Capturing Attention of Children with Sensory Processing Deficits

Children who show signs of Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) often have problems with paying attention.

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Sensory Processing Issues – Part 2

Children with Modulation Disorders Challenges with  behavior often result when a child is unable to cope with responses to sensory input.  This may happen when sensory input seems to be overwhelming to the child.  Frequently, the behavior may be due to a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).  The condition is referred to as a type of SPD called a  modulation disorder. “Sensory Modulation Disorder” is

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Sensory Processing Issues: Part 1

What is Sensory Processing? The term “Sensory Processing” generally refers to specialized activities of the nervous system.  These specialized activities are triggered whenever sensory organs or their pathways are stimulated within the body. However, when this term is applied to children who have issues with child development, the term usually refers to Sensory Processing Disorders. Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) is a medical condition that

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Sensory Processing Disorders and School Performance

Children with Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) tend to have issues that influence school performance.  The areas of difficulty shown in school tend to imitate the three major areas shown in the various types of Sensory Processing Disorders. One major type of difficulty shown in school among children with SPD is that of difficulty  managing their level of energy.  This is commonly referred to as

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Essential Summer Activities for Children with SPD

Children with sensory processing issues are often smart and repeat what they do well. However, they also often avoid activities that are new or challenging. In this way the child tends to curb learning from experience.  Using a plan for well-balanced play during the summer months can be helpful to offset this tendency. Ongoing growth of the child with SPD can be helped by

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Coordination First Steps: Motor Planning

The first phase of coordination may be described as  motor planning.  The first steps of motor planning include: Planning what steps to take Planning what sequence or order in which to organize the steps Using vision or visualization to guide the motor steps taken Coordination requires preparing the body for the first steps, or motor planning the activity.  Motor planning also requires following through with

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Coordination and Body Awareness during Growth Spurts

Generally speaking, motor coordination and body awareness work together. Body awareness is the ability to understand how and where  body parts are positioned as needed to plan and carry out motor activities.   When joints and muscles of the body provide the brain with consistent sensory input,  the brain is able to guide and direct their moves.  However, during growth spurts, sensory input tends to become uneven

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Sensory Processing Disorders and Visual Perception

Concepts explored in this post: Functional Vision: Integrating vision with motor skills and language Dorsal Stream – integrating vision with motor skills Ventral Stream – integrating vision with language skills Ocular Motility: Coordinating movements of the eyeballs Fixations, Visual Tracking, Visual Pursuits Visual Association: Motor free visual perceptual skills impacting Social skills Visual discrimination (i.e., letters, numbers) Children with Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) often

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Visual Motor Skills

The term “Visual Motor Skills”  refers to the ability to mix visual information with motor output.  For the most part, the term includes the ability to coordinate moves of the eyeballs with those of the arms and hands or legs and feet.  Also, moves of the  midsection to position the body may be involved.   The ability to make sense of visual information prepares the

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Coordination of Motor Skills: Planning and Sequencing

Planning the steps Sequencing the steps Making mid-course corrections Impacts math, handwriting, and reading skills The term “motor coordination” generally refers to the ability to think through and carry out an activity that requires a  series of movements. Meanwhile, the terms  “Motor Planning” and “Motor Sequencing” refer to the ability to plan the moves and to carry them out in order.  Coordination of motor

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