By Dr. Anthony Policastro
We often use all of our senses without even thinking about it. We may hear something. We may see something. We may smell an aroma. We may taste something. We may feel something.
Each of these things pass very quickly. We usually pay little attention to them. There are exceptions. They might be sensations that overwhelm our system. Some odors are offensive. Some tastes are offensive. Some noises are too loud. Some lights are too bright.
However, there is a group of individuals with a neurologic disorder affecting the senses. It is known as sensory processing disorder.
These individuals may be overwhelmed by things that they sense. A foul aroma might make them sick. They might have to cover their ears because sounds seem to be even louder to them. Certain food textures may make them gag.
Other individuals might have the opposite issue. Their senses are dull. They may not realize that a sound is too loud. They might not sense that something is too hot.
These symptoms are frequently part of another neurological disorder. Many children with autism overreact to sensory inputs. These inputs can also set off hyperactive responses in individuals with ADHD.
Since it has a neurological basis, there is not a specific cure for it. The usual approach is to teach the individuals coping skills. That is often done under the care of an occupational therapist.
The goal is to find what the triggers are. Then there might be an opportunity to avoid those triggers. Someone who has trouble with loud sounds should try to avoid situations that would expose them to those sounds.
Another thing to do is try and teach the individual how to settle down more quickly after an exposure to the trigger.
Each individual tends to have different symptoms and different triggers. For that reason, there is no one size fits all approach.
Adjustments can be made to school routines for children. Headphones might be useful. Breaks to do sensory activities like walking may help.
The real problem with the disorder is that diagnosis is sometimes difficult. Since there are so many different triggers, identifying a child who reacts to a specific one is sometimes difficult.
We all take some sensory things for granted. Unfortunately, that is not always possible with every individual.