Difficulties With a Very Emotional Child Diagnosed With Sensory Integration

Dysfunction of Sensory Integration, also known as Sensory Processing Disorder, occurs when a child's brain misreads information received from the senses. As it is a neurological dysfunction, children don't consistently experience the same symptoms or show the same characteristics from one day to the next. Emotional outbursts that seem to appear without warning are difficult to deal with, but parents and teachers of children with DSI can learn to recognize symptoms and avoid triggers.

Tactile Dysfunction

• Children with DSI either fear and dislike touch or crave it. Some can't handle the feel of certain fabric textures, wind and rain against the skin, touching objects or even someone standing close to them. Others don't notice touch unless it's intense.

Vestibular Dysfunction

• Dysfunction of Sensory Integration causes some children to lose balance easily and experience fear of heights, falling and rapid movement. Other children love heights, constant motion, spinning and activities that may be considered dangerous. Some appear uncoordinated, tire easily and have difficulty learning dance steps.

Proprioceptive Dysfunction

• Many children with DSI have difficulty controlling muscles and joints. This results in using too much force, such as slamming doors, playing too rough, stomping, swinging legs when seated and breaking toys. Some grind their teeth and chew on inedible items.

Oral Input Dysfunction

• Children with Dysfunction of Sensory Integration are often picky eaters that are very sensitive to taste, textures and temperature of food. Some prefer bland food while others use large amounts of spices and seasoning. Some have a hard time swallowing and chewing while others chew on inappropriate objects like hair, fingernails and clothing.

Olfactory Dysfunction

• Some children with SPD seem to have an overly responsive sense of smell, while others seem to lack one. Those more sensitive to smells may refuse to eat or be around something that smells bad to them, becoming nauseated by cooking or hygiene odors. Others are often unable to notice differences in smells.

Visual Input Dysfunction

• Children with Sensory Processing Disorder may be bothered by bright light, confuse left and right, become easily distracted and reverse letters and words. They have a hard time locating items, remaining focused on tasks, judging distance and writing letters and numbers correctly.

Auditory-Language Processing Dysfunction

• Similar words sound the same to children with DSI, and they often can't distinguish differences between voices and sounds. High-pitched, sudden and loud sounds often bother them, and they have difficulty filtering out background noise. They have a hard time putting thoughts into words, reading orally and speaking clearly. Some are upset, bothered or startled by sounds others don't notice. Others don't notice sounds, can't hear where they're coming from, prefer loud noise and must have things repeated to them often.

Social, Emotional and Regulatory Dysfunctions

• Children with Dysfunction of Sensory Integration can't regulate hunger, thirst or level of stimulation. They often have constipation and diarrhea, mood swings and respiration or heart rate that is too fast or too slow. Some are very sensitive to hot and cold temperatures while others don't seem to feel them. They are impulsive, can't handle changes to routine, and have a hard time getting along with others.