|
In an average class of children, there are the ‘good’ kids, a few quiet ones and a couple with behavioural issues. Commonly known as ‘the naughty kids’, these children are increasingly being diagnosed with a range of disorders, including ADD, ADHD or autism spectrum disorder. But what if the bad behaviour these children are exhibiting is due to their brain not giving their body the correct messages? Diana Henry is an occupational therapist who travels the world educating teachers, child care professionals and families about how to help children with sensory processing challenges.
So what is a sensory processing challenge and does it mean for a child? Diana Henry explains. “Sensory processing challenges can exist all alone. You can have a child who is very sensitive to sound, is very clumsy or has other kinds of sensory issues related to touch or being very weak physically. It can exist alone as a diagnosis and it can also exist as part of the diagnosis of autism, ADHD, even Down’s syndrome or other cognitive or physical challenges.”
Symptoms or indicators that a child may have sensory processing challenges are as many and varied as the body’s own sensory systems. It could be that a child doesn’t like to be touched or be in crowds or play with the gooey, icky stuff that most kids love to play with. It may exhibit as a fear of climbing up high, not wanting to go on a swing or tripping and falling and generally appearing to be clumsy. Whether it’s the sense of movement and balance, the sense of hearing or touch or the muscle system that is affected, each will result in a different response from the child.
According to Henry, good detective work is paramount in sorting out the behavioural issues from the sensory processing challenges. “One of my main missions is to help families and professional be able to differentiate so it takes the sensory piece out of the puzzle. Because once we know, we can address those issues and it can make a huge change in the child’s behaviour.”
The Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) is a tool that Henry has helped develop to work out exactly where the issues lie. The SPM is a test that looks at the whole child, examining their behaviour both at home and at school and aims to get a bird’s eye view of the child’s overall behaviour. Parents, teachers, carers and grandparents are all involved in assessing the child in a variety of environments and the results are calculated and shown on a graph. The beauty of the SPM is that it provides a concrete evaluative scale to see where a child is in relation to having a diagnosed sensory processing challenge, showing a few minor issues and just being a regular kid.
If a child is diagnosed with a sensory processing challenge, there is much that can be done to help. Henry has made it her life’s work to share information with families, professionals and therapists, integrating simple strategies in the child’s everyday life activities on a daily basis, both in the home, at school and elsewhere.
If a child’s behaviour appears rough, clumsy, destructive or bullying to other children, it may be that he has an issue with his muscle system, where it doesn’t give feedback to his brain to let him know where he is in space and what his own body is doing. The key is to try and switch on the child’s awareness of his body and its actions, making him aware of what things feel like and concentrating on remaining in one specific place. Strategies might include increasing the amount of exercise the child does to improve his muscle tone and strength. It may include massage to help the brain to fire and recognise when the muscles and skin are being touched. Another idea is to have a small marker on the ground which the child is able to see and focus on standing still in the marked spot. Together these tactics help the child gain more control over his body, make it work more efficiently and achieve the outcomes that are required of him. The ‘bad’ behaviour is improved and the child is more successful.
Current research shows that 40% - some researchers say as many as 60% - of children who have ADHD also have a sensory processing disorder. Of the remaining children, 20% have ADHD alone and 20% just have a sensory processing disorder. “Because we can’t just look at behavior and say ‘This is what it is’, we really have to be a good detective to find out what is going on with the child” says Diana. It is possible to see great improvement in the behaviour of a child with ADHD and a sensory processing disorder once the sensory challenge is addressed.
Diana points out that there is some intervention and treatment that families will need to do in close consultation with a qualified occupational therapist who specializes in the area. “What I do is teach the strategies that anyone can use. These are tools to help families integrate strategies throughout the day.”
We take for granted our brain’s ability to tell our bodies what to do, so when there is a problem with that process it’s understandable that it can appear that a child is acting out or misbehaving. Our biology is so complex, and there are so many things that happen unconsciously on so many levels that even a tiny issue can have far-reaching consequences. It’s heartening to know that in regards to sensory processing issues, once they are diagnosed there is a lot of room for improvement, which can mean radical change for a child who’s been labelled ‘the naughty kid.’
Diana’s enthusiasm for equipping families to help their child through a sensory disorder is clear. “This piece of the puzzle is not the answer to everything, but once you understand it, everybody gets very excited about how they can help integrate the strategies and make it fun for the child.”
Diana Henry will be in Australia in February and March 2011 running workshops for parents, child-care workers, teachers and therapists on dealing with sensory processing disorder.
For details p: (02) 6536 5308; e:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
; w: www.lifeskills4kids.com.au
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/hide comment form