Sensory Integration Disorder

Through an Occupation Therapy screening, I have learned John needs an evaluation for Sensory Integration. Sensory integration is an innate neurobiological process and refers to the integration and interpretation of sensory stimulation from the environment by the brain. In contrast, sensory integrative dysfunction is a disorder in which sensory input is not integrated or organized appropriately in the brain and may produce varying degrees of problems in development, information processing, and behavior

I was told to read a book called, "The Out-of-Sync Child" by Carol Stock Kranowitz. I can't put it down. Right now, I'm about 150 pages into the book. I feel like I am reading a book that was written about my son.

The book has checklists that parents can use to determine if their child has a Sensory Integration dysfunction and what kind it may be. I have learned that John is a Sensory Seeker. He craves movement, loves being upside down, bumps into couches for sensory stimulation, loves spinning, oftentimes not getting dizzy, can't get enough of tactile stimulation (through the hands), etc.

John has always wanted his hands in my armpits. He would put them there when trying to fall asleep, when I'd carry him in the grocery store, standing in church---everywhere and any time. I thought it was weird and annoying, but didn't think much more of it. He touches to a point of annoyance, even when the touch isn't wanted. He always has his hands on my face or trying to put them in my mouth. If I'm talking to other people and my attention is diverted away from him, he often grabs at the collars of my shirt, trying to put his hands down the front of my blouse or up the sleeves.

John is always mouthing/teething objects. He doesn't put play dough or glue in his mouth, but he does chew on shirt collars, toys, blocks, bottles, the car seatbelt ---anything that can be chewed on. His shirt is often wet and if he can't find anything else, his fingers go in his mouth. He never was a thumb sucker and his pacifier was given up at 6 months old. But, he has always chewed on toys and clothes.

He loves his teeth brushed. He has always been obsessed with toothbrushes and helping my husband and I brush our teeth. We used to joke that he was going to be a dentist. Recently, we bought him an electric toothbrush, which has helped him with his poor muscle tone in his mouth.

Low muscle tone is one of John's problems. I never realized this, as I always thought of him as strong. But, muscle tone is not a measure of strength. It is the amount of tension our muscles have at rest. Normal muscle tone would reflect muscles that are "ready to move" or react when we need them to. Low muscle tone means that they are more at rest than they should be.

John's low muscle tone in his mouth accounts for his speech delay and inability to make his mouth move in certain ways to make certain sounds. It makes it difficult to blow bubbles. Ways of increasing muscle tone of the mouth includes sucking a milkshake through a straw, blowing bubbles, etc.

Low muscle tone would also account for the inability to stack blocks. Stacking blocks in a high tower requires the hand to 'release' the block. The muscle used to release is different than the muscle used to grasp. Ways of increasing muscle tone of the hands is to squeeze a wet sponge and release it. Different size sponges increase the level of difficulty of squeezing to help build the squeeze and release muscles.

John loves tactile sensations. Many kids do, but children who are sensory seekers can't get enough of it. The brain doesn't recognize that it has received enough stimulation because the nervous system is "out of whack". These kind of children want "more more more". The opposite, but still sensory dysfunctional on the other extreme, would be the child who can't stand touch, who withdraws from it (or any other sense for that matter --- covers ears during fireworks, high pitch noises, doesn't like crowds). Each sense has sensory seekers and avoiders, as well as those that don't show one way or another. A "normal" sensory integration child would be able to adapt to the environment as different senses pick up different things. It's what tells us that there is danger or fun in what is around us. Kids with this dysfunction don't know how to interpret this sensory information and it throws their whole day off.

For John, he needs "more more more". His brain is using its energy inefficiently, which accounts for his lack of attention. Everything is full force and outside the level his brain should function at. Calming him down is difficult. When he sleeps, he's not at full rest. He inefficiently does everything around him.

I tested this theory, doing a sensory activity for the tactile sense. I put both my kids in a bathtub with shaving cream. I told them we were going to finger paint in shaving cream. I squirted it all over the bathtub and let them at it. Katie rubbed her hands and arms in it for a few minutes and then washed it off, proceeding to draw letters and pictures around the tub. John, on the other hand, took huge clumps of it, clapped it together, watched it fly around the bathroom and giggled. He then sat in the tub and put his feet up on the sides, rubbing them in the shaving cream, giggling. After that, he stood up and grabbed a bunch and began lathering himself in it. He rubbed it on his stomach and then continued to put more and more on. He then slapped it and watched it float and fly off his body. Once it was gone, he wanted more. I obliged and it started all over again. When it was all over, he transitioned fine to the next activity, but talked about the 'shvn crm' all night long. Now, every time he sees the bathtub, he wants the 'shvn crm'. I'm just happy he's saying "shvn crm"!