Tactile issues

[billd]

reminds me of this -> “when you wake up you will find that you’re not where you left yourself…”

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[Anonymous]

I have been a pediatric occupational therapist for 25+ years, and have been working with kids with Sensory Processing Disorder most of my career. Funny thing is, these kids grow up to be adults. The sooner they get help, the better the outcome. But what to do if you are an adult and have had this your whole life? It is amazing how we have all learned some coping mechanisms to work around our sensitivities, but just like learning about being an adult with ADD/ADHD, the first step in figuring out what to do is getting a diagnosis. SPD and ADD/ADHD seem to go hand-in-hand and are often found coexisting in the kids I work with.

I will be honest, the current belief system in the medical profession is not very supportive of SPD diagnosis or treatment for children. There doesn’t seem to be enough empirical data to support “Best Practice” when it comes to diagnosing or treating these children, and there is significantly less information on what it looks like in adults. Winnie Dunn, an occupational therapist, has recently published an adolescent/adult version of her Sensory Profile (TM) Questionnaire. I have only begun to explore this assessment tool and have not come to a conclusion as to whether or not it is helpful, but it the only thing out there right now! To make things a little more frustrating, not all occupational therapists have an interest OR an expertise in SPD.

Lucy Jane Miller, PhD, OTR/L, is the Founder and Executive Director of KID Foundation (Foundation for Knowledge In Development) in Littleton, Colorado. She suggests that Sensory Processing can be broken down into three types of patterns: Sensory Modulation, Sensory-Based Motor Disorder and Sensory Perception/Discrimination Disorder. Under each pattern, there appears to be a model of how the nervous system responds to that kind of dysfunction.

Sensory Modulation can be seen as Sensory Over-Responsivity, Sensory Under-Responsivity, or Sensory Seeking-Craving. Sensory Based Motor Disorder can be part of Dyspraxia or Postural Disorders. Sensory Perception/Discrimination Disorder can be attributed to aversions to any of our tradition “five senses” (vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell) in addition to vestibular (Movement) and Proprioception (Muscle).

Check out books and websites written by Lucy Jane Miller (Sensational Kids), Carol Stock Kranowitz (The Out-of-Synch Child), and Diane Henry (SI Tools for Teens: Strategies to Promote Sensory Processing™ handbook). Keep in mind that most are written for parents dealing with their children with SPD. Also check out Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide on the web.

As SPD gains more support and validation through research, we will begin to expand our knowledge of how this influences our lives as adults as well. I really see this as part of the increasing awareness of adults with ADD/ADHD. I remember reading Dr. Hallowell’s book back in the mid 90’s. It has taken 15 years for this information to reach mainstream awareness and acknowledgment. I’m sure that the same process will occur with the SPD information as well. So, stay tuned, keep researching and go find an occupational therapist that is willing to explore this with you! Good scientific research starts with good clinical observations!

MK Haling Jensen, OTR/L

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[Anonymous]

All this talk of fidgeting i relize that me feet are moving, well ore like shaking a mile a min. Have anew Question about tactile problems.

Do any of you have RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome)or(Restless Limb Syndrome)? Has it ever been so bad that sitting still is imposible? If you do have it is it just your legs or other parts? How bad is the problem? Does it ever cause problems with your sleep? The reason why i ask is because at times my RLS is so bad that i litterly cant sit still i go insane if i cant move. I also have no control over my legs and arms when there that bad. The drs have me on meds for it but when it is really bad nothing works. the worst part is the fact that the pain that comes from the constant movement and the banging into everything because i have no control my limbs so i crash and burn alot.

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[billd]

I”m not that bad, but seriously, even the cats get annoyed at me as I constantly have to pick one up off my lap so that I can move my legs…..

There are times I feel like I’ll go crazy if I can’t move my legs. I can’t sit in a recliner with my legs up unless I’m actually napping, otherwise, I feel all “anxious”.

I thought long ago I had RLS and chronic fatigue syndrome, but I suspect now it’s all connected……..

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[Anonymous]

I have wondered if my RLS is something worse. I know part of it is the ADD but your legs or any other body part should be twitching for no reason. The Worst thing is that my mother has watched me seep when i past out because it has been a long day. She gets the giggles sometimes because my legs are doing the hoky-poky. sometimes i can sleep through it but if it is a major spasm and those hurt well then I wake up with a start and scream because it hurts. well before my ADD gets a hold of me. see ya

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[Anonymous]

Does anyone have Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) this is where your libs spasm uncontrolably it happenes weither or not you want to move or not. It is also sometimes that i feel like I have to move just to get the creepy crawlies like ants crawling all over me. I have to move or I will go nutz. anyone else have this problem?

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