A Feeling About SPD

One of my nieces will be a senior in high school this year and has been looking at colleges that offer programs in Occupational Therapy. I think this is a great field to examine because I suspect that OT services will be in increasing demand as Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) becomes a more common diagnosis in schools.

A succinct description:
"Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD, formerly known as "sensory integration dysfunction") is a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses. Pioneering occupational therapist and neuroscientist A. Jean Ayres, PhD, likened SPD to a neurological "traffic jam" that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks. Motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other impacts may result if the disorder is not treated effectively." (SPD Foundation website)

There is a growing body of research on SPD, no doubt made more comprehensive by advances in brain imaging. But what brings an issue to the forefront sometimes is not research but the reporting of research.

SPD may be following a similar path. Articles in mainstream sources like Time Magazine and the New York Times have raised awareness in the general public. I tend to think that in ten years, SPD will be seen, as the Time article suggests, as the next Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is good news and bad news. A diagnosis of ADD or ADHD can have positive results for families and children so diagnosed. There are many strategies associated with the field that have been helpful to many people. The problem arises when a term or diagnosis becomes a catch-phrase that is either too broadly applied or used as an excuse.

Attentional issues exist on a continuum - the child who exhibits classic ADHD symptoms during story time may be able to sit with a box of Legos for hours. Internal and external environmental issues greatly influence the appearance, severity and duration of ADHD symptoms.

This may well turn out to be true of SPD, in which case mis-diagnosis may be followed by backlash. In the meantime though, occupational therapy looks to be a career path with very solid prospects.