What Is SPD?

Think of your brain like a computer where information is entered. The computer (brain) processes the information and then yields output in the form of behavior or motor skills. This is the concept of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). The brain organizes sensory information to create an adaptive response. This processing directly impacts the development of motor control, behaviors and emotional responses. SPD occurs when there is a "glitch" in the system which disrupts daily routines.

When we think of senses, we all know the five senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, but the two lesser know senses need greater attention. The vestibular sense obtained through movement and the proprioceptive sense obtained through our joints are very important senses and are precursors to the development of our visual and auditory systems.

There are three symptom clusters under SPD. Sensory Modulation Disorder may include over-responsivity, under-responsivity and sensory seeking. Sensory Based Motor Disorder includes dyspraxia and postural disorders. Sensory Discrimination Disorder affects vision, hearing, touch, taste, small, position and movement. Each category displays a specific set of symptoms & behaviors, which I would be willing to write to at another time.

My son has Sensory Modulation Disorder. Some things he is under-responsive to, like pain. Some things he is over-responsive to like noise. Most of the time he is sensory seeking, seeking input to meet his proprioceptive and vestibular needs. He also has mild hypotonia so he may fit loosely into Sensory Based Motor Disorder. He also has issues with auditory processing and may fit into Sensory Discrimination Disorder.

In the past we have seen several Occupational Therapists who claimed they worked with SPD, but issues were never adequately addressed. Now, we have a new OT and her complete focus is directed to SPD! Details here: http://www.ourjourneythruautism.com/2010/01/we-have-new-ot-with-focus-on-spd.html

We have been involved in activities that meet his sensory seeking needs. One of the most profound activities has been therapeutic horseback riding. Great info here: http://www.ourjourneythruautism.com/2008/10/eamon-coca.html We have been riding for about 18 months and it has been incredibly successful.

We had been involved in a tumbling program as well. We had stopped because the instructor had left the program but most recently found a great drop in program where he can jump on trampolines, swing on a rope into a giant foam block pit, tumble along an obstacle course, etc. and he leaves completely satisfied, all sensory needs met. This fall we added Karate to the mix which address some of his sensory needs and also works with self discipline and self control.

For further information, I recommend the SPD Foundation and The Out of Sync Child and sensory diet ideas from The Out of Sync Child Has Fun




written by:
Tiffani Lawton, RN

http://www.OURJourneyThruAutism.com

Suggestions For Brain Training At Home

To make cognitive gains, a person has to work at a task intensely. This might mean doing a more complex task than usual, or doing a familiar task more quickly. One important key is concerted effort – good old hard work. We find that working on multiple skills in one session (logic/reasoning, processing speed and auditory skills, for example) is more effective than working only one area.
Here are some ideas that could benefit your child:

o Write down a list of tasks your child can do. Alter these tasks to make them slightly more challenging. If your daughter can count to 100 by ones, for example, can she count that high by 2’s and 3’s? Could she count by 2’s and 3’s to 100 even if her starting point is a random number (say, 34 or 58)?

o Is your child able to sustain his performance at a task if he has another task to do at the same time? An example would be coloring while you ask for the answer to a simple math problem. Try combining easy activities to give your child a new challenge.

o Target both visual and auditory attention. To boost auditory attention, listen together for particular sounds or words in stories, CDs, or online recordings. To enhance visual attention, scan for hidden objects in photos or puzzles, look for targeted letters and words in narratives. Another pattern activity is to figure out what is missing in categories where there is a pattern (all red, all things you find under the sea, all letters are capitalized)

o Talk with your child about things that “go together” during your daily routine. For instance, rapidly name the items you will need for the table at dinner time (plates, napkins, forks, knives, spoons, glasses, salt, and pepper). If you are in a carpool line, naming types of transportation or automakers is a quick organizational task. This exercise helps your child see patterns and cluster similar objects.

Learning means exposure to new things. That exposure results in new synapses, greater retention of brain cells, additional neuronal networks and greater brain density. We obtain the most synapses when we work on a novel task at a challenging level, but below the level of frustration.

The new pathways will bring greater ability to demonstrate new skills. Experiment and see what your child can learn.

- written by Dr. Vicki Parker
Dr. Vicki Parker is a speech-language pathologist with a background in neuroscience. She is the owner of Learning Rx, a brain training facility in Charlotte, N.C. Parker is the author of Problem Solving, Planning and Organizational Tasks: Strategies for Retraining.

Brain Training And Autism

Everything we learn, we process using our brain’s cognitive skills. These skills include memory, attention, reasoning, logic, auditory processing, and visual processing. All of us use these skills, including people with autism. Effective learning requires strong, active mental skills. Cognitive training, also called brain training, makes stronger skills possible. What is brain training?

Brain training exercises the brain like a fitness coach works your muscles. The results are similar—more strength to accomplish the task.
Brain training typically uses a series of structured, progressively challenging activities to arouse and strengthen the brain. It works all the skills I mentioned above in an integrated way, as improvements in one area often lead to improvements in another. Effective trainers gradually increase the complexity and intensity of each task that students do. This increased intensity helps trigger dramatic changes in neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change.

Better cognitive skills lead to greater independence, better grades, improved self esteem and more opportunities for your child or loved one with autism.
Why is brain training effective for individuals who have autism?
The brain gets “rewired” when it’s exposed to new experiences and stimuli. If neurons receive enough excitatory signals, they will fire. The more frequently that occurs, the more connections are made and a network is formed. The result of more networking is better and more efficient processing. Brain training encourages that in people with autism.

Although we don’t know the cause of autism, we do recognize the brains of individuals with autism are wired differently. It’s crucial to help people with autism be able to focus their attention to learn, particularly their auditory and visual abilities. Effective brain training can accomplish this, allowing us to build more brain networks that result in better association skills. These associations drive recall and performance.

The new networks also can led to improved communication skills, such as more interest in the environment, interest in other people, better eye contact, more facial expression, comprehension of directions, and initiation of tasks.

Types of Students:
At my brain training center, Learning Rx in Charlotte, N.C., we’ve had good outcomes with moderate to high functioning students on the autism spectrum. Changes we have observed in our students include:

Increased awareness of their environment
More verbal interactions with others
Increased calmness, fewer meltdowns
Improved persistence and ability to work through stress
Improved flexibility and less rigidity
Improved organizational skills
Improved processing speed
Fewer repetitive movements
Increased attention span
Less easy to distract
Improved reading when this skill is targeted

Our programs for students with autism typically run 12 to 32 weeks, featuring 60-90 minute sessions two to four times per week, some families choose the parent training option with “homework”.

If you don’t have a brain training center nearby, don’t worry. There are many activities to try at home that can make a difference. We'll share some ideas for home brain training in a future blog.

- written by Dr. Vicki Parker
Dr. Vicki Parker is a speech-language pathologist with a background in neuroscience. She is the owner of Learning Rx, a brain training facility in Charlotte, N.C. Parker is the author of Problem Solving, Planning and Organizational Tasks: Strategies for Retraining.