| By Teri Allen, OTR/L Jason is two years old. His parents describe him as having been a very difficult baby and fear he is hyperactive. Bedtime is a battle every night and Jason has never been able to nap away from home. Adam is seven, he still cannot ride his two wheel bicycle, talks incessantly and is always in trouble for fighting at school. Sarah is a bright and sensitive nine year old. Too sensitive, her parents feel. She seems to fluctuate between tears and tantrums. They cannot understand her terrified responses to elevators and loud noises. These children have something in common. They are sensory over responsive. Some children are hypersensitive to sensations from touch, noise, smell or their own movement. Their nervous systems do not filter or monitor incoming sensations correctly. We refer to this as “sensory over responsiveness” or “sensory defensiveness”. These children over react to common stimuli, often responding as though they have been threatened or injured. An excellent example of sensory over responsiveness is seen in the movie “Rain Man”. Raymond, portrayed by Dustin Hoffman, was extremely over responsive. His reactions to loud noises and touch were so severe and emotionally charged that he was unable to function until the offending stimulus was removed. Many children have milder degrees of sensory over responsiveness than Raymond experienced. But milder cases may cause significant problems for these children. Let’s consider some examples. TOUCH: A child who is over responsive to touch is vulnerable to a variety of problems. As an infant he may be difficult to calm, feed, or diaper because these activities involve a lot of touching and handling. He may appear to be overly active as he tries to avoid contact with people or objects. This child may be considered a “picky” eater as he avoids certain textures of foods. As he gets older, he may hug only when HE wants to; frequently pulling away when others reach out to touch him. He may push the playmate who accidentally bumps him or punch his peers when standing in line. New clothes may feel irritating, tags may need to be removed from his shirts, and he may be preoccupied by wrinkles in his socks. In “Rainman,” Raymond experienced overwhelming distress when he did not have his favorite kind of jockey short to wear. He became totally disorganized and preoccupied with this concern. The child with a milder sensitivity may not exhibit such overt disorganization, but might still be unable to give his full attention in the classroom while a shirt tag scratches his neck or a classmate passes his desk “threatening” touch. SOUND: A child who is over responsive to sounds may seem easily upset in crowds or where there is loud music. He may startle easily at unexpected noise such as a siren or train whistle. Background noises that we ignore; a door closing, the furnace motor, or a toilet flushing, may distract him. The child may talk excessively. His chatter may seem unrelenting. Therapists suggest this is a protective mechanism allowing the child to have more control of the noise that is occurring. SMELL: Sensitivity to smell may also affect a child. He may overreact to odors that the rest of us don’t notice. He may complain excessively about offensive aromas and be quick to point these out. He may even complain about how other people smell. MOVEMENT: A child can be over responsive to the feedback his body gives him from his own movements. As an infant he may seem fearful if moved quickly or tipped upside down. He may not explore as readily as another child, needing a lot of reassurance in activities where his feet are off of the ground. Playground equipment, carnival rides, elevators and escalators may elicit exaggerated fear in this child. HOW IT FEELS It is important to understand the strong emotional component to sensory over responsiveness. Most people become very emotional when they are threatened or experience sudden pain. Very few of us stay calm after slamming on the brakes to avoid a sudden collision. An unexpected bee sting will usually cause a flurry of physical activity plus an emotional out cry as the victim tries to identify the attacker. The child who is sensory over responsive may feel this way several times a day. Frequently he is unable to get himself calmed and organized before another “threatening” situation occurs. This makes self regulation difficult. WHAT TO DO Occupational therapist have made great strides in treating these children. Because a child’s brain is still maturing and developing, we can influence how it functions. Providing sensory input from the various senses in the correct combination can usually help the brain process and filter sensory information more appropriately. As the child progresses through therapy his over responsiveness decreases and a major roadblock to his successful development will be minimized or removed. A child who has behavior, emotional, attention, or learning problems should be carefully assessed to rule out sensory over responsiveness as a contributing factor. Careful observation of these children and attention to their verbal complaints and/or behavior may give parents and teachers new insight into their problems. |
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It is important to understand the strong emotional component to sensory over responsiveness. |
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