The Southwest Voice

By: Carol Baker-Willey

Before Jaime Chavarria understood what was happening with her son, she watched as he tried to deal with sensory overload in his own way.

“At 4 years old we had a mess in the house every day: behaviors, beating up on his brother, he was out of control,” she said. “He would ram his body against the door. What led up to that was his stimulation: he was overwhelmed. I did not understand what was wrong.”

On Nov. 3 Chavarria presented a workshop on Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) for the Kern Autism Network. Chavarria is the host for the SPD Bakersfield support group and serves on the executive committee of the Kid Foundation located in Denver, Colo.

In her search for answers, Chavarria read “Sensational Kids” by Dr. Lucy Jane Miller and “Out of Sync Child” by Carol Kranowitz which describe SPD.

According to the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation Web site, “Sensory Processing Disorder is a complex disorder of the brain that affects developing children. Children with SPD misinterpret everyday sensory information, such as touch, sound, and movement. Depending on which type of SPD a child has, he may feel as if he is overwhelmed with information, he may seek out intense sensory experiences, or he might have other symptoms. This can lead to behavioral problems, difficulties with coordination, and other issues. Effective treatment is available, but far too many children with SPD are misdiagnosed and not properly treated.”

Many children with autism may also have a primary SPD contributing to behavioral and learning problems. These issues cover a wide sensory range — touch, taste, sound, smell, sight and movement — and trigger a variety of behaviors.

“I tried so many things,” Chavarria said. “It’s taken me seven years to get there. Now he understands to tell me that, ‘My engine’s running high.’”

Her son can engage in safe physical activity at home to calm himself down.

“His behaviors are almost nonexistent,” said Chavarria. “He goes to school, he knows what is expected.“

Chavarria said the parent must become a detective. You know your child best. You must determine what the problem is and backtrack to find the cause. Once you know the cause you can redirect your child into appropriate behavior. Countdowns, such as a two-minute warning, and visual timers make transitions easier. Visual schedules let your child know what to expect during the day. It’s important for parents to be consistent.

For nonverbal children, parents must learn to “read” their child to recognize warning signs and anticipate behavior. Parents can then redirect their child before a meltdown happens. But this may take a long time to accomplish.

Providing choices and engaging the child in activities are both helpful strategies.  At the store he can look at a list and find items or push the cart.  At home he can put wet clothes in the dryer or pick weeds in the yard.

“Children love games,” said Chavarria. “Make it fun.”

Children need an outlet for their energy and sports work well for this.

“When in doubt, proprioception,” Chavarria said. “It brings them up and brings them down.”

Proprioception is the body’s sense of position in space from joints, muscles and pressure around the body. Proprioception encompasses movement, compression and stretching at a joint. Strategies include pushing hands together, push-and-pull or tugging on Therabands.

Once you know what works well for your child, you must share that information with whoever works with your child, including administrators, occupational therapists, mental health professionals, doctors and educators. Behavior at home is different from behavior at school.  A child may be good at school,l but by the time he gets home he could be headed toward a meltdown.

“Open communication is crucial for success,” said Chavarria. “You must have an open mind and teamwork.”

Visit: www.SPDNetwork.org and www.kidfoundation.org for more information about SPD.
The Kern Autism Network provides support, awareness, information and education to families, professionals and the public throughout Kern County. New members are always welcome. Visit: www.kernautism.org for more information.