Basics of Sensory Integration Dysfunction

Asperger's Syndrome

2008-06-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

Asperger.org is a very informative website on Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). The term AS has only come out in the last fifteen years.

This website says that many children with AS are often in mainstream educational settings and often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Children are commonly misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Emotional Disturbance (ED). Children with AS are said to be "normal but different" which can lead to not being diagnosed. Children suffering from AS typically have at least normal IQ and have more average language function compared to other Sensory Integration Dysfunctions.

AS is the term “applied to the mildest and highest functioning end of what is known as the spectrum of Pervasive Developmental Disorders.” (Bauer, 2008)

Christopher Gillberg, a Swedish physician developed six criteria for diagnosis that is said to “capture the unique style of these children.” (Bauer, 2008)

Social impairment with extreme egocentricity (caring only about self)
Limited interests and preoccupation (playing repetitively with same toy)
Repetitive routines or rituals
Speech and language peculiarities (odd voice characteristics)
Nonverbal communication problems (limit use of gestures)
Motor clumsiness
(Bauer, 2008)

The biggest difficulty with children with AS is related to socialization and behavioral adjustment. People tend to overlook these children as just being “strange”. They also have additional trouble being understood by teachers and other students which makes the situation even harder.

This website also has a section on management in schools. It talked about things teachers can to do help the child and help teachers understand their needs better. I won’t go into the details here, but if you are interested in education this is a MUST READ!

What I think:

First I want to start out with the section about management in the school. I absolutely love that the author included a section about this. I always wondered what I would do with someone with a Sensory Integration Dysfunction in my own classroom. One line I must quote is from Asperger himself who says, “These children often show a surprising sensitivity to the personality of the teacher.” (1944) WOW! That is such a great quote. Children pick up on attitudes and behaviors and if you are special needs and you feel like you are making someone else do more work or something special for you it makes you feel horrible. Children always follow the mood that adult in the environment set whether they have AS or not. I think all teachers need to be made aware of this.

It makes me sad that these children have such social and emotional issues. I was shy when I was younger and felt like an outcast a majority of the time and I hated it. I felt like I would never fit in with anyone and something had to be wrong with me. I can not imagine how these children must feel. Especially knowing that you are looked at as being “strange” before you even talk to anyone. I think interaction with peers is critical to any child and I am happy that most of these kids are mainstreamed so they have the option at least to be social.

I think it is very important that the author put in a section about the misdiagnosis or undiagnosis. I think that this goes for all Sensory Integration Dysfunctions. Many doctors just push things off as what ever is convenient for them. ADD is a diagnosis that is used too often. I am the type of person that likes to get to the cause and the specific facts, doctors should do that too. I also think doctors say it's "normal" kid behavior before doing a full investigation. We pay all this money for health care and get such little service.

References

Bauer, S. (2008). Asperger Syndrome. In The Source. Retrieved June 3, 2008, from Cambridge University & Stanford Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Web site: http://www.asperger.org/Publications/Stephen_Bauer_Article.asp

Autism

2008-06-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

When I was reading the newspaper I found a great article on autism.

Autism is a "neurodevelopmental disorder that can have a profound effect on socialization, communication, learning and other behaviors." (Nardone, J., 2008)

This newspaper article lists warning signs to be:

No big smiles or joyful expression by 6 months
No babbling by 12 months
No gestures (pointing, showing, reaching, waving, etc.)
No words by 16 months
No two-word meaningful phrases by 24 months
Loss of speech or babbling at any age
Overly sensitive to sounds, texture or light
Repetitive movements (lining up toys)
Need for predictable routines
Self-stimulatory behavior

(Nardone, J., 2008)

This article also brings up a good point about Early Intervention (EI). It is a "federally funded program that offers developmental assessments and services for children birth to 3 years of age." (Nardone, J., 2008)

It is a well known fact that the earlier the intervention for any disorder or disease the better the diagnosis.

What I think:

First I want to address the Early Intervention program. I think it is great that there is a program to help children at such a young age, and the fact that it is federally funded so the families pay nothing, its amazing. My question is what happens after 3?

J.C. was lucky enough to live in a district that started FREE preschool at 3 AND had a special needs 3-year-old preschool program. Though he did have to be evaluated and accepted into the program it was great. If my sister and her husband did not live in that district or he wasn't accepted into the program he could have went a year or more without any kind of special services, unless they paid out-of-pocket for it.

I know that everything costs money but for special needs children it's unethical to just drop them at 3 and pick them up again when they get to preschool or kindergarten. I couldn't believe it when I learned this. I know there must be some sort of limitations, but what about having the program run until they are in preschool or kindergarten so the children's progress continues.

J.C. had a lot of the characteristics of autism. One symptom I am happy to say J.C. does not exhibit is no smiling or expression of joy. J.C. smiles all the time and is very loving. I call him my "love bug". One of the technics the physical therapist taught us was to hold J.C. tightly to calm him down. This has made him much more affectionate because he likes feeling calmed when we hold him. This is very enjoyable because this is the time when you can talk to him and he will actually listen. It creates a bond you couldn't imagine.

J.C. was and still is very senstive to sound. He would hold his hand up to cup his ear and crotch down like he was straining to hear something, but I heard nothing. Now he can tell you almost 10 minutes before the ice cream truck comes that it's close by. He also has a problem with bugs. I think he hears so well that the buzz of a fly or bee sounds so loud it sounds close to him and it scares him. You can tell when there is a bug around because J.C. starts running in circles and covering his ears. It looks funny but I feel horrible to think that he may be like that the rest of his life.

In a previous blog I had discussed his self-stimulatory behavior or "shaking". I never had a name for it before this article. I also discussed earlier about his delay in speech. He has made a lot of progress, but nothing is "cured".

References

Nardone, J. (2008, May/June). Know the early signs of an autism spectrum disorder. Medford Sun, p. 13.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)

2008-05-31T07:39:00.000-07:00

According to KidsHealth.org Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) "refers to a group of developmental conditions that affect children and involve delays or impairments in communication and social skills." PDD is basically another name for Sensory Integration Dysfunction but with more specific characteristics and is broken into separate categories. Autism, Asperger's syndrome, and Rett's syndrome are all forms of PDD.
(Autism and other pervasive developmental disorders, 2008)

There is no one cause found for PDD. There have been many theories that have not been proven but scientists believe thay are from "neurobiological problems, which may have a genetic basis like other conditions that stem from abnormalities in the chromosomes a child inherits." (Autism and other pervasive developmental disorders, 2008)

Signs of PDD are usually apparent by the age of 3. Here is a list of some of the early signs of PDD:

trouble interacting or playing with others
avoids eye contact
unusual movements (hand flapping, spinning, tapping)
delays in developmental milestones
loss of developmental milestones
not using language
not curious about their environment

(Autism and other pervasive developmental disorders, 2008)

Some experts that could help diagnose children with PDD are pediatric neurologists, developmental pediatricians, pediatric psychiatrists, or pediatric psychologists.

The doctors may use "parent questionnaires, educational and cognitive assessments, language assessments, play or behavior assessments" (Autism and other pervasive developmental disorders, 2008) as part of their evaluation.

There is no cure of PDD but early intervention and treatment is key to helping children. One of the treatments is an "individually tailored program" that can include "behavior modification and educational interventions." (Autism and other pervasive developmental disorders, 2008) The goal of all treatment is to have the children functioning in a regular education classroom.

The best way for parents to help their children are to give them lots of "hugs and verbal praise" and "give them consistent message at home and school." (Autism and other pervasive developmental disorders, 2008)

What I think:

The message about the "consistent message at home and school" is so imporant. Parents and teachers need to be on the same page and work together to get this children the help they need. It is wonderful this site recognizes that.

I think that this is a great site for anyone learning about PDD to visit. At the bottom of the information it gives the names of the doctors who reviewed it. I think that this is reliable information.

One of the challenges with Sensory Integraion Dysfunction is that it has so many different categories to it. J.C. was diagnosed as having general Sensory Integration Dysfunction because he has symptoms from all of the categories. I am still unsure how I feel about this diagnoses. I wish they could make up a name for the exact symptoms he has so when I tell someone what he has it will be specific.

Part of this article mentioned that some of these signs/symptoms may seem that of a normal child, which makes this disorder even harder to recognize. This is why we were told to wait longer before taking J.C. to the doctors to see if the symptoms stayed consistent.

My question is if I was a parent going to the doctor to get my child tested for PDD and I was filling out a questionaaire, could I fill it out with accuracy? And if my child is not diagnosed with PDD but after filling out that questionaaire I was convinced my child had PDD would the doctor think I'm crazy?

I just think it would be very difficult for a parent not to become convinced their child has PDD because many of the symptoms are exhibited by normal children.

J.C.'s main symptom from this category was not using language. He would say a word, maybe even a few times, and then not repeat it. He would direct us with his gestures rather than saying what he wanted. I think one of the reasons we didn't really think anything of it is because we enjoyed him being a baby, so we were literally "babying" him. After his diagnosis we would not do what he gestured until he at least attempted to say what he wanted. We had to really watch ourselves because we were so used to just knowing what he wanted or what he was gesturing. Now with two new brothers in the house he tries to do this for attention and to act like a "baby", but we try to stay on top of it and make sure he says what he wants or what he is pointing to.

References

Autism and other pervasive developmental disorders. (2008). KidsHealth. Retrieved May 31, 2008, from Nemours Foundation Web site: http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/medical/learning/pervasive_develop_disorders.html

Sensory Integration Dysfunction as a Whole

2008-05-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

I have found WebMD.com to be a very helpful site in finding more information about Sensory Integration Dysfunction. According to WebMD.com “children with sensory integration dysfunction have difficulty processing information from the senses (touch, movement, smell, taste, vision and hearing) and responding normally to that information.” (Sensory integration dysfunction, 2008)

There is no one cause of sensory integration dysfunction though it has been associated with “premature birth, brain injury, learning disorders and other conditions.” (Sensory integration dysfunction, 2008)

WebMD also lists symptoms children can have:

Do not want to be touched
Not eating certain foods because of their textures
Oversensitive to odors
Oversensitive to certain fabrics (clothing)
Do not like being dirty
Difficulty calming themselves
Overly jump, swing or spin
Poor balance
Oversensitive to sounds
(Sensory integration dysfunction, 2008)

Usually an occupational and physical therapist will be recommended to help these children. The occupational therapist has the child participate in activities that challenge them with sensory input. The physical therapist helps the child respond appropriately to the sensory stimulus. (Mental health: Developmental disorder, 2008)

Some other disabilities similar to Sensory Integration Dysfunction children can have that I will discuss later in this Blog are:

PDD
Autism
Asperger’s syndrome

What I think:

I must say I complete agree with everything WebMD has listed. J.C. exhibited many of these symptoms.

My family and I were frustrated when J.C. did not want to start eating new foods. Even just regular baby food could be an issue, especially if it had any sort of lumps in it. When J.C. was old enough to eat SpaghettiO's we would have to pick out the tiny meatballs before giving it to him. If he felt a meatball in his mouth he would try to spit it out or nearly choke on it. It was quite scary, especially with me being a first time aunt.

J.C. had a lot of trouble being dirty and still does. Just a few weeks ago we were playing in the backyard after it rained and he was in his play house "making me something in the kitchen". He wasn't paying attention to what he was doing and put his hand directly in mud. J.C.'s younger brother, Jared, also put his hands in the mud except he loved the sensation. J.C. told me he needed to clean his hands (obviously not using those words) and had to be taken inside immediately to be cleaned or he was going to throw a fit. I thought it was crazy that his younger brother could handle something J.C. could not.

I wanted to talk about the occupational and physical therapist for a minute. They were both extremely helpful for J.C..

I specifically remember one of the occupational therapy activities because she had him play with play-doh. Now you would think all kids would love playing with play-doh, but it took J.C. a few sessions to get used to the feeling of it. At first he would poke it with his finger and then clinch his fists and shake. It seemed as though his brain didn’t understand how to process this sensation. When he got to the point where his could touch it without shaking is when the therapist would ask him to go further and make a ball with the play-doh. She gradually got J.C. to love playing with play-doh and he is creating pizzas or blueberry pies (obviously with some assistance).

The physical therapist was a little bit harder to deal with. The sessions that I did get to see it seemed as though all she did was tell him no or to calm down. I soon learned that if you don’t tell him not to do something he was going to keep doing it. When J.C. first started his “shaking” we just simply ignored it because we thought that he could not control it. After about a year of therapy his “shaking” was down to a minimum though he still does it on occasion.

References Senosry integration dysfunction. (2008). WebMD. Retrieved May 29, 2008, from http://children.webmd.com/tc/sensory-integration-dysfunction-topic-overview

Mental health: Developmental disorder. (2008). WebMD. Retrieved May 29, 2008, from http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/development-disorder

Who I am and What I'm about

2008-05-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

My name is Kaitlin. I am currently attending Rowan University as an Elementary Education/Writing Arts Major.

I have chosen to write a Blog about Sensory Integration Dysfunction for my Writing, Research and Technology class because my nephew, J.C., suffers from it. He was diagnosed when he was two and is now three and a half.

When J.C. was 18 months old we noticed that he would say a word, but never repeat it again. We were concerned that he was in the beginning stages of autism so we asked the doctor what could be going on. They told us not to worry about it unless it lasted until after his second birthday. As soon as J.C. turned two we had a list of unique qualities he had developed.

Other symptoms he developed were:

not wanting to eat foods with different textures
not wanting to stand on grass or sand (even if he had shoes on)
over sensitivity to sound
when he would get excited or angry he would clinch his fists and shake.
he seemed to feel little pain and was constantly pushing

I love my nephew with all my heart and I want to learn how to help him any way I can.

After he was diagnosed, an occupational and physical therapist came to visit three times per week for six months. J.C. was then evaluated and made good progress and was speaking words regularly. Another six months later he was accepted into a special needs preschool program through his local school district.

J.C. has made great progress in the last year and a half. He is now speaking clearly and is working on using full sentences. Though in May 2007 he was unable to make it through my wedding without feeling overwhelmed and needing to leave. This broke my heart to see him so sad when I was so happy.

I would like to help educate others on information I have found and things I have encountered along J.C.'s journey.