We experience the world through our senses.
Our brain receives inputs from the environment through the sense organs. It processes
the information and sends signals to our body. Our body reacts according to the
signals it receives from the brain. How we receive sensory inputs affects our
behaviour. Sounds simple! But, it’s a highly complex process. We have five main
senses. They are:
Touch – Tactile
Sound – Auditory
Sight – Visual
Taste – Gustatory
Smell – Olfactory
In addition to the five senses we also use
two more senses:
Vestibular
or movement and balance sense
This sense provides information about where
the body is in space and in relation to the earth’s surface. When you wait at
the traffic signal in your car which is stationary, and a bus next to your car
moves, you get a feeling your car is also moving. Immediately your brain gets
the right input and you realise the bus is moving.
Proprioception
This sense provides information about all the parts of the body (joints and
muscles), their position and what they are doing. If you are blindfolded and
lift your hands in line with your shoulders, you know where your hands are. You
don’t have to see them to know you have moved your hands away from your body.
You are aware even if you don’t see with your eyes.
When the five senses along with vestibular
and proprioception work in tandem there is sensory integration.
What
happens when there’s sensory disintegration?
Sensory disintegration can happen when the
senses are over stimulated (hyper) or not stimulated enough (hypo). A child who
may be hypersensitive to touch (tactile) will find brushing teeth extremely
disturbing. For him, dental hygiene becomes a problem. Or a child may dislike
certain fabrics and won’t want them rubbing against her body. So, she may
refuse to wear certain kinds of clothes.
Some children can’t tolerate loud voices,
or music when their auditory sense is over stimulated. If their auditory sense is under-stimulated they won’t be able to
pick-up certain sounds in speech. They mispronounce words and garble nursery
rhymes.
When there’s a problem with their vestibular
sense and proprioception they’ll have trouble with directions, gauging distance
– they can’t tell if they can jump 5 steps at a go, they just jump. They bump
into things and people. They can’t maintain body space in relation to another
person they are talking to. They either stand too close to you, or far away
from you. They can’t sense the passage of time.
If you were to walk along a street known
for its street food, your brain automatically scans the stalls as you walk
along the street, your body avoids brushing against another person in the
crowd, your nose is able to discriminate the different aromas of food. Your
brain gathers all this information, filters it and helps you make the decision
to stop at the food stall of your choice.
When there’s sensory disintegration – I will
get all the above information at the same time without any filtering, and I
won’t know what to do. My senses will be overwhelmed and my anxiety will
increase. I may push and shove through the crowd, or stay rooted to the spot –
either way, unable to decide what to do.
Most of the time ADHD and SensoryProcessing Disorder occur together. (A term you’ll hear often is comorbid. Don’t
panic. It means co-occuring or to occur along with.)
How
can I help my child?
Your first port of call will be your paediatrician
or Learning Centres which specialise in Learning Differences/Difficulties. Your
child will be assessed to understand what kind of learning
difference/disability they have. The specialist will refer you to an
occupational therapist. The occupational therapist will draw up a plan
according to the individual needs of the child. You, as a parent, have to work
closely with the occupational therapist and the special educator/teacher. Be prepared for the long haul.
When you follow what the child requires,
the results are obvious and significant. She will become confident in her abilities and this will reflect in academic success and positive behavioural changes in her interactions with peers and adults.
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