What is Sensory Processing Disorder?

When a child over-responds or under-responds to a certain sense.  For example, a child may become easily overwhelmed by certain sounds, sights, smells, textures, etc.  Or, the child may be seeking extra input from his senses by touching everything, ramming into things, spinning, smelling things, staring intently at things that spin/light-up, etc.

Know the Symptoms and Red Flags of Sensory Processing Disorder:

Red Flags: http://spdfoundation.net/about-sensory-processing-disorder/redsflags/

Symptom Checklist: http://spdfoundation.net/about-sensory-processing-disorder/symptoms/

When to Refer:

When you notice these symptoms are interfering with a child’s ability to communicate or to learn and develop language from the regular education instruction, you should tell the parents about your concerns and refer to an occupational therapist if necessary.

Strategies to Try:

If you know a child has sensory processing disorder (or if you suspect it), you can try certain strategies to make learning time more effective.  These usually include getting sensory needs met before or during your sessions so the child is able to focus on your work.

If you know that a child needs alerting or calming, try some of these sensory activities: http://www.school-ot.com/Sensory%20Strategies.html

Or, check out some of these home activities: http://www.spdfoundation.net/resources/homeactivities/