Students with severe disabilities present unique challenges, especially when it comes to dealing with behaviors. When it comes to dealing with behaviors, understanding the source of the behavior is key to determining best methods in improving on or extinguishing the behavior all together. Depending on the behaviors, one source that is often looked at is sensory.
Often interchanged, sensory processing disorders are not the same as sensory needs. I believe that, when dealing with behaviors, one must understand the difference between the two. Not all students with learning, developmental or behavioral problems have an underlying sensory processing disorder, yet, a lot of student’s with severe disabilities are given that label. It could actually be a sensory need, or just plain old behavior. There are certain indicators that can signal the presence of a sensory processing disorder. So, what is the difference? Let’s look at two different student scenarios.
Scenario One
Jesus was hyper sensitive to certain sounds and he consistently responded to those sounds the same way… falling to the ground, banging his head, crying, and/or making a run for it! He could hear a fire truck/ambulance siren a mile away and the behaviors would start. The kitchen blender and school fire alarm? Well, let’s just say that Jesus would totally, completely, lose it! Those behaviors were consistent across every environment, whether in the classroom, the community, or at home. What Jesus demonstrated was one example of a sensory processing disorder. He fit the indicator profile for a sensory processing disorder perfectly!
What is a Sensory Processing Disorder?
Sensory processing disorders, or SPD, is a neurological disorder in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses that results in abnormal responses. Formerly referred to as sensory integration dysfunction, it is not currently recognized as a medical diagnosis. A sensory processing disorder may affect one sense, like hearing, touch, or taste, or multiple senses. And people can be over- or under- responsive to the things they have difficulties with.
Jesus demonstrated an over-response to three specific sounds. Another student might vomit in response to certain textures of food, while another might scream at the mere touch of anything. But others seem under-responsive to things around them. They may fail to respond to extreme heat or cold or even pain.
Most of us are able to integrate all of the sensory information that we constantly face, and deal with the information appropriately. For individuals with sensory processing disorders, that is not the case. They are not able to take in the sensory information in a way that makes sense to them, hence, the extreme reaction (temper tantrums that are so intense, so prolonged, so impossible to stop once they have started) to the information.
Scenario Two
Daisy loves to lick… everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything: the toilet seat, her shoes, the tray, crayons, towels, and more. What Daisy is demonstrating is a sensory need.
What are Sensory needs?
Sensory needs, on the other hand, are certain sensations that children seek out. It can be a smell, a taste, a sight, sound, or touch. One very common sensory need is oral, the need to bite, lick, and/or chew. I believe oral is so common because a lot of student’s with severe disabilities miss out on common infant behaviors such as sucking on a pacifier, chewing/gnawing on teething rings, etc.
Sensory Processing Disorders is all about what a student takes in and his/her extreme response to what they take in. This extreme response interferes with normal, everyday functioning. Sensory Needs is all about sensory seeking behavior and receiving that feedback. It is important to know and understand the difference because that difference determines response. With the proper response, students can be very successful in dealing with and handling SPD and Sensory Needs appropriately.
Here are a Few Resources
How to Satisfy 6 Kinds of Sensory Needs
https://themighty.com/2015/04/how-to-satisfy-6-kinds-of-sensory-needs-for-kids-with-autism/
Understanding Sensory Processing Disorder
https://www.spdstar.org/basic/understanding-sensory-processing-disorder
Sensory Processing Issues Explained
https://childmind.org/article/sensory-processing-issues-explained/