Posts Tagged ‘Hyperactivity’

Sensory Integration Dysfunction – What Is It, Diagnosis, And Treatment

March 20th, 2010



Is your child with autism over responsive to sensation which shows by withdrawing from touch, or getting upset by loud noises? Or is your child under responsive to sensations which shows by hyperactivity, unawareness of touch or pain, and likes loud sounds? Your child may have sensory integration dysfunction, which could be affecting their education and life. This article will discuss what sensory integration disorder is, and also about diagnosis.

Sensory integration refers to our ability to take in information through our senses (touch, movement, smell, taste, vision, and hearing), interpret that information, and respond to it. Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID) is the inability of the brain, to correctly process information brought in by the senses. People with SID may misinterpret everyday sensory information such as touch, sound and movement.

Below are a few symptoms of SID:

1. Loves to spin, swing, jump-this may calm them down,

2.Complains that some clothing feels scratchy, or doesn’t like tags,

3. Picky eaters-doesn’t like how some foods feel in their mouth,

4.Over sensitive to smells or sounds-may sniff people or food-will frequently cover ears to sounds,

5. May have high pain tolerance,

6. Can be impulsive or distractible.

The Star Center puts out a checklist for Sensory Integration Dysfunction. The Star Center calls it Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Below are a few items on the checklist:

1. Difficulty eating,

2.Resists cuddling or holding,

3.Easily startled,

4.Over sensitive to stimulation,

5.Difficulty learning new motor tasks,

6.Constant movement,

7.Overreacts to touch noise or smell,

8.Appears clumsy and stumbles a lot, and

9.Avoids visually stimulating environments.

SID could be affecting your child in many different ways. There are two separate types of SID: Sensory Avoiding and Sensory Seeking. Children with sensory avoiding do not like to be touched or cuddled, they are fearful of fast movement, are cautious and unwilling to take risks or try new things, are very pick eaters and do not like to be in loud or busy environments. Children with sensory seeking can have hyperactivity, unawareness of touch or pain, take part in unsafe activities, enjoy sounds that are too loud.

Children with Sensory Integration Dysfunction may also have motor skill problems. These children may have: 1.Poor fine motor skills, 2.Poor gross motor skills, 3.Difficulty imitating movements, 4.Trouble with balance, and 5.A preference for seating activities, such as video games.

To determine if your child has SID, they should be evaluation by a SIPT qualified occupational therapist (OT). Many school districts hire occupational therapists, but may not be SIPT qualified, and therefore not qualified to test in this area. You may need to advocate for your child to have them tested by a SIPT qualified OT.

Treatment for SID is occupational therapy, by a qualified therapist. Check with your school district to see if there OT has experience with Sensory Integration Disorder. If they do not, consider getting an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) with a SIPT qualified OT. Make sure that the evaluator makes specific recommendations on amount of therapy needed, goals and objectives.

By understanding what Sensory Integration Dysfunction is, how it is diagnosed and treated you may help your child. SID can negatively affect your child’s life, but with proper treatment you child can reach their potential.

By: JoAnn Collins

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How to Keep Harmony in a Family with Special Needs Children

February 6th, 2010



Peter was a hyperactive 7 year old child. He was disruptive and aggressive. He attended a Special Education school and was taking “Ritalin”. This helped him attain some kind of normalcy in his behaviour. In addition it enabled him to learn.

However Peter could not always control his behaviour and often times there were outbursts in the house. His Mother explained this to the children. She said she understood it might be embarrassing for them, especially in the presence of company. She gave them a book from the library to read, on the subject of “hyperactivity”. This proved to be an extremely useful aid for them. The book had a wealth of information, and advice.To the younger children Peter’s Mother gently explained Peter’s problem in a general way. She encouraged them to try not to provoke him and to be nice to him.

Parents have to realize that their special needs child is part of a whole family and just like she needs special attention and help to cope with her unique challenges, the other siblings also need help to deal and cope with their feelings of embarrassment, anger and fear. If these issues are not dealt with it they could grow up with low self esteem, pent up anger and difficulties to express their emotions.

Children can be explained certain facts about the special-needs sibling, in accordance with their level of maturity. Younger children can be spoken to in a more general manner, whilst older children should be given more information about the nature of the problem. Siblings should feel free to discuss any worries or doubts that bother them. This will help them maintain their self-esteem.

Siblings must understand their special-needs brother/sister encounters difficulties in many areas. They have to work on coming to terms with their feelings so that there should be a positive, constructive, productive home atmosphere. Parents should spend time talking to their children. If necessary, discussions should take place with each child separately and as often as required.

The parents should help the siblings of a special needs child:

To work on their feelings of embarrassment. To be accepting of situations that are difficult. To see the importance of helping in a the house more than their friends help in their houses.

To tackle points 1 and 2, explain your child that life’s situations are mostly not within our control. What is within our control is our attitude to life’s ups and downs. If we view a situation positively, as an opportunity to grow and become better human beings, we will be happier people. If we cannot change a situation, we must accept it. Focus on being positive and thinking positively.

Practical tips for siblings:

Don’t insist on having the last word, even if you are intelligent enough to win all arguments. Don’t insist on having your way, even if you are sure you are right. Try to keep slightly low-key about your accomplishments, when your special-needs sibling is around. Try to help out with whatever you can, to help alleviate the burden. Be encouraging and supportive to the other siblings. Above all, cultivate a positive attitude.

Harmony in the home is vital to ensure all children grow up well adjusted and with healthy self-esteem. This produces happy relationships to the benefit of all family members.

By: Shevach Pepper

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Special Kids Need Teachers With Special Education Degrees – Qualify And Make A Difference

October 3rd, 2009



To put children who are challenged and have special needs into the mainstream classrooms is not really an intelligent thing to do. Children with special needs require teachers with a special education degree. Professionals with a special education degree are rare these days and many administrators are finding it hard to recruit and hire qualified teachers. There is a desperate need for professionals who understand the various learning styles for students who have learning disabilities. Having a special education degree itself, guarantees long-term employment.

Teaching, as it is, is already a difficult job and the difficulty increases when teaching those who have learning disabilities like dyslexia. Students who have behavior problems like Attention Deficit or Hyperactivity Disorder can take a toll on a regular classroom curriculum and need to be taught separately keeping their condition in mind. Among the diverse population of students who have special needs includes children with autistic disorder. This puzzling disorder makes it nearly impossible for some of these children to function in a regular classroom.

Regular and traditional teachers cannot impart the required quality of education in the learning support classes due to lack of knowledge necessary to help challenging students. Only teachers who have a special education degree have the knowledge necessary to help challenging students meet their academic goals. A teacher needs to have training on how to use the latest teaching strategies to help this diverse population learn to its greatest capacity.

The strategies required for teaching challenging students are quite different than the ones used in the traditional classroom. Once a teacher has earned a special education degree, he is properly trained to help such students learn to their greatest capacity. These unique strategies are effective in helping nearly any student function well in the classroom setting.

There are a good number of different programs available for anyone who wants to earn a special education degree. Many of the courses can be taken online in the comfort of your own home and at your convenience.

A teacher with a special education degree becomes an asset for the school by enhancing its reputation and is thus sought after by many school systems across the United States.

By: Scotie Keithlow

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