The Out Of Sync Child Summary

Before reading “The Out-of-Sync Child,” I had some experience with Sensory Processing Disorder, but had not done appropriate research of the diagnosis for a deeper understanding. There are many different ways children may be affected with sensory processing disorder. All senses are potentially affected and some children may have a more severe case than others. The book defines SPD as “difficulty in the way the brain takes in, organizes and uses sensory information, causing a person to have problems interacting effectively in the everyday environment.” The senses that may be affected by SPD are the tactile sense, the vestibular sense, the proprioceptive sense, the visual sense, and the auditory sense. The book gives many examples of what SPD …show more content…
This is the sense responsible for letting us know if we are standing up or lying down. If we are in motion, the vestibular sense lets us know how fast or slowly we are going. The neck, eyes, and body all receive sensory messages in order to process and generate muscle tone so we are able to move effectively in the direction we desire at appropriate speeds. Children who have an out-of-sync vestibular sense will struggle to process gravity, balance, and movement in general. The over responsive child will resist moving on their own and being moved by another person. Moving too quickly is overwhelming and fearful due to lack of balance. A child who is under responsive will likely fall frequently due to a lack of gravitational awareness. The child will not mind being moved or moving himself/herself, but will be clumsy and unable to catch himself/herself by extending a hand should he/she fall. The vestibular sensory craver will always be on the move. The child will position themselves upside down or spin in circles. There is a thrill in quick and unexpected movements. The child will also have a short attention span when doing any activities, even ones that are preferred or …show more content…
Typically, we use the auditory sense to find the source of a sound, remember familiar sounds, put sounds in order, hear differences in sounds, and maintain focus. Children who have issues with the auditory sense will often have trouble discriminating sounds and have difficulties with receptive communication. A child who is over responsive to the auditory sense will avoid unexpected noises. Even noises that may be pleasurable to a typical child or adult will bother the over responsive child. The child may hear sounds that others cannot and sounds that seem passive may hurt the child’s ears. The child is able to hear everything around him/her and may react by raising his/her own voice to try to block out the sounds around him/her. The child who is under responsive will have little responses to sounds. Even when carrying on a conversation, the child may respond, but the response will be low volume. A child who craves sounds will enjoy loud noises as well as loud places. When the craver speaks, rather than a whisper, it will almost always be a loud