Sensory issues are very, very real to the child experiencing them! However, “sensory processing disorder” is currently a therapeutic diagnosis, not a medical one. It may be included as a separate and distinct disorder in the next (fifth) edition of the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders that the medical community uses to label disorders. A child with sensory processing disorder (SPD) does not necessarily have autism.

Many occupational therapists and pediatric neurologists recognize sensory issues as a distinct disorder and are able to evaluate and diagnose sensory processing disorder (SPD). Knowing that your child has SPD empowers you, the parent, to give him the help he needs to be more comfortable in his body and in his world so that he is better able to function, cooperate with others, focus on learning, and enjoy making friends with other children.

There is NO medication designed to treat SPD. It’s important to look at the sensory piece before medicating a child for symptoms that appear on the surface to be caused by an anxiety disorder or ADHD. The child may have those problems, but it may also be that he’s simply exhibiting symptoms of SPD that can be effectively addressed without medication.

Common Signs of Sensory Processing Issues

Is Sensory Processing Disorder "Real"? Yes!

Explore Your Child's Unique Sensory Portrait

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