Its 6am; the alarm goes off. This time Jack doesn 't scream or cover his ears. The once familiar feeling of each sound wave as they hit the sides of his skull; the agonizing echo bouncing in his head is gone. To many, noting this absence in response seems extreme; perhaps an exaggeration or overly dramatic, but to Jack, it 's a moment he never understood before. For him it 's the moment of knowing what it feels like to be "normal"; even if it 's just for this one time. Reaching this monumental moment took years of commitment and therapy to help him cope with his sensitivity to sensory inputs. Jack has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), a complex neurological condition that often leaves individuals feeling overwhelmed by sensory stimuli.
In the past, little time and money were spent on studying this disorder, but lately this has changed. Increases in neuroatypical diagnosis amongst children compelled neurologists to look at this problem more closely in hopes of gaining a better understanding of its biological basis as well as effective ways of reaching these individuals. For years, it was believed that the best route in treating people with sensory integration and disorders was in the form of Sensory Integration Therapy (SI) based on Dr. A. Jean Ayres ' theory of Sensory Integration. But more recently there has been some debate about the actual effectiveness of this approach. These differences of opinion lead doctors and therapists to search for more suitable treatment options. After reviewing data from recent studies, it appears that current technological advances have tremendous potential for improving the lives of SPD patients, because traditional Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT) is not entirely effective, the new technological therapies show noticeable improvements above those obtained with standard treatment, and the therapy can be administered anywhere. In order to be successful in treating patients with SPD, it is important to fully understand the disorder. SPD is a lifelong disorder that only recently gained recognition as its own class of a neuroatypical dysfunction. It is the brain 's inability to properly sense, process, organize incoming stimulus and thus respond appropriately to the sensory information. This causes a "neurological traffic jam", a term used by Dr. A. Jean Ayres, an OT, educational psychologist, neuroscientist and author of the book "Sensory Integration and the Child". The disorder is shown to be associated with abnormal white matter tracts that are distinguishable from other neuroatypical dysfunctions. White matter is the myelinated axons of neuron cells often described as the wiring that connects different areas of the brain to a person 's auditory, visual and somatosensory system. This link is essential for perceiving, processing and learning. That being said, people with SPD have difficulties processing stimulation, whether it is visual, audial or physical. As a result, these children tend to be hypersensitive or hyposensitive to light, sound, and touch when compared to typically developing children who display expected ranges of response to stimuli. McKenna Myers, a woman who suffers from SPD, wrote an article called “What It 's Like for Me to Live with Sensory Processing Disorder”, where she attempts to describe her experiences by explaining "I hear a sound and plug my ears so hard it hurts, but I can still hear the noise. So I cry". (Myers 1) This intolerance can also be seen in school when the student is unable to focus because he or she is overwhelmed by the noise of the ceiling fan or the tapping of their neighbor 's pen. When left untreated, this inability to filter out unwanted stimuli can lead to general anxiety, frustration, aggression …show more content…
If a child throws a ball a dozen times, his or her ability to catch it will naturally improve. The repetition of this given exercise leads to improvement through practice, but cannot be applied to a new task. In an online article “Treating Sensory Processing Issues” which supports the use of SI therapy, the concept behind Sensory Integration Therapy is explained by Beth Arkly. Beth is a writer at Child Mind Institute, a website dedicated to providing care for children with disabilities. She writes "The idea behind SI therapy is that specific movement activities, resistive body work and even brushing of the skin can help a child with sensory problems experience an optimal level of arousal and regulation". (Arkly
In the past, little time and money were spent on studying this disorder, but lately this has changed. Increases in neuroatypical diagnosis amongst children compelled neurologists to look at this problem more closely in hopes of gaining a better understanding of its biological basis as well as effective ways of reaching these individuals. For years, it was believed that the best route in treating people with sensory integration and disorders was in the form of Sensory Integration Therapy (SI) based on Dr. A. Jean Ayres ' theory of Sensory Integration. But more recently there has been some debate about the actual effectiveness of this approach. These differences of opinion lead doctors and therapists to search for more suitable treatment options. After reviewing data from recent studies, it appears that current technological advances have tremendous potential for improving the lives of SPD patients, because traditional Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT) is not entirely effective, the new technological therapies show noticeable improvements above those obtained with standard treatment, and the therapy can be administered anywhere. In order to be successful in treating patients with SPD, it is important to fully understand the disorder. SPD is a lifelong disorder that only recently gained recognition as its own class of a neuroatypical dysfunction. It is the brain 's inability to properly sense, process, organize incoming stimulus and thus respond appropriately to the sensory information. This causes a "neurological traffic jam", a term used by Dr. A. Jean Ayres, an OT, educational psychologist, neuroscientist and author of the book "Sensory Integration and the Child". The disorder is shown to be associated with abnormal white matter tracts that are distinguishable from other neuroatypical dysfunctions. White matter is the myelinated axons of neuron cells often described as the wiring that connects different areas of the brain to a person 's auditory, visual and somatosensory system. This link is essential for perceiving, processing and learning. That being said, people with SPD have difficulties processing stimulation, whether it is visual, audial or physical. As a result, these children tend to be hypersensitive or hyposensitive to light, sound, and touch when compared to typically developing children who display expected ranges of response to stimuli. McKenna Myers, a woman who suffers from SPD, wrote an article called “What It 's Like for Me to Live with Sensory Processing Disorder”, where she attempts to describe her experiences by explaining "I hear a sound and plug my ears so hard it hurts, but I can still hear the noise. So I cry". (Myers 1) This intolerance can also be seen in school when the student is unable to focus because he or she is overwhelmed by the noise of the ceiling fan or the tapping of their neighbor 's pen. When left untreated, this inability to filter out unwanted stimuli can lead to general anxiety, frustration, aggression …show more content…
If a child throws a ball a dozen times, his or her ability to catch it will naturally improve. The repetition of this given exercise leads to improvement through practice, but cannot be applied to a new task. In an online article “Treating Sensory Processing Issues” which supports the use of SI therapy, the concept behind Sensory Integration Therapy is explained by Beth Arkly. Beth is a writer at Child Mind Institute, a website dedicated to providing care for children with disabilities. She writes "The idea behind SI therapy is that specific movement activities, resistive body work and even brushing of the skin can help a child with sensory problems experience an optimal level of arousal and regulation". (Arkly