Short video/transcript excerpt (Ming @ Agents of Speech) explaining sensory processing disorder (SPD) in children, its overlap with autism and speech-related disorders, and how sensory over- or under-stimulation affects behaviors (avoidance vs. seeking). The clip emphasizes variability across body regions (e.g., oral vs. hands) and recommends occupational therapy assessment for diagnosis and intervention.
Children with sensory processing disorder diagnosis often overlaps with autism or speech related disorders because when we lose the sensory in our mouths or it's not balanced, it's difficult to move our mouths to make the sounds we want. Children with sensory processing disorders have either over or understimulated sensory. What does that mean when a child is overstimulated? That means they're trying to avoid sensory. So when you're trying to touch your child, they try to avoid it. Maybe they're over stimulated and you need to get your child assessed and tested to see which one is the case sometimes. On the other hand, children might be under stimulated and they're seeking for sensory. They're always hitting on things, always trying to touch things. Most of the time it's not either or, it's. And like some parts of the body, they are under stimulated, some parts of their senses are under. It might be that their oral area is very sensitive, but at the same time their hands are understimulated and they keep on doing things right. It really is down to the occupational therapist to tell you why this is happening and how to solve it.
