Sensory Processing Disorder- A touchy situation

// March 4th, 2010 // Feature Articles

Clothes feel scratchy, hugs are shrugged off – coping with sensations can be a problem, but is it a disease?

Ana can sit on the couch for only about five minutes before it’s time to move. First she rides her bright blue unicycle a few times around the dining room table. Then she gets on a swing hung from the doorway and pumps until her feet can touch the ceiling. A few minutes later she’s doing laps around the table on her RipStik – a skateboard-like balance board. Then she runs outside and climbs the back fence (more fun than going through the gate), to jump on a trampoline. After mastering a flip, she manages to climb back into the house through an open window.

Life with Ana, who turns 11 this month, is action-packed.

The fifth-grader has sensory processing disorder – her brain doesn’t process information from her five senses in a typical way – leaving her unable to sit still (her muscles just have to move), wear socks (they’re too irritating), concentrate in a busy classroom (so much to look at and hear), or be in the same room with a hot pizza (the aroma is overpowering).

See the full article: http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/03/01/sensory_processing_disorder_is_real_to_thousands_of_kids/