I See The Potential

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Itchy tags.

Doesn’t like socks.

Won’t sit still.

Always fidgeting and moving around.

Sensitive to sounds.

Sensitive to light.

Difficult time properly using pens, pencils, etc.

Could it be you’ve got an Out-Of-Sync child?

These days it seems like there’s a condition for everything under the sun.  If your child (or you even) does anything short of sit still and follow directions there’s got to be something wrong with them, right (of course if they do just sit still and follow directions that probably indicates a problem too, something like “Passive Follower Disorder”)?

So what does being “Out of Sync” mean?

It’s actually another way of saying “Sensory Integration Dysfunction” or the more recent name “Sensory Processing Disorder” ~ yeah I know I was just complaining about giving every childhood quirk a “disorder” label.  Honestly,  since I’m not a doctor / psychiatrist / therapist I don’t really like using the whole “disorder” / “dysfunction” labeling at all …. but it’s what they call it so you have to at least understand that’s the official name.

Enough name calling ….. so what is it?

Long definition short, it’s simply that your sensory systems (touch, vision, hearing, taste, smell, position and movement) are not processing the wealth of information coming into your body and brain in a way that allows you to make the “proper” responses.  This could be because your system is hypersensitive ( ex. – a soft graze of a feather on your hand feels harsher, stronger and more abrasive) or hyposensitive (ex. –  pressure that someone else would feel barely registers with you).

Why some kids have systems that are processing differently is a subject of much debate, however, the fact that it’s occurring is not.

For someone who questions the validity of this kind of thing or says it can’t really happen the way I’m describing I frequently explain it this way (it’s a good way to end the argument).

“You’ve probably experienced an Out-Of-Sync system and actually probably even experienced both extremes.”

Blank stare or denial generally inserted here.

“Okay, we’ll start with Out-Of-Sync to the hypo end first.”

“Have you ever been to a party and seen someone who’s drunk?  They stumble around uncoordinated,  talk too loud,  have trouble understanding what’s going on around them,  pretty impervious to pain, etc. – right?”

Most people agree they’ve seen this.  Some as you talk you can tell are even reliving it.

“Well,  that’s an example of a sensory system that’s been made hyposensitive – via a drug – but still hyposensitive.”

“Now, for the example of a hypersensitive system ….. check with that person in the morning.”

Now, is being drunk the same same as having a legitimate challenge with your sensory system ~ no, but similar.  The difference of course is that being drunk is something that YOU’RE doing to your system and it wears off.  Having a legitimate sensory processing challenge is something your system is doing on it’s own.  However, either way your sensory system is not operating within the confines of what is classified as “normal”.

Being normal is vastly overrated, however, in the case of someone facing challenges caused by a sensory processing challenge these sensory differences drastically impact their lives and their ability to be productive.

We interviewed Carol Kranowitz because, while she didn’t invent these terms or discover these challenges, her series of books, starting with “The Out-Of-Sync Child” have probably done more to help parents and teachers facing these challenges than just about anything else out there.  Her methods and tips for helping children facing these challenges have also improved both the atmosphere in many a household and the productivity in many a classroom.

Bottomline – if you have a child (or you are) facing Sensory challenges you can’t ignore her books.

Oddly enough, there’s many tips, techniques and approaches that you’ll find work amazingly well for folks who don’t have these challenges formally, but do sometimes feel overstressed and overwhelmed because of everything going on around them in their lives.

A quick story to illustrate that point.

Sensory challenges have been a frequent and long lasting challenge for my son (I don’t call them disorders because I don’t know that they are for a lot of kids – they’re just differences which in certain scenarios pose challenges).  In his classroom two easy, cheap but amazingly productive tools that help keep him “calm” and more “in sync” are a Theraband strap wrapped around the bottom of his chair and a “wiggle” cushion on his seat.  Both give him more sensory input while also allowing his wiggling to be less disruptive.  The funny thing is that he’s never had a classroom yet where the other children in the class aren’t always trying to swipe them and use them for themselves – not to be mean but because THEY like the way it makes THEM feel.  One classroom finally ended up putting Theraband straps around the bases of all the chairs in the classroom and the teacher was SHOCKED at home much calmer the class was and how much better they were able to sit and concentrate.

Which reinforces the point that I make frequently which is that many of the things the schools label as being “special education” tools and resources are only special because they don’t let all the kids in the school use and benefit from them…..but that’s a post for another day.

Enjoy the interview.

Some great links ….

• The Out-of-Sync Child – How does SPD affect learning?
• The Out-of-Sync Child – Indoor Obstacle Courses
• The Out-of-Sync Child – Music and Movement Bring Kids Together

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