Posted on Sep 30, 2016 in
FEATURES
Kids’ Corner | By Patrick Biron –
Each week at camp, around 150 to 200 kids come through our day programs. It is fun and everything that camp should be, and of course, it comes with all of the normal ups, downs, joys and challenges of dealing with that many kids – and parents!
While we are used to the frequent number of children with diagnosed disorders who join us, a large number of undiagnosed children at camp exhibit symptoms of a disorder that most parents have never even heard of: Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).
According to the Star Institute for SPD, as many as 16 percent of children exhibit the symptoms of SPD. And yet, because the disorder is relatively unknown among parents, and because it shares some symptoms with the autism spectrum, it can be difficult for childcare companies to properly identify the signs and implement an engagement program that best serves that particular child.
So, what is SPD? While the Star Institute website provides an amazing, in-depth explanation, in a nut shell, SPD refers to the way a child’s brain handles sensory input from their environment and how they respond to those sensory inputs through action and emotion. Unlike similar disorders, the senses themselves are perceived normally, but the processing of and response to those experiences is abnormal.
Symptoms of SPD include: sensitivity to certain noises, touch, smells or even people; lack of empathy; becoming overwhelmed by large groups, loud noises or sensory overload; difficulty making friends; motor skill difficulties and becoming easily distracted, fidgety and aggressive.
Many of these symptoms are the same as those characteristic of other, more well-known disorders. And while your child’s doctor is a great resource and has the knowledge to best assess and treat your child, parents should use caution when a camp, teacher or day care quickly “diagnoses” your child with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Many of these programs, though well intentioned, don’t have the medical expertise to properly identify your child’s situation. Treating a child with SPD as if they have ADD doesn’t help them, since the former usually involves intense therapy and the latter medication.
So, what can you do if you are worried that your child might have SPD or be exhibiting its symptoms? Luckily, it is treatable if properly identified, and there are a ton of resources available for parents and patients. Visit www.spdstar.org to learn more about SPD, get more resources, find assessments and get in touch with evaluations and treatment options near you. And if one in 20 kids has SPD, all parents should learn more about it.
