By Sivonna Stringham, Resident in Counseling
The month of October isn’t just known for its pumpkin spice, cold, crisp days, and spooky season; October is also known as Sensory Processing Awareness Month. This month is about bringing awareness to people who may have heightened senses/sensory processing and have more sensitivity with their surroundings. What exactly is Sensory Processing Disorder or SPD and what does it look like? According to Family Doctor, Sensory Processing Disorder is a “condition that affects how your brain processes sensory information (stimuli). Sensory information includes things you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. [It] can affect all your senses or just one.”
Signs and Symptoms of SPD
The website, familydoctor.org explains what the symptoms look like for Sensory Processing Disorder, as well as what people with the diagnosis can experience on a regular basis. Symptoms can include: an aversion to coarse or itchy clothing and certain food texture, sensitivity to bright, loud sounds, and poor balance or coordination (familydoctor.org). Sometimes people that have sensory sensitivities can also miss out on social cues, difficulty with recognizing personal space, chewing on things (hands, clothing, etc.), and difficulty sitting still (familydoctor.org).
Increasing Awareness
If someone you know struggles with Sensory Processing Disorder, one of the questions that may come up is how to bring awareness or become more aware yourself. Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support came up with a list of things for people to do to increase awareness. From utilizing social media to learning more about the topic itself, participating in events or starting events yourself, or even wearing the colors orange and blue to show support will help bring more attention to the topic and the people that experience a “sensory overload” on a regular basis.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, it’s important to recognize that while people may experience sensory sensitivities, everyone is different and people can respond differently with their sensitivities. The Autism Academy School states that while something may cause someone to experience an emotional response due to sensitivity overload, another may experience a soothing response. Another thing to remember is to be patient with those experiencing these sensitivities and also be patient with yourself as you continue to learn and show support for those you care for.
References
https://familydoctor.org/condition/sensory-processing-disorder-
spd/#:~:text=What%20is%20sensory%20processing%20disorder,your%20senses%2C%20or%20just%20one.
https://sensoryprocessingdisorderparentsupport.com/28-ways-to-spread-spd-awareness