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Sensory Processing Disorder
Signs, Signals and Symptoms
The
following signs,
signals, and symptoms are the everyday words that you may hear to
describe
behaviors of a child. The next time you
hear some of these words, really listen. You
may be hearing symptoms of Sensory Processing
Disorder. Write down or check off all that
apply to the
child. If there is more than a few, the
child needs an evaluation. And take
heart, there is help. There is hope. There
is therapy!
Infant
- extremely active or
extremely quiet
- does not like to be
cuddled, or will not let you put her down
- a baby who seems to
never sleep, does not develop sleep patterns
- takes an unusually long
time to nurse or finish bottle
- does not like baby
swings, or riding in car/or...
- may only sleep when swinging
or riding in car!
- difficulty lifting head
when on tummy
- cannot crawl "on
all fours"
- uses soldier crawl, or
scoots rather than use arms to bear weight
- screams hysterically
when hungry, wet, cold, or hot
- must have absolute quiet
to settle down/or must have certain sounds
- cannot hold self upright
in walker, high chair for more than a few minutes, when age appropriate
- cries when bathed
- struggles when changed
- cannot latch on, or
suckle to nurse
- tenses, or cries when
help in space
- frequently make fists (after
six months)
Remember
what you are
looking for at the infant stage are extremes. Too much one way, or too
much the
other. Every baby has likes and dislikes.
You are looking for a multitude of symptoms.
Toddler or
Preschool child
Motor
Planning:
- difficulty going up or
down stairs
- falls off of chairs,
couches, bed
- walks into walls,
corners, people
- difficulty with push and
pull toys
- cannot pedal tricycles,
bikes, scoot type toys
- potty accidents that go
on and on
- strong preference for or
against playground equipment
- difficulty guiding
utensils to mouth
- cannot use scissors
- cannot hold pencil or
crayon in correct grip
- trouble kicking ball, or
catching balloons
- difficulty doing
puzzles, leggos, stacking blocks
- spins, spins, spins
- jumps, jumps, jumps
- crashes, crashes,
crashes
Clothing
- likes certain clothes,
usually cotton
- does not like sleeves
that hit wrist, or high collars
- does not like belts, or
anything snug around waist
- seams in clothing or
socks bothersome
- acts claustrophobic when
slightly stuck in clothes
- cannot snap, zip,
buckle, or tie
- wants tags removed
- likes to be totally
covered, or is constantly removing clothing
- overdresses in hot
weather, or under dresses in cold weather
Food
- does not like certain
textures; too crunchy, soft, grainy, or slimy
- complains food too hot,
or too cold
- prefers unusually hot,
or unusually cold food
- food has no taste, or
tastes too strong
- likes very few foods, or
will eat anything
- has hard time with
spoons and forks
- spills food and drinks
frequently
- uses sippy cup long
after most children have moved on
- chews with mouth open
- over stuffs mouth,
chokes
- bites fingers and tongue
while eating
- messy eater, dribbles
food down chin, or can't stand mess on hands
- drops food on floor, all
over table, unintentionally
- dislikes carbonated
drinks
- cannot sit through a
meal
- prefers picking through
the day, instead of regular mealtimes
Self-Care Skills
- does not like to brush
teeth
- hates taste of
toothpaste
- does not like baths,
washing or combing hair
- likes cool or very warm
baths
- cries when fingernails
and toenails clipped, or hair cut
- has trouble dressing
self
- does not like feet
touched
- always has shoes on, or
never leaves them on
- does not recognize need
to potty
Muscle Tone
- falls out of chairs
- legs hang, rather than
wrap around someone's hips when carried
- won't carry objects,
seem too heavy
- rests head on hands or
arms frequently
- poor posture
- fidgets and moves around
a lot while sitting
- can't get comfortable
Emotions
and Fears
- severe temper tantrums,
sometimes many per day
- meltdowns in stores,
restaurants, public places
- withdraws into self,
zones out
- hides under furniture
- acts out aggressively
when touched, provoked, or upset
- seems not to listen
- easily frustrated, quick
to anger
- when excited, over does
it, can't calm down
- severe separation
anxiety
- trouble playing with
other children
- grabby, hugs too hard,
body slams while playing
- flits from one activity
to another
- seems under/over
sensitive to pain
- bangs head in
frustration
- vomits a mouthful when
too upset
- afraid of falling in
toilet
- afraid of drain in tub
- afraid of dark
- afraid of new places,
people
- afraid no matter what
consolation you give
Older Child
(and these may
also apply to some younger children)
- easily distracted
- difficulty hearing adult
voices over background sounds
- cannot follow directions
without constant verbal reminders
- cannot complete more
than one direction at a time
- does not complete tasks
- dislikes changes in
plans or routines
- overly excited when
people come to house/
- hides when anyone comes
over
- poor speech,
articulation
- stubborn, uncooperative,
defiant
- erratic sleep patterns
- does not like loud
noises or commotion
- craves/avoids touching
- unusually low/high
energy
- falls apart frequently
- has trouble making
choices
- immature, baby talk,
cries over inconsequential things
- short attention span
- won't join the group
- clumsy, spacey, lazy
- impulsive
- speaks unusually loud/
talks too soft to hear
- misses when placing
objects on table
- bumps into people and
things
- acts wild when in a
group
- forgets shoes, socks,
homework, assignments
- leaves the table during
meals
- difficulty handwriting
- reading and math
difficulties
- inverting/reversing
numbers and letters
- cannot judge time
- poor written work
When there is an SPD child in the house,
their behavior may affect everyone in the family. All the
parenting methods that may have
worked with other children seem not to apply.
This can be very frustrating for the parents and siblings. Once
an evaluation is completed and treatment
has begun, the family can learn new and better ways of coping, and
understanding what they can do to help their child, and consequently
help the
entire family. The signs you see listed here may be the result of
stress in the
family that has a Sensory Dysfunctional child.
Parents
- migraine
headaches
- guilt feelings
- hopelessness
- suicidal thoughts
- depression
- chronic fatigue
- fybromyalgia
- anxiety disorder
- low stress tolerance
- lack of coping skills
- memory impairment
Siblings
- jealousy
- anger
- acting out
- aggression
- depression
- withdrawal
©Michelle Morris,
2003
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