Our brains constantly absorb everything in our surroundings. But for people with sensory processing disorder (SPD), the brain’s sensory filter is jammed on overdrive, causing them to seek out or avoid overwhelming sounds, sights, and tactile feelings. While often diagnosed in children (and typically associated with autism and ADHD), SPD can be a lifelong companion. In this article, we’ll discuss various signs, symptoms, and treatments for SPD.
What Is Sensory Processing Disorder?
SPD is diagnosed when a person has problems processing information from one or more senses, making it difficult to respond to that information appropriately. According to the STAR Institute for Sensory Processing, the body has eight sensory systems: visual, auditory, tactile (touch), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), vestibular (sense of head movement in space), proprioception (sensations from muscles and joints), and interoception (sensations related to internal organs).
People who live with SPD typically fall under one of two categories: sensory seeking or sensory avoidant.
Sensory Seeking: Driven by an insatiable thirst for stimulation, sensory seekers actively crave intense experiences across all senses. They desire experiences with bright or flashing lights, loud sounds, spicy foods, physical touch, and thrill-seeking rides. Their minds appear to need extra input to feel alive.
Sensory Avoidant: On the contrary, sensory-avoidant minds always have the volume turned on high. Loud noises feel like sonic booms, bright lights are like strobe flashes, strong smells can be suffocating, and some textures feel like Brillo pads on bare skin. Their tolerance for discomfort is low, and pain might feel like a burning fire. This hypersensitivity can be exhausting, leading to anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder.
How to Identify SPD
Sensory seekers may:
- Seek out loud/intense noises
- Enjoy spicy/flavorful foods
- Fidget or tap their feet
- Seek physical touch and enjoy horseplay
- Enjoy fast-paced activities like sports or dancing
Sensory avoiders may:
- Cover their ears and avoid loud noises
- Steer clear of certain textures or fabrics
- Preference bland or mild foods
- Avoid physical touch
- Prefer quiet or slow-paced activities such as reading
Accommodations
Unlike adults who can navigate the world with established coping mechanisms, children with SPD are still building their sensory toolkits. Sensory-rich areas become their training grounds, offering safe spaces to discover self-regulation strategies. Other accommodations for those with sensory needs include having a wide range of foods available, allowing fidgeting and other physical movements, and providing noise-canceling headphones.
Treatment
If you suspect you or your child has SPD, reach out to your provider to work with an occupational therapist. A doctor might prescribe a medication like Abilify, but otherwise, children and adults are taught to manage their symptoms.