Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — As is the case with most people, I learned in elementary school all about our five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. So you can imagine it came as quite a surprise when I learned five months ago we actually have seven senses.
That’s right, seven. And it turns out these other two senses — vestibular and proprioception — are really important.
Vestibules are located in the inner ear and detect motion and balance. Proprioceptive receptors are located in the joints, tendons and muscles all over the body and help detect movement and spatial orientation.
October is National Sensory Awareness Month, and I want to share a little about what led me to this seven-senses discovery and how it has dramatically impacted my family for the better.
The back story
More than six years ago I gave birth to my second child, a beautiful baby boy. There are few things sweeter than an infant, especially one's own infant. I held him and inhaled him. Oh, this boy of mine! He had my heart that day.
Quickly my blue-eyed baby became a “hard” baby. I hate to label him. I’m not sure I even knew how tough he was at the time. I just came to realize how “easy” my daughter had been.
"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."
My little man had a bad case of reflux. He ate and puked all day. I nursed and re-nursed him continuously. He could only fall asleep with my husband rocking him in a dark room while he sang “Battle Hymn of the Republic” — true story. My little man only stayed asleep in his swing, having it rock him all night long.
When he was a toddler, we struggled with temper tantrums. These tantrums were overboard and extreme. Everything sent him over the edge: having his hair cut, nails clipped, teeth brushed, shoes put on, even being held the wrong way.
I had to cut his toast the right way and stir the chocolate milk correctly. He craved anything sugary, spicy or crunchy. I’d find his little 3-year-old body scaling the pantry to reach what he wanted.
I worried about him playing with friends. There was frequent biting and hitting. He was kicked out of nursery class in church once.
I thought we was “just a boy” and tried to have the energy and patience I needed to be his mom. Then I had my twin sons. The two of them together were easier than my first son.
As a preschooler, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself. He was constantly getting into trouble and bothering people. He understood the concept of personal space but could never apply it. His amount of energy was intense. I felt we argued and yelled and screamed at each other all day long, which is sad because he’s such an amazing kid.
To make a really long story short, I feared he’d fail in the public school system, even in life. I sought answers, and thanks to a tip from my brother, my son was eventually diagnosed with moderate Sensory Processing Disorder.
All about Sensory Processing Disorder
You see, not all brains process all seven senses equally.
According to the Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) Foundation, a worldwide charity dedicated to SPD research, education and advocacy, “ SPD is a brain condition that affects more children than ADHD or autism but is much less known, a situation that leads to the misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment of untold numbers of children every year.”
Research by the foundation indicates that at least one in every 20 children experiences symptoms of SPD that are significant enough to affect the child's ability to participate in everyday life. Turns out my son was that one in 20.
It’s still not an easy road. We see an occupational therapist to help us with a sensory diet for him, making sure he gets the sensory input he needs to function at his best. Some days are still really hard, but the good days are really good. Yesterday I pulled his first-quarter report card out of his backpack and saw that he got nearly all A's. I actually cried a little.
He’s excelling in his Spanish-immersion kindergarten class and brings humor and brilliance to our family like no one else can. I finally speak my son’s language and understand him in a way I never did before.
To see pictures and read my full account of discovering Sensory Processing Disorder, visit my website, MOMentity.
*
Nicole Carpenter is the founder of www.MOMentity.com and the creator of Define Your Time eCourse. is a professional speaker and mentor for mompreneuers. Nicole and her husband are raising four children, 8 years and younger, including twin toddlers.*
