additional information from recent research on vision and hearing deficits, motor skill problems, nutrition and picky eaters, ADHA, autism, and other related disorders.

Signs of SPD in Children – from Picky Eating to Temper Tantrums

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) affects five to ten percent of all children.

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) affects five to ten percent of all children – an average of one child in every classroom.

Imagine having a child who finds hugs unbearable, or a child who throws temper tantrums virtually every time he or she is taken to a restaurant or store, or a child who refuses to eat. These behaviors are daily realities for more than three million children in the United States alone.

New Survey Shows Concern among Mental Health Professionals About New DSM-5 Guidelines

The Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy, in collaboration with online education provider myCME.com, have released a new white paper on attitudes, perceptions and concerns about the upcoming publication of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in May 2013. It shows that six out of ten clinicians expect significant impact to clinical practice from DSM-5.

Ultimately, this manual and the way in which clinicians apply its guidance impacts every patient treated by the mental health community. It’s a significant development for all clinicians.

Parents Are the Best Advocates for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder

Parents know when their child has a sensory problem, but too often their observations are discounted because they are ‘just the parents.’

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a neurological condition that affects the way the brain receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. SPD affects more than one in twenty children– that’s one child in every classroom.

What is Sensory Processing Disorder?

Just what is Sensory Processing Disorder? This is easily the most common question on this site. Here’s another take on answering this question…

Image by Nhoj Leunamme == Jhon Emmanuel via Flickr