The Origins of Sensory Processing
Disorder
by
Michelle Morris
During
Jean Ayres' 35 year
career, she
discovered a new 'theory' to explain a variety of neurological
disorders in
children. She was an occupational therapist, who became a brain
researcher. From my understanding at the
time of her
discovery (70's) the highest standing scientists in those years were
resistant
to her findings, which did not follow the accepted beliefs of the time.
[Sensory Integration, Theory and Practice, 1991]
She was not a
world-renowned
scientist, thus lower on the scientific totem pole, so to speak. She
did not
belong to certain professional 'societies', and was viewed as an
outsider in
this field. Although her research and
theory had educational implications, she was not in the educational
field. As
her work gained acceptance in her profession, resistance to it
stiffened in the
educational and medical communities.
During
her lifetime (1920-1988) she
was distressed by this injustice, yet never stopped pursuing her
research. It
is the continuing research, and the passage of time, that is proving to
these
professional societies the validity of her theory.
The
testing and research continues,
and many of today’s scholars are her former students. The stunning case
documentation of so many children continues to rise as this condition
known as
Sensory Processing Disorder is rapidly gaining more widespread
acceptance.
And so we enter the
here and now...
Across the globe
the acceptance and
practice is spreading. Is it recognized by all states yet? No. Will it
be? Yes!
Many areas of our country have already seen and understood the benefits
of this
therapy, some are still behind. Other
countries are ahead of the USA in acceptance and treatment. Is it possible that the medical community
misdiagnoses children, because of ignorance or resistance? A sad
resounding
Yes! Is it true that far too many children go without treatment because
insurance companies will not pay for it? Yes, unfortunately.
Some children
are medicated when they
do not need it, some children misdiagnosed, and some children lost
altogether
through the cracks of resistance. How many dropped out of school? How
many
abused, because they are hard to handle? How many more young lives
thrown away
before the world accepts this, and embraces the hope?
As
each and every one of us finds
therapy for our kids, and happily reports their progress, and changed
lives, it
grows. Every parent, every advocate, every study done, every magazine
and
article issued and research published...each and every time one of us
'enlightens' an educator, a doctor, or another parent we make a chink
in the
wall.
And that wall is
surely, slowly coming
down as it should have almost 30 years ago. With this generation, and
our ability
to speak up loud and clear we will not allow another generation of
'lost'
children. Our very questions open doors, even though we may not know it.
©Michelle
Morris
6/2004~rev.
9/2007
