What are Sensory Problems?

There are many many children who have sensory problems or a sensory disorder

But what are sensory problems? And how do you know if your child has them?

Sensory problems often appear as a symptom of another disorder, such as, Autism or ADHD. But  they can also be a disorder by themselves.

This is called a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).

The problem is that, as we are beginning to understand a bit more about Autism and ADHD. SPD (either by itself or as a symptom of something else) is something we have a long way to go with.

In fact, there are enormous numbers of children with sensory problems who go un-diagnosed or without notice.

Especially if the SPD isn’t too severe. It is estimated that 1 in 20 children will suffer with sensory problems.

Related Article: What is PDD?

When a child has a sensory issue, they may be either Hyper-sensitive (which means they will be over reactive to things that trigger their senses) or Hypo-sensitive (they will be under-active and often seek out things to stimulate their senses.)

Don’t mistake a sensory problem for bad behaviour.

The biggest problem, and the reason it’s vital to know if your child has a sensory issue, is that this can trigger behaviours which may appear unusual or if misunderstood, can appear naughty.

It is so important that a child who is reacting to a sensory issue isn’t then punished as if they were simply behaving badly.

Sensory issues can often cause melt downs, especially in children with a hyper-sensitivity. If every time you go to a shopping centre or supermarket your child has a melt-down, chances are this is the result of a sensory problem.

Your child could be visually sensitive, Audio sensitive or even touch sensitive. It is important to work out what your child is sensitive to in order to understand and help them.

If your child is visually sensitive, the fluorescent lights in shops and supermarkets will be awful for them.

But there are certain things you can do to limit the effects:

• Put a hat on them to help block the direct impact of the fluorescent lighting

• Allow them to wear very pale brown or pink sunglasses in the shops to dull the effects of the lighting

• Allow them to do their work or games on a laptop rather than an desktop as there is far less screen flicker on a laptop.

If your child has an auditory sensitivity, it will be noises that will trigger those sensitivities. And like with any sensory problem, can be absolutely unbearable for your child. And can cause melt-downs.

For example, if you have a child with an auditory hyper-sensitivity, chances are if an alarm bell goes off, this may be too much for them and cause a drastic reaction.

Again, there are certain things you can do to help:

• Record the sound of the smoke alarm, then replay the sound quietly, allowing your child to control the volume. Do this regularly turning it up ever so slightly over time, to gradually decrease sensitivity

• Ear plugs can be worn, but it is essential that your child doesn’t wear ear plugs all the time, as this will make them more sensitive.

Sensory problems, like any disorder, are completely variable and can be very slight or very severe. Often it is the very slight problems that go un-noticed and can be mistaken for bad behaviour. So it is important to be aware if your child has a sensory problem.

Related Article: What Really Causes Autism!

If you are unsure, see your doctor or paediatrician immediately.

But, whilst doing that, you know your own child. If your child is behaving a certain way only when they are subject to loud noise or harsh visual environments, then its worth considering that their behaviour may be as a result of sensitivity, not just because they’re being naughty.

Finally, I should mention that neither visual or auditory sensitivities are due to something wrong within the ears or eyes. It stems entirely from the brain. So Vision and hearing checks may come back as completely fine, this doesn’t mean they can’t have a sensory disorder.