Early Childhood Intervention
This website is a place for families who are facing
challenges pertaining to their child's development and
growth.
It is a place to find answers and practical
suggestions. That's what Early Intervention Support is all
about.
Whether a family has a child with a challenging behavior,
a disability or developmental issue, childhood is short - it
should be savored and enjoyed.
Learn More:
Ask a Therapist
We understand developmental milestones and the challenges
of Special Needs children. We spend a great deal of time
with families understanding the inner workings of childhood
routines and interactions. Ask us about your child today!
Ask a Therapist
Sensory Processing Disorder
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A child with this neurological disorder, also called Sensory
Integration Dysfunction, experiences difficulty processing
information from the five senses vision, auditory, touch, taste, and
smell.
In addition, Sensory Processing Disorder can cause problems with a
child's sense of movement and/or the positional sense, called
proprioception. The child can sense the information normally, (for
example, he or she can hear), but the information is processed
differently in the brain. This can result in distress or confusion.
This condition can exist alone or it can exist with other
neurological conditions, such as autism, attention deficit
disorders, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourettes syndrome, multiple
sclerosis, and others.
Sensory Processing Disorder Symptoms
Children can be born hypersensitive or hyposensitive to varying degrees
and may have trouble with one of the senses, a few, or all of them.
Examples of hypersensitivity include:
- Feeling pain from clothing rubbing against skin
- An inability to tolerate normal lighting in a room
- A dislike of being touched (especially light touch)
- Discomfort when one looks directly into the eyes of another person
Hyposensitivity is characterized by an unusually high tolerance
for environmental stimuli.
- Your child might appear restless and seek sensory stimulation
Diagnosing Sensory Processing Disorder
Unlike many neurological problems that require validation by a licensed
psychiatrist or physician, this condition is most often diagnosed by an
occupational therapist. It is increasingly being diagnosed by developmental
pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, and child psychologists.
Treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder
An occupational therapist will work with your child to focus on
increasing your child's ability to tolerate a variety of sensory experiences
to create the just right fit for your child.
In addition, deep pressure is often calming for children who have sensory
dysfunctions. It is recommended that therapists use a variety of tactile
materials, a quiet, subdued voice, and slow, linear movements, tailoring the
approach to the child's unique sensory needs.
The children are engaged in therapy as play which may include activities
such as finger painting, using Play-Doh type modeling clay, swinging,
playing in bins of rice or water, climbing, etc.
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Learn More About Early Intervention
Therapy Options
Thankfully, there are many ways to deal with childhood developmental
delays and behaviors. These include in-home services, outpatient (you take
your child to a clinic), inpatient (following injury or surgery) and school
based services. Which type of therapy should you choose?
Visit our Therapy Options
area to learn more.
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