Pediatric Motor Activity Centers, Sensory Activities For Toddlers, Vestibular Stimulation

What are Pediatric Motor Activity Centers?

Pediatric motor activity centers help kids with sensory processing disorder by stimulating their senses in various ways. This can be accomplished through tactile, visual, and auditory stimulation. It allows the child to play and interact with activities at their own pace and skill level. Having the same activities and toys available can help keep consistency and repetition around the child for their comfort. As they progress through the same activities, it can help build their self-confidence, security and comfort levels.

What is Sensory Processing Disorder?

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a condition when information from the different senses is not properly processed in order to provide appropriate responses to the surrounding environment. These senses are sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. The senses provide information from various methods that people need to function, such as visual, tactile, olfactory, auditory, taste, vestibular, and proprioception (sense of body/joint movement and knowing where the body is in space). It is characterized by significant problems to organize sensation coming from the environment and the body. It is manifested by difficulties in the performance of one or more of the main areas of life, such as productivity, activities of daily living, and leisure and play. With processing input coming from a variety of senses, different people may experience a wide range of difficulties.

Sensory processing disorders are classified into three broad categories. They are sensory modulation disorder, sensory based motor disorder, and sensory discrimination disorder. Sensory modulation disorder refers to those who have difficulty processing the degree of duration, frequency or intensity of information. They may show behavior with an anxious and/or fearful pattern, stubborn and/or negative behavior, creative or actively seeking sensation, or self-absorbed behavior that is difficult to engage with. Sensory based motor disorder shows actions that are disorganized as a result of incorrect processing of sensory information. This affects posture control, resulting in postural disorder and/or developmental coordination disorder. Sensory discrimination disorder is incorrect processing of sensory (visual or auditory) information. It may be seen as inattentiveness, poor school performance, and disorganization.

What are Signs and Symptoms of SPD?

Sensory processing difficulties have obvious symptoms. They can manifest in over- and under-responsiveness, or signs in poor movement and balance. All children and adults demonstrate some symptoms of SPD. But, they may require professional intervention when the symptoms are disrupting the child’s ability to function and carry out day to day life. In many cases, symptoms can be in more than one area, but they can also be in a single area as well.

Some symptoms can encompass not being able to tolerate certain socks or clothing, being splashed with water, getting the hands dirty or messy, or being touched or the possibility of being touched by others. Food tastes and textures may also be a problem, causing a child to have difficulty changing from baby foods, unable to try new foods, or having a very limited diet. They may have difficulty talking or communicating, paying attention, or tolerating unexpected or loud noises. Babies may not want to be held firmly or not like being held, have difficulty sleeping or may be highly irritable, along with a need to be in constant motion or can’t tolerate movement.

A child may have difficulty tolerating new situations or new people, or any changes in their routine, plans, or expectations. They may have challenges with sports and motor activities, such as being clumsy and bumping into things, therefore causing them to avoid sports and physical activities. In a classroom setting, a child may seek opportunities to leave the class, be easily distracted, be in constant motion, unable to organize themselves or complete work, have difficulty staying in a chair, difficulty with writing, chewing on objects or fidgeting, or develop headaches or stomachaches.

What Causes SPD?

The brain stem and mid-brain regions of the central nervous system are early centers in the processing pathway for multisensory integration (combining the information from the senses). These regions are involved in coordination, arousal, attention, and independent function. After the information passes through these centers, it is then directed to brain regions that are responsible for memory, emotions, and higher level cognitive functions. Sensory processing disorders do not only affect reaction and interpretation to stimuli at the midbrain areas, but also impact several higher functions. Damage in any part of the brain that is involved in multisensory processing can cause difficulties to properly process stimuli in a functional way.

How is SPD Diagnosed?

Diagnosing SPD is mainly arrived at by the use of standardized questionnaires, standardized tests, expert observational scales, and free play observation. Observation of functional activities can be done at home and at school, also. Some scales that are not used exclusively in SPD evaluations are used to measure function, visual perception, neurology, and motor skills. Diagnosis can be made by different professionals, such as psychologists, occupational therapists, learning specialists, speech and language therapists, and/or physiotherapists. Some diagnoses that often have sensory processing difficulties are autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, attachment disorder, and fragile X syndrome.

Can SPD Affect the Elderly?

The aging population faces many losses and issues when they have to move into a nursing home atmosphere. They may show feelings of anxiety and stress associated with the loss of personal possessions, displacement from daily roles, and discontent or disorientation from the new living situation. The changes in their preferred patterns of behavior and routine are often not under their control. The process of loss cannot be reversed, but substitution of new interests and roles can be introduced to minimize the emotional upheaval they go through. Multi-sensory activities can help increase and maintain self-esteem, personal identity, continued social confidence and interaction. It can decrease the feelings of isolation, anxiety, stress and depression, and increase and maintain control and empowerment. For those with Alzheimer’s or dementia, multi-sensory activities can help calm agitated behavior, improve declining speech, help them from wandering aimlessly, calm aggressive and challenging behaviors, or help sleep disturbances.

Can SPD be Cured?

There is no cure for sensory processing disorders, but rather the development of detours in the processing of sensory information. This allows for more optimal performance. For most people, sensory processing is part of who they are, their temperament and skill level, and their ability to develop appropriate strategies. For children with a more significant processing weakness, they do not understand why they do not feel “just right”. Through their behavior, they get attention to help them develop the appropriate strategies for their success. Through consistency of experiencing proper processing and development of skill, sensory processing can improve.

Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Co-Founder & CEO

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