Weisman Can Help
By Weisman Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital Occupational Therapist Larysa Halaway, MS
I met Charlie when he was three years old. At first glance, Charlie looked like any other three-year-old boy. He was talking and loved to play with his cars and trucks. He was always on the go. Charlie came to Weisman Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital for an occupational therapy (OT) evaluation because he was having a hard time playing, eating, and had already been asked to leave two preschools.
While many people were saying that Charlie was a poorly behaved child or was aggressive, I soon learned that Charlie was struggling to process sensory information from his environment which was impacting his social skills, eating habits and his ability to learn.
Charlie demonstrated signs of “sensory defensiveness,” a sensory processing dysfunction in which the nervous system perceives sensation as painful, irritating, and even harmful. Not only was it difficult for Charlie to explore his environment, but he was also afraid of sounds and touch…putting his mind and body on constant alert.
Many parents are now seeking therapy for their children with “sensory processing difficulties,” “sensory issues,” or “sensory disturbance.” Charlie received occupational therapy at Weisman Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital’s outpatient center twice a week for nine months. Utilizing play along with sensory-based activities, Charlie was given opportunities to receive sensory information more accurately, more comfortably, and more successfully so that he could better explore and enjoy his environment, play with his friends, and feel better about himself. Together, Charlie and I would build obstacle courses with swings, ladders, slides, and mats. One day we were ‘Spider Man,’ the next day we were flying to the moon. Exposing Charlie to various movement, sound and touch sensations allowed his body to learn to discriminate, process and use the sensations to make purposeful and adaptive responses.
Currently, Charlie attends a pre-school in his district, where he continues to receive occupational therapy to support him in his school environment. He has many friends, enjoys going to the beach and is a healthy eater.
If Charlie’s story sounds familiar to you, you may want to contact your physician for a referral for an occupational therapy evaluation.Weisman Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital can be reached by calling toll-free 1-877-543-8774 or by visiting www.weismanchildrens.com.
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Signs of Sensory Integrative Dysfunction
- Overly sensitive to touch, movement, sights, or sounds
- Under reactive to touch, movement, sights, or sounds
- Easily distracted
- Social and/or emotional problems
- Activity level that is unusually high or unusually low
- Physical clumsiness or apparent carelessness
- Impulsive, lacking in self control
- Difficulty making transitions from one situation to another
- Inability to unwind or calm self
- Poor self concept
- Delays in speech, language, motor skills or academic achievement
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