There have been a lot of articles on Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) are out this week and I posted links via previous posts to a couple of good definitional articles. The article below is noteworthy because it goes into an even more useful discussion of how SPD relates to and is yet distinct from Autism (pointing out clearly that “although a sensory processing disorder is not considered a qualifying characteristic for a diagnosis of autism, I have yet to meet a person on the autism spectrum who does not have a challenge in this area.”)

What is Sensory Processing Disorder and How Is It Related to Autism? | Psychology Today.

The author also reminds us of the effort to have SPD included in the next Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is currently being drafted, and which we described as a really important step in our posting from March 4:

DSM-5 Being Updated.

The person leading that effort is Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, OTR and Founder of the SPD Foundation, who has recommended our program:

“The Learning Breakthrough Program is helpful to enhance clinical therapy for a wide range of sensory processing issues. The unique program lends itself to use with a variety of therapeutic approaches. Its ease of use allows your patients to follow through with therapeutic activities at home. I have integrated this program into my practice and encourage fellow OT’s to take advantage of the benefits this program has to offer.”

SPD is a difficult topic/diagnosis for people to get their heads around; parents, teachers, scientists, therapists…lots of people. But the awareness is growing that SPD it is a unique neurological disorder that impacts many people in important cognitive areas. Addressing SPD is an important part of any treatment program for those on the spectrum.

We strongly advocate a unique DSM classification for Sensory Processing Disorder. We have seen how the Learning Breakthrough Program has produced substantial results when used to treat sensory disorders and a is wonderful complement to other therapies. This goes well beyond addressing just SPD symptoms…the point is that improved sensory processing affects higher order cognitive processes and abstract reasoning well beyond the simple notion of a “traffic jam” in the senses – the simplified definition often associated with SPD.

Just read two articles of some interest. This first article (from the site www.scienceblog.com) describes new research observations on children with Attention Deficit indicating

a disconnection between the center of the brain that allocates attention and the visual processing regions…

One of the core strengths and objectives of Learning Breakthrough is exactly the type of efficient brain integration (from “center of the brain” to visual processing and other sensory areas as well) that is being demonstrated as relevant and missing in certain ADHD clients. Great food for thought and insight into neural activity weaknesses that point to possible treatment approaches.

The second article comes from professors of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt’s Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. It describes a grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders for the study of Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT). The point is to investigate why, as the article states:

Children with autism have difficulty taking in and integrating sensory information from the outside world, particularly auditory information. The suppression or misinterpretation of auditory information can prevent the development of language.

Both of these are interesting and we look forward to hearing more about their progress.