Effectively Dealing With Sensory Integration Dysfunction

Childhood professionals deal with a complex variety of issues every day such as sensory integration dysfunction, ADHD, and similar challenges. In their quest to provide the most effective tools and techniques to help children reach their full potential in life, it can be confusing about which methods are best.

Fortunately, Many companies has done much of the research and homework on a variety of tools and strategies to support childhood professionals and parents when teaching children. Some of the most effective tools are the SticKids, Alert program, and weighted therapy resources.

But what makes these tools so effective and why should childhood professionals or parents utilize them in their care plans?

SticKids and Alert Program value

First of all, the SticKids and Alert Programs are evidence based resources that help parents and teachers understand the basic concepts of sensory processing. It only by understands the neurological basis which drives behavior that we can begin to help and teach children. These tools are proven to help teach successful self-regulation skills which are fundamental to a child's ability to manage sensory integration challenges.

Some of the sensory integration challenges and typical processing demonstrated by children include:

- Avoiding or unnecessarily seeking sensory input in daily events.

- Emotional sensitivity, melt-downs, or need for retreat and isolation.

- Difficulty with focus, arousal, and self-regulation for normal everyday tasks.

- Reduced quality of motor response such as coordination, balance, or sequencing.

The SticKids and Alert Programs are specifically designed with these issues in mind and they are aimed at providing the appropriate level of guidance and stimulation needed to overcome sensory integration issues. And since they are for use by both parents and professionals, it helps ensure a 360 degree approach and consistency when teaching children to reach their full potential at home, at school, and in social settings.

Weighted Therapy solutions:

Weighted therapy is also recognized as deep pressure therapy and there has been a significant amount of research conducted on its effectiveness in recent years. Based on research results, using weighted lap pads, weighted blankets, or weighted vests can have a clinical benefit in helping children become calm and relaxed. It enhances and promotes their ability to concentrate and focus more successfully.

Just 5-10% of a child' body weight can be effective. Monitoring the use of weighted therapy is important since children should not use the therapy for extended periods of time or when sleeping.

Based on the recent results of weighted therapy, it is probable that additional research will further solidify the value and significance of this treatment modality. It is a simple solution that reaps far-reaching benefits for children who have sensory integration dysfunction.

Website resources as supplements

In addition to providing valuable resources such as SticKids, the Alert Program, and Weighted Therapy tools, few of resource providing companies also offer valuable website with general information for teachers and parents. These websites are packed with compelling information and statistics to support these treatment modalities. There are also a number of online tours where SticKids software can be tested first-hand to understand exactly how it works.

These websites include a variety of resources proven to be effective for children with Asperger's, ADHD, and other sensory integration related dysfunction. Books, games, CDs, DVDs, and other tools make it easy and fun for children to learn and develop their skills.

Tools are focused on all age groups and can be adapted according to a child's age and situation. From pre-schoolers through adolescents and adults, the materials and tools are effective.

Help children reach their full potential

With such a barrage of external and environmental influences surrounding children today, it makes good sense to surround them with proven treatment modalities that help them successfully interact with others. These tools also enable them to learn new skills both physiologically and neurologically. When children are able to better manage the influences that drive any type of sensory integration dysfunction, they are better able to reach their full potential every day.

Kate Horstmann is an occupational therapist working in the Evolve Behavior Support Team, Disability Services Queensland, Australia. She has over ten years' experience of working with children and adolescents with a range of difficulties including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, autism and developmental disorders.

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Dealing With Attention Deficit Disorders

Attention deficit disorders are associated with neurotic hyperactivity, the acronym for the disorder name is "ADHD." As the name suggests, the person with this kind of affection has episodes characterized by mental haziness, fidgeting and impulsiveness. Because these behavioral patterns are normal but infrequent manifestations in human beings, it becomes difficult to diagnose a patient as an attention deficit patient. There are no clear-cut percentages or counts to determine the boundary line between normal and pathological attention deficiency. The symptoms may appear in three ways, prevalently inattentive, prevalently hyperactive, or, inattentive and hyperactive in equal intensity.

Inattentive symptoms include:

1. Distraction, forgetfulness, overlooking details and fidgety-ness

2. Great difficulty in focusing attention

3. Getting bored easily with emotionally monotonous tasks

4. Unable to organize one's self or the activity on hand

5. Tendency to lose items

6. Tendency to ignore what others are saying

7. Daydreaming

8. Slow movements

9. Unable to process information fast

10. Inability to follow instructions

Hyperactive symptoms include:

1. Restlessness

2. Continuous chattering

3. Jumping about and touching and playing with things

4. Unable to remain still

5. Impatience and impulsiveness

6. Irresponsible actions or speech

7. Difficulty waiting for one's turn in a game or in a queue

Attention deficit and hyperactive disease has been attributed to many causes. The first is evolutionary. This hypothesis claims that this disorder is really a hand-me-down from the pre-agricultural, hunters of past ages. It suggests that during those times, the symptoms of attention deficit disorder, may have been essential for survival. It further claims that this pattern of behavior may actually be beneficial to a society.

Another possible cause is the exposure of the fetus to alcohol, nicotine and lead. Also implicated in this respect are complications and abnormalities during child birth. Nicotine produces hypoxia in fetuses and has been tagged as one of the factors increasing the chances of acquiring attention deficit disorder.

Substances used for coloring food are also suspected to encourage attention deficit disorders. Some artificial food colors; sunset yellow FCF (E110), quinoline yellow (E104), carmoisine (E122), allura red (E129), tartrazine (E102) and ponceau 4R (E124), and the preservative sodium benzoate have been linked to attention deficit disease. While many countries have not banned the use of food colors, some countries may require manufacturers to inform the public of the presence of suspected culprit colors in their products. In the USA food labels may contain text like: "Contains FD&C Red #40." This suggests that the effects of food dyes may influence the person's capacity for sensory integration, resulting in the various manifestations that simulate the symptoms of this disease

Child violence and child abuse are also known to produce behavioral patterns in children similar to attention deficit affliction.

The beneficial effects of stimulant drugs on ADHD patients has produced the theory that these people have a high arousal threshold. This directly causes the lack of attention and dreaminess states. In turn, to cope with this under-stimulation from the surroundings, the patients resort to intense movement, talkativeness, emotional behavior and fidgety-ness.

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