1 in 20 children experiences symptoms of Sensory Processing Disorder that are significant enough to affect their ability to participate fully in everyday life. Symptoms of SPD, like those of most disorders, occur within a broad spectrum of severity. While most of us have occasional difficulties processing sensory information, for children and adults with SPD, these difficulties are chronic, and they disrupt everyday life. Source: SPD Foundation
What’s an Sensory Processing Disorder? When the brain receives sensory signals that don’t get organized into appropriate responses. This creates challenges in all areas of life. Through my work at Advanced Brain Technologies I interface with occupational therapists worldwide that treat children and adults with this condition on a daily basis. They generally have a good handle on how to provide effective treatment, often using The Listening Program® as part of a comprehensive treatment approach. Yet, there is no diagnostic recognition for SPD, so insurance generally does not reimburse for treatment, meaning many go without.
The SPD Foundation is advocating inclusion of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) in the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), which will be published in 2012. The DSM classifies all childhood and adult mental health and developmental disorders. Currently, SPD is not covered by the DSM categories, and its absence limits awareness of the disorder and contributes to the misdiagnosis and inappropriate therapeutic treatment of children.
The inclusion of SPD in the DSM will foster correct diagnoses and will open doors for further research about the underlying cause of and treatments for SPD. The addition of SPD in the DSM will also facilitate reimbursement for treatment.
If you support diagnositic recognition for SPD please sign the DSM petition by clicking here http://www.spdfoundation.net/petition.php
as an OTR with 25yrs experience, I fear that this will dramitically change the profession I know and love. I work with children in the schools and have yet to know of a child who went to a SPD/SI clinic return without some Dx of SPD. Until that day happens this is a great threat to our profession
Joan,
I completely understand what you are saying. This is a double edged sword. On one side we want to see improved access to services for kids with sensory processing challenges. On the other is the risk of over diagnosis as you state. If you look hard enough for something you will see it. Without objective diagnostic criteria, this could be a real problem. Researchers including Dr. Lucy Miller are working hard to provide the objective measures needed and I greatly hope they are successful in that effort.
I personally am not in favor of labelling children, but do want them to receive the services needed to be happy, healthy, and productive in their lives, with the right opportunities to achieve their individual and innate potential.
Alex