In my June
Newsletter, I wrote about how I would be “that awesome parent” this summer.
It’s not happening. The kids are out of control and I find myself (once again)
buried in books about sensory processing, trying to find the solution. I’m
having trouble getting all their sensory needs met. Add my sensory needs to the
mix and I get lost in a maze of words.
Sensory
processing (or the sensory system) includes information from the environment and
the body, the senses, how the brain interprets the senses, and the responce to
the senses. The response is usually what we’re interested in and want to
change. To do that, we have to go back to the information or experience that
triggered the sense, and then how the brain noticed (or didn’t notice) the
sensory input. Was it too much, too little? And what do we do to alter the
whole experience to create a desirable response. Are you lost?
Sensory Processing
“Sensory processing is the neurological
process that organizes sensation from one's own body and the environment, thus
making it possible to use the body effectively within the environment,” describes
Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_processing)
.
Sensory
information from the environment helps us understand the world around us. We
also have sensations inside ourselves that help us keep track of how are bodies
are doing. To understand our bodies, we have touch sensors, body position
sensors, movement sensors, and oral sensors. To understand the world around us,
we have visual, auditory and smell sensors. See the list of senses below.
We experience
life through our senses. Sensation is everywhere, but we all react differently
to sensory experiences in our everyday life. We experience a sense of calm with
some sensory experiences and get overwhelmed with other sensory experiences.
The way we respond to a sensory experience is related to how quickly the brain
notices the sensory input and what we do in response to make ourselves
comfortable and satisfied. The responses we have
adds to our understanding of human behaviour.
Sensory Processing
Disorder
“Sensory
processing disorder (SPD; also known as sensory integration dysfunction) is a
condition that exists when multisensory integration is not adequately processed
in order to provide appropriate responses to the demands of the environment….Sensory
processing disorder is characterized by significant problems to organize
sensation coming from the body and the environment and manifested by
difficulties in the performance in one or more of the main areas of life: productivity,
leisure and play or activities of daily living,” describes
Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_processing_disorder)
.
The SPD Foundation (www.spdfoundation.net) describes, “Sensory
Processing Disorder (SPD, formerly known as "sensory integration
dysfunction") is a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get
organized into appropriate responses.… 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. Motor clumsiness, behavioral
problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other impacts may result if the
disorder is not treated effectively.”
The Eight
Senses
Interoception: The internal sense, responsible for knowing you are hungry, feel
sick or have to use the restroom.
Proprioception: Body position
sensor that tells us about our muscles, tendons, and joints. The position-sense
keeps track of where our arms, legs, head, and body are even without seeing
them. It helps understand what movement feels like inside your body. When
people are less aware of their position-sense, it is difficult to make
adjustments. This person would have trouble in an exercise program based on
verbal instruction. Repositioning their body based on verbal instruction is
difficult because they don’t understand what movement feels inside their body.
They will need physical adjustments to help them position their body
accordingly.
Vestibular: Your sense of balance, of where your body is positioned in space
– like lying down, turning upside down, jumping and climbing high off the
ground. These sensors tell us
how fast and in which direction your head is moving. Some people love the
feeling of movement; they are the roller coaster riders, others prefer their
movement receptors quieter.
Taste (gustatory): Oral sensors create a log of things that
go in our mouth. We feel textures, temperatures and we taste flavours.
Touch (tactile): Touch sensors keep the brain informed about
our skin and the edge of our body. Your sense of feeling,
all over your skin; responsible for how your clothes feel, knowing there is
food on your face, and having your hair combed or cut.
Smell (olfactory): Your sense of
what things smell like, from freshly baked cookies, to perfumes, soaps and
skunks. We can map the world
through our noses. Our brain categorizes smells and creates memory of them;
which is why a smell can remind you of past events and places.
Sight (visual): How you see things, responsible
for picking out one object in many, recognizing facial expressions and
adjusting your eyes to lighting conditions. Our visual sensory receptors catalogue light and colour. Some
of us are more sensitive to visual input and prefer dim lighting, and monochromatic
decorating with less contrast and familiar patterns. Others are delighted with
flooding light, lots of vibrant colours and lots of contrast and interesting
features. Our visual sensors develop maps of our surroundings, we use these
maps along with our body maps to navigate our surroundings.
Hearing (auditory): Auditory sensations map space and distance
around us. Responsible for knowing who to listen to in a
crowded room, organizing directions for a task, and taking in the sound of an
alarm or siren.
