2012年6月4日 星期一

Sensory Integration Deficiency Disorder - More Than Just a Myth

Sensory Integration Deficiency Syndrome, Sensory Integration Disability Disorder, Sensory Issues...Yeah, there are many names for this disorder, and it seems like they're all long and difficult to pronounce. If you've been diagnosed as having this disorder chances are you were diagnosed by an occupational therapist. Hit it on the head, huh? Well, here's why...

An occupational therapist named Anna Jean Ayres was the first one to popularize the idea of a disorder that interferes with the normal brain function of sensory integration. She was by no means the first one to research it, but she was one of the first to publish her findings.

That was in 1989. Today there is still a lot about Sensory Integration Disorder Syndrome that still isn't known. Sorry to change names again, but there a lot of names to choose from.

Most doctors that have actually heard of this disorder don't really know much about it though. Many who do believe it is nothing more than the side-effects of people with autism, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity disorder, and several other developmental or neurological disorders. It's hard for someone with sensory issues to be taken seriously.

Occupational therapists may be the ones who will be most likely to believe you have the disorder, but don't fool yourself into thinking that's a cure. Many therapists claim to have a cure VIA exposure therapy, but usually when a patient would get better it was usually due to them outgrowing the syndrome on their own.

There's the good news. Many children who have sensory issues eventually outgrow them on their own. This is not every case, but most people who have this disorder and nothing else will outgrow their symptoms.

The major signs that a child may have sensory issues include: sensitivity to touch, smell, hearing, sight, or texture of their food (touch is the one you especially want to watch out for). Sensitivity to getting their hair cut. This one's not always prevalent, but prolonged cases usually involve the child walking on their toes.

Even if you never outgrow the disorder there are many ways to manage it. Walking becomes easier for toe walkers if they lose a little weight. Explaining the condition can also be helpful in dealing with the day to day rigors of basic human contact. If someone touches you in a way you don't like, simply explain it in a calm, mature fashion.

These tips may sound corny or even too simple to be true, but knowledge is a powerful tool, and if you know what's going on then you have power.

Good luck.
