I completed the Sensory Profile (125 items) in January 2009 for Matt. When I received the summary I was like WOW. I was able to interpret some of the information but the rest seemed like I was reading a foreign language. I started researching night after night to help me understand in laymen terms what this was really telling me. I knew Matt displayed certain behaviors when we went to the grocery store, or if we were taking that walk and would suddenly cover his ears and screech almost like he was in pain when the train would go by and blow his whistle. I knew Matt continued to have trouble tying his laces and a host of other difficulties that you and I just take for granted – but what I didn’t know up until recently that this was all problems with how he processes the information he is receiving.
What I found out thru this sensory profile questionnaire is that M had trouble effectively processing information that comes into his brain through his senses (sight, hearing, touch, etc.), and that it interfered with the ability for him to understand and interpret what is in the environment around him, He had major difficulty in processing information as it came into his brain and it affected the ability to form appropriate motor responses. This is what the term sensory issues mean. Along with the help of an occupational therapist, our first goal is to determine which processing issue is occurring with each of the senses then working toward therapy to address it.
Processing information correctly involves registration, modulation and integration and is broken down in as follows:
Registration – The information actually reaches the brain through the sensory channel (problems in registration might include blindness, hearing loss, etc.)
Modulation – The brain is able to filter through the various incoming messages for what is meaningful and what is not, and chooses the information to focus on
Integration – The brain is able to organize the incoming information, analyze it accurately, choose a reaction, and follow through on the action.
The summary of this questionnaire actually will break down what areas the individual is having problems with and further break it down into four quandrants. Typical range is what the average joe usually scores. When the range becomes probable difference, more than others, or less than others, that is when those issues need to be addressed.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
One Step Forward
Some days seem like what I have learned about behavior modifications has been disintegrated and doesn’t exist – while other days that are so awesome I wonder why every day can’t be like it. I titled this blog one step forward and knowing that somewhere down the road I will be posting one that is titled two steps back but acknowledging there will be another step forward.
I was told this week there is a good possibility if Matt was diagnosed appropriately at an earlier age he probably would have been labeled autistic – a much lower functioning individual. Well, that is both good and bad news. The good news is his Asperger’s diagnosis only came two years ago so I must have been doing something right to have his diagnosis of Asperger’s now after struggling for 7 years without knowing anything. Meaning that the treatment I was giving him at home without any knowledge of autism literally helped Matt otherwise he would still be non-verbal, everyday 3 to 4 times a day raging, etc. I look back on all the doctor appointments I had for his behavior problems and it was literally written in black and white (testing, evaluations, assessments, doctor reports etc) all the typical symptoms of a autistic child but for some reason it just wasn’t diagnosed as such. (He was being treated psychologically for his behavior since age 4 and not for autistic behaviors (He is now age 11). The two are really different because I truly believe an autistic child does NOT have a behavior disorder but acts out in a behavioral way because of sensory issues). The two are treated so much differently. I pat myself on the back for the effort I have put forth to get Matt to the point he is now. I am no way saying that Matt does not have behavior difficulties, but I think the way they were being targeting should have been redirected in a different way. The bad part of that statement is Matt could have been receiving much needed treatment in an autistic way and we could be beyond the challenges I currently am enduring. But that is neither here or there now and hence the reason why I say one step forward. His disorder is now more recognized both at the school and in therapy and treatment is being adjusted accordingly.
Matt has been discharged from physical therapy as the therapist strongly feels that most of his struggles are more related to sensory issues. I am still learning everything about sensory issues and to help us all we have increased his occupational therapy to twice a week. When Matt would cover his ears and scream during a fireworks show, thunderstorm, really struggle during a trip to the carnival that is supposed to be fun, a trip to the grocery store more times than I can count ended up walking out because of him raging, eating at a restaurant and having difficulties, purposely throwing himself down on the ground, walking into the walls, having a meltdown because the cereal he would eat everyday wasn’t replaced when we ran out, wants to wear 7 shirts and hoodies to school, walks on his toes, could not grasp how to tie shoes or color within the lines – and the list could go on and on – all this is due to sensory issues which is very common in children on the autistic spectrum. With the increase in OT and goals to work toward, I really feel all this is one step forward that will be bringing Matt more in touch with his needs and allow for his outburst to seek these needs to be diminished significantly.
I was told this week there is a good possibility if Matt was diagnosed appropriately at an earlier age he probably would have been labeled autistic – a much lower functioning individual. Well, that is both good and bad news. The good news is his Asperger’s diagnosis only came two years ago so I must have been doing something right to have his diagnosis of Asperger’s now after struggling for 7 years without knowing anything. Meaning that the treatment I was giving him at home without any knowledge of autism literally helped Matt otherwise he would still be non-verbal, everyday 3 to 4 times a day raging, etc. I look back on all the doctor appointments I had for his behavior problems and it was literally written in black and white (testing, evaluations, assessments, doctor reports etc) all the typical symptoms of a autistic child but for some reason it just wasn’t diagnosed as such. (He was being treated psychologically for his behavior since age 4 and not for autistic behaviors (He is now age 11). The two are really different because I truly believe an autistic child does NOT have a behavior disorder but acts out in a behavioral way because of sensory issues). The two are treated so much differently. I pat myself on the back for the effort I have put forth to get Matt to the point he is now. I am no way saying that Matt does not have behavior difficulties, but I think the way they were being targeting should have been redirected in a different way. The bad part of that statement is Matt could have been receiving much needed treatment in an autistic way and we could be beyond the challenges I currently am enduring. But that is neither here or there now and hence the reason why I say one step forward. His disorder is now more recognized both at the school and in therapy and treatment is being adjusted accordingly.
Matt has been discharged from physical therapy as the therapist strongly feels that most of his struggles are more related to sensory issues. I am still learning everything about sensory issues and to help us all we have increased his occupational therapy to twice a week. When Matt would cover his ears and scream during a fireworks show, thunderstorm, really struggle during a trip to the carnival that is supposed to be fun, a trip to the grocery store more times than I can count ended up walking out because of him raging, eating at a restaurant and having difficulties, purposely throwing himself down on the ground, walking into the walls, having a meltdown because the cereal he would eat everyday wasn’t replaced when we ran out, wants to wear 7 shirts and hoodies to school, walks on his toes, could not grasp how to tie shoes or color within the lines – and the list could go on and on – all this is due to sensory issues which is very common in children on the autistic spectrum. With the increase in OT and goals to work toward, I really feel all this is one step forward that will be bringing Matt more in touch with his needs and allow for his outburst to seek these needs to be diminished significantly.
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