by Pajama Girl

Created on: January 22, 2009

According to Wikipedia: Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID, also called sensory processing disorder) is a neurological disorder causing difficulties with processing information from the five classic senses (vision, auditory, touch, olfaction, and taste, the sense of movement (vestibular system), and/or the positional sense (proprioception).

A child who Struggles with one or multiple sensory disorders can be very frustrating and scary for both the parent and the child as it can make normal everyday life a constant struggle. As a parent of a 3 year old autistic boy who suffers with a sensory disorder I know all to well how much it changes a whole families life. My son Eli suffers from touch sensitivity which makes even the simplest things like eating meals with any texture to washing hands or even putting lotion on hard to accomplish. SID is something that should not be ignored and should be treated as it could interfere with the child's health, social skills, or in being able to accomplish even the smallest tasks which could ultimately hinder their feelings of confidence and self worth. The best thing for a parent and child is for the parent to know what they are up against and to arm themselves with as much information as possible to help their child. There are therapist called SI therapists who deal with Sensory Integration Dysfunction and can be very beneficial to you and your child. More commonly you can find an OT (occupational therapist) that is trained and certified in Sensory Disorder. These therapists can evaluate your child and work with them to overcome or deal with their challenges. They can also help to give you as a parent tips in helping your child cope at home and other places. Over time with proper attention you should be able to notice a big change in your child's life including less tantrums and frustration. A great book for parents is "The Out of Sync Child" by Carol Stock Kranowits, M.A.

This book can help you learn how to recognize and cope with your child's SID. It also helps you look at things through your child's point of view and how they may perceive the world. Parent's should also seek out other parents in groups locally or on-line that are going through the same difficulties as it makes it easier to know you are not alone in the situation.

Parenting in general can be a challenge but with the proper help and care you can learn to help your child and put energy into just loving them and watching them grow.

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