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2012年8月22日 星期三

Sensory Processing Difficulties - Understanding the Family Dilemma


With the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders on the rise, let's focus on understanding the accompanying sensory processing issues. Although sensory processing difficulties are a symptom of Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome, every person can experience processing difficulties throughout life.

Also known as sensory integration, it refers to the way individuals respond to and process sensations. Our brains are constantly processing input from our sense organs (smell, touch, taste, hear, see and feel), even when we sleep. We usually don't notice the process, until it functions adversely. For example, all we need to do to overload our sensory system is navigate a shopping cart through a large grocery or house wares store. The overhead music plays while videos blare, smells rise and blend into one another, fans blow hot or cold air and overly helpful employees repeatedly pop out to greet us while we try desperately to stay in the left part of the brain so that we can get what we came for. Whew! By the time we get through the checkout, trapped between loud videos and beeping registers, we are feeling common symptoms of sensory overload: nervousness, simmering anger, headache and nausea. Now imagine how hard that must be for a small child or someone whose sensory system has difficulty processing the onslaught of stimulation.

Children have not yet developed the brain connections to tell us that they need to get away from the overwhelming stimulation. Instead, they scream, tantrum, run away or have potty accidents. Sensory overload triggers the primitive brain function of fight, flight or freeze and the body reacts without thought. The only goal is to survive, which temporarily hijacks the brain's executive functions, disabling logic, memory (retention and recall) and decision making processes.

For most of us, all we have to do is reduce or eliminate the excess sensory stimulation and the problem is solved. Usually our brains can sort it all, without conscious thought. Unfortunately, this task is much more complicated for someone when sensory processing difficulties are part of a disorder.

The entire family is affected when everyone is held hostage by the anticipation and prevention of rages or ear-piercing shrieks. Even the child feels helpless while he seeks to manipulate his world and the family system to avoid sensory issues. Often seen as behavior problems, these actions may actually help regulate the sensory system and bring it into balance. For the most part, behavior modification techniques do not work; the dysfunctional behavior is the result of a struggling brain process, not a goal-oriented choice.

When a family has a member with sensory processing issues, the choices are to continue living each day feeling powerless in a rage-reaction lifestyle or seek professional help. A neurologist is best qualified to make a diagnosis if Autism or Asperger's Syndrome is suspected. A specially trained pediatric occupational therapist (OT) can diagnose and treat Sensory Processing Disorder. A counselor who has experience with sensory processing issues can address the related anxiety and specific parenting techniques, which brings much needed relief to the family.

Generally, the whole family benefits by getting involved in the change process. An experienced counselor can help re-balance the parental power structure, lessen anxiety and resentment among siblings and coordinate treatment options with the school or daycare facility. Changing the way a brain functions takes time, commitment and active teamwork, which may frustrate parents who want a quick fix.

Lastly, remember to look for support from other parents who live with similar conditions. You can find support groups, information and professional referrals by accessing websites focusing on Sensory Processing Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome and Autism.




Sharon Cuff, MA counsels parents and children in Newtown Square, PA. She has over 25 years experience working with adults and children of all ages, stages and abilities. Call for an appointment at 484-437-0080 and visit her website at http://SharonCuffCounseling.com/





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張貼者： 於 下午5:10 0 意見
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2012年8月20日 星期一

Understanding the Links Between ADD/ADHD and Sensory Integration Disorder


Many frustrated parents are unaware of the similarities and the links between ADD/ADHD and Sensory Integration Disorder. In fact, many people have not yet heard of it. Sensory Integration Disorder is basically a condition whereby the brain is unable to fully utilize the information gathered through the senses in an effective, organized way.

Children with sensory integration disorder (SI) may have difficulty finding the right balance to react to information received. Sufferers tend to react in extremes to things such as touch, smells, sounds and tastes that other people take in their stride as part of their daily life.

A child with this condition will display extreme and anti-social behavior as the senses are experienced. The behavior could involve extreme emotional outbursts, crying, tantrums and more. Parents' first instinct is to assume that the child is trying to get attention through this behavior when in fact it is sensory integration disorder.

Kids with ADD/ADHD and SI disorder will display a number of other symptoms. Kids with hearing sensitivities will hear noises that other people do not hear, such as people chewing or breathing or other background noises.

Children with touch sensitivities will be indifferent to temperatures or pain. They will refuse to wear clothes made of certain fabrics or wear long sleeves even in summer to avoid skin showing. They may also avoid physical contact with other people. They are also likely to avoid grooming and any activities that involve touching their faces, hair or teeth. Kids with ADD/ADHD and SI may have very low or very high activity levels, spin things around and taking things apart.

The brain is unable to process and interpret information that is entering properly, which causes them to be unable to form a proper impression from the combined information of all the senses. Parents are likely to view the child's reaction as misbehavior, but the child suffering from ADD/ADHD and sensory integration disorder is probably very fearful and confused.




Lizette has extensive experience in creating home education tools and resources that are available freely from [http://www.twinstaracademy.com/]

She also has a lot of experience in dealing with an ADHD child, thanks to her 9-year old daughter. However, she has found benefit from Minerals for ADHD





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 上午9:53 0 意見
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2012年7月9日 星期一

Understanding How We Understand - Basics of Brain Function


The basic unit of the nervous system is the neuron or nerve cell. It has a cell body that houses the nucleus where the DNA is stored, and projections called dendrites and axons. Generally, neurons have only one axon (although it may have many branches at the end) that carries impulses away from the cell body and many dendrites that carry impulses to the cell body.

Imagine that you are the neuron with a special job to do and the dendrites are your ears and the axon is your mouth. Your job is to scream "Go!" when enough of the cells around you say it's OK. So, its like you are on a game show and the audience is all calling out to you telling you what to do. All around you are other cells screaming in your ears. Some of them are telling you to be quiet and some are telling you to scream. In neurological terms, the cells telling you to be quiet are inhibitory because they inhibit your decision to scream. The ones telling you to go ahead and let 'er rip are excitatory. You are listening with your dendrites to all this input from all these other cells and when enough of them are saying scream you decide it's time to let it all out. At this point the neurologist would say you have reached your potential and there is only one thing you can do so you scream "Go!" with all you've got.

Now, you are just one link in a network of neurons and when you scream "Go!" other neurons on their own game shows are listening to you and making their decisions about when they have reached their potential and fire their axons to other cells and so on.

It looks like a jumbled mess but this is a network of neurons. The cells are connected and interconnected to hundreds or thousands of other cells. They are all telling each other to fire (excitatory) or not fire (inhibitory). It is the sum of all this input that causes specific sequences of neurons to fire in what we call a neural pathway. These pathways end up being thoughts or actions depending on what cells are involved.

When you see the sun, the light falls on the retina in your eye and a retinal cell says "Go!" to a cell in the optic nerve and it says "Go!" to a nerve in the thalamus in the brain and that cell says "Go!" to a nerve in the visual center at the back of the brain. In this way, with thousands of cells firing in sequence, we begin to get a picture of our world. It is terribly complex and there is so much information coming in at all times from all the senses it is absolutely amazing that we can put it all together.

When we say "sensory integration" we are talking about the orderly interpretation of all the information we are getting from both inside and outside our bodies. In order to do this we have to have healthy neurons that are doing their part in the pathways that make sense of it all. For neurons to be healthy they have to have input (be it excititory or inhibitory) from lots of other cells. When they get input it turns on their DNA to build more nerve cell just like exercise tells muscle cells to get bigger and stronger.

For various reasons sometimes neurons break down and stop doing their jobs efficiently. This effects other neurons in their pathways and we start to see breakdowns in the way the nervous system operates. By looking at specific clues from behavior or movement, to over or under sensitivity to sound or light among other things, we can figure out what pathways are failing and give special input to those pathways to help build them up again.




Dr. Martin Rukeyser DC, is a Chiropractor who lives and practices in Port Saint Lucie, FL. He maintains a solo chiropractic office called Life Chiropractic http://www.lifechiropracticpsl.com and is also one of the co-founders of the Brain Training Center of the Treasure Coast http://www.flbraintraining.com - a practice dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults with Autism, ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Aspergers, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Marty has long held a personal and professional interest in brain function and development and the connection between a healthy body and brain.

Dr. Rukeyser graduated Magna Cum Laude from Life University Chiropractic College in 1998. Prior to coming to Florida, he directed two clinics in a medically under-served community in in rural Mississippi. Dr. Marty, was raised in Long Island, NY and met his wife Ashley while in Mississippi. They have two sons, Ben and Jonah.





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 下午3:32 0 意見
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2012年5月31日 星期四

Understanding the Links Between ADD/ADHD and Sensory Integration Disorder


Many frustrated parents are unaware of the similarities and the links between ADD/ADHD and Sensory Integration Disorder. In fact, many people have not yet heard of it. Sensory Integration Disorder is basically a condition whereby the brain is unable to fully utilize the information gathered through the senses in an effective, organized way.

Children with sensory integration disorder (SI) may have difficulty finding the right balance to react to information received. Sufferers tend to react in extremes to things such as touch, smells, sounds and tastes that other people take in their stride as part of their daily life.

A child with this condition will display extreme and anti-social behavior as the senses are experienced. The behavior could involve extreme emotional outbursts, crying, tantrums and more. Parents' first instinct is to assume that the child is trying to get attention through this behavior when in fact it is sensory integration disorder.

Kids with ADD/ADHD and SI disorder will display a number of other symptoms. Kids with hearing sensitivities will hear noises that other people do not hear, such as people chewing or breathing or other background noises.

Children with touch sensitivities will be indifferent to temperatures or pain. They will refuse to wear clothes made of certain fabrics or wear long sleeves even in summer to avoid skin showing. They may also avoid physical contact with other people. They are also likely to avoid grooming and any activities that involve touching their faces, hair or teeth. Kids with ADD/ADHD and SI may have very low or very high activity levels, spin things around and taking things apart.

The brain is unable to process and interpret information that is entering properly, which causes them to be unable to form a proper impression from the combined information of all the senses. Parents are likely to view the child's reaction as misbehavior, but the child suffering from ADD/ADHD and sensory integration disorder is probably very fearful and confused.




Lizette has extensive experience in creating home education tools and resources that are available freely from [http://www.twinstaracademy.com/]

She also has a lot of experience in dealing with an ADHD child, thanks to her 9-year old daughter. However, she has found benefit from Minerals for ADHD





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 下午6:23 0 意見
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2012年5月30日 星期三

Sensory Processing Difficulties - Understanding the Family Dilemma


With the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders on the rise, let's focus on understanding the accompanying sensory processing issues. Although sensory processing difficulties are a symptom of Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome, every person can experience processing difficulties throughout life.

Also known as sensory integration, it refers to the way individuals respond to and process sensations. Our brains are constantly processing input from our sense organs (smell, touch, taste, hear, see and feel), even when we sleep. We usually don't notice the process, until it functions adversely. For example, all we need to do to overload our sensory system is navigate a shopping cart through a large grocery or house wares store. The overhead music plays while videos blare, smells rise and blend into one another, fans blow hot or cold air and overly helpful employees repeatedly pop out to greet us while we try desperately to stay in the left part of the brain so that we can get what we came for. Whew! By the time we get through the checkout, trapped between loud videos and beeping registers, we are feeling common symptoms of sensory overload: nervousness, simmering anger, headache and nausea. Now imagine how hard that must be for a small child or someone whose sensory system has difficulty processing the onslaught of stimulation.

Children have not yet developed the brain connections to tell us that they need to get away from the overwhelming stimulation. Instead, they scream, tantrum, run away or have potty accidents. Sensory overload triggers the primitive brain function of fight, flight or freeze and the body reacts without thought. The only goal is to survive, which temporarily hijacks the brain's executive functions, disabling logic, memory (retention and recall) and decision making processes.

For most of us, all we have to do is reduce or eliminate the excess sensory stimulation and the problem is solved. Usually our brains can sort it all, without conscious thought. Unfortunately, this task is much more complicated for someone when sensory processing difficulties are part of a disorder.

The entire family is affected when everyone is held hostage by the anticipation and prevention of rages or ear-piercing shrieks. Even the child feels helpless while he seeks to manipulate his world and the family system to avoid sensory issues. Often seen as behavior problems, these actions may actually help regulate the sensory system and bring it into balance. For the most part, behavior modification techniques do not work; the dysfunctional behavior is the result of a struggling brain process, not a goal-oriented choice.

When a family has a member with sensory processing issues, the choices are to continue living each day feeling powerless in a rage-reaction lifestyle or seek professional help. A neurologist is best qualified to make a diagnosis if Autism or Asperger's Syndrome is suspected. A specially trained pediatric occupational therapist (OT) can diagnose and treat Sensory Processing Disorder. A counselor who has experience with sensory processing issues can address the related anxiety and specific parenting techniques, which brings much needed relief to the family.

Generally, the whole family benefits by getting involved in the change process. An experienced counselor can help re-balance the parental power structure, lessen anxiety and resentment among siblings and coordinate treatment options with the school or daycare facility. Changing the way a brain functions takes time, commitment and active teamwork, which may frustrate parents who want a quick fix.

Lastly, remember to look for support from other parents who live with similar conditions. You can find support groups, information and professional referrals by accessing websites focusing on Sensory Processing Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome and Autism.




Sharon Cuff, MA counsels parents and children in Newtown Square, PA. She has over 25 years experience working with adults and children of all ages, stages and abilities. Call for an appointment at 484-437-0080 and visit her website at http://SharonCuffCounseling.com/





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 下午2:42 0 意見
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2011年12月24日 星期六

Sensory Processing Difficulties - Understanding the Family Dilemma


With the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders on the rise, let's focus on understanding the accompanying sensory processing issues. Although sensory processing difficulties are a symptom of Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome, every person can experience processing difficulties throughout life.

Also known as sensory integration, it refers to the way individuals respond to and process sensations. Our brains are constantly processing input from our sense organs (smell, touch, taste, hear, see and feel), even when we sleep. We usually don't notice the process, until it functions adversely. For example, all we need to do to overload our sensory system is navigate a shopping cart through a large grocery or house wares store. The overhead music plays while videos blare, smells rise and blend into one another, fans blow hot or cold air and overly helpful employees repeatedly pop out to greet us while we try desperately to stay in the left part of the brain so that we can get what we came for. Whew! By the time we get through the checkout, trapped between loud videos and beeping registers, we are feeling common symptoms of sensory overload: nervousness, simmering anger, headache and nausea. Now imagine how hard that must be for a small child or someone whose sensory system has difficulty processing the onslaught of stimulation.

Children have not yet developed the brain connections to tell us that they need to get away from the overwhelming stimulation. Instead, they scream, tantrum, run away or have potty accidents. Sensory overload triggers the primitive brain function of fight, flight or freeze and the body reacts without thought. The only goal is to survive, which temporarily hijacks the brain's executive functions, disabling logic, memory (retention and recall) and decision making processes.

For most of us, all we have to do is reduce or eliminate the excess sensory stimulation and the problem is solved. Usually our brains can sort it all, without conscious thought. Unfortunately, this task is much more complicated for someone when sensory processing difficulties are part of a disorder.

The entire family is affected when everyone is held hostage by the anticipation and prevention of rages or ear-piercing shrieks. Even the child feels helpless while he seeks to manipulate his world and the family system to avoid sensory issues. Often seen as behavior problems, these actions may actually help regulate the sensory system and bring it into balance. For the most part, behavior modification techniques do not work; the dysfunctional behavior is the result of a struggling brain process, not a goal-oriented choice.

When a family has a member with sensory processing issues, the choices are to continue living each day feeling powerless in a rage-reaction lifestyle or seek professional help. A neurologist is best qualified to make a diagnosis if Autism or Asperger's Syndrome is suspected. A specially trained pediatric occupational therapist (OT) can diagnose and treat Sensory Processing Disorder. A counselor who has experience with sensory processing issues can address the related anxiety and specific parenting techniques, which brings much needed relief to the family.

Generally, the whole family benefits by getting involved in the change process. An experienced counselor can help re-balance the parental power structure, lessen anxiety and resentment among siblings and coordinate treatment options with the school or daycare facility. Changing the way a brain functions takes time, commitment and active teamwork, which may frustrate parents who want a quick fix.

Lastly, remember to look for support from other parents who live with similar conditions. You can find support groups, information and professional referrals by accessing websites focusing on Sensory Processing Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome and Autism.




Sharon Cuff, MA counsels parents and children in Newtown Square, PA. She has over 25 years experience working with adults and children of all ages, stages and abilities. Call for an appointment at 484-437-0080 and visit her website at http://SharonCuffCounseling.com/





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

張貼者： 於 下午6:25 0 意見
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2011年11月25日 星期五

Understanding the Links Between ADD/ADHD and Sensory Integration Disorder


Many frustrated parents are unaware of the similarities and the links between ADD/ADHD and Sensory Integration Disorder. In fact, many people have not yet heard of it. Sensory Integration Disorder is basically a condition whereby the brain is unable to fully utilize the information gathered through the senses in an effective, organized way.

Children with sensory integration disorder (SI) may have difficulty finding the right balance to react to information received. Sufferers tend to react in extremes to things such as touch, smells, sounds and tastes that other people take in their stride as part of their daily life.

A child with this condition will display extreme and anti-social behavior as the senses are experienced. The behavior could involve extreme emotional outbursts, crying, tantrums and more. Parents' first instinct is to assume that the child is trying to get attention through this behavior when in fact it is sensory integration disorder.

Kids with ADD/ADHD and SI disorder will display a number of other symptoms. Kids with hearing sensitivities will hear noises that other people do not hear, such as people chewing or breathing or other background noises.

Children with touch sensitivities will be indifferent to temperatures or pain. They will refuse to wear clothes made of certain fabrics or wear long sleeves even in summer to avoid skin showing. They may also avoid physical contact with other people. They are also likely to avoid grooming and any activities that involve touching their faces, hair or teeth. Kids with ADD/ADHD and SI may have very low or very high activity levels, spin things around and taking things apart.

The brain is unable to process and interpret information that is entering properly, which causes them to be unable to form a proper impression from the combined information of all the senses. Parents are likely to view the child's reaction as misbehavior, but the child suffering from ADD/ADHD and sensory integration disorder is probably very fearful and confused.




Lizette has extensive experience in creating home education tools and resources that are available freely from http://www.twinstaracademy.com/

She also has a lot of experience in dealing with an ADHD child, thanks to her 9-year old daughter. However, she has found benefit from Minerals for ADHD





This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

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