Impact of SPD on Children’s Behavior
Sensory processing disorder (SPD) disrupts the child’s ability to adequately interpret the meaning of sensations and make accurate sense of and respond appropriately to the environment. As a result, they often feel confused, disorganized, frustrated, unsure, and helpless to get their needs met. This causes them to become withdrawn, aggressive, volatile, or difficult. Such behavior commonly gets misinterpreted as deliberate misbehavior, naughtiness, manipulation, or not trying hard enough.

Many will be sent to the principal, the guidance counselor, the psychologist or psychiatrist who will give them a psychiatric diagnosis of anxiety, depression, ADHD or conduct disorder. This is unfortunate. Their behavior is not primaily psychologically driven, but neurologically and, in that moment, the most adaptive response they can muster to cope with sensory overstimulation, understimulation, physical instability, weakness, confusion, and often fear.

Here are some typical misdiagnoses in children:

Tucker is sweet and amiable one moment and the next pushing the children, screaming that they bumped into him and often bursting into tears. He refuses to use glue or play in the sand or mud or knead the dough when the class bakes bread. If his teacher tries to hug him, he stiffens.

His teacher thinks he’s emotionally immature. The pediatrician thinks he’s high strung and a late bloomer, though his language skills are good, and assures the parents he will calm down and catch up to the other children. His mother feels something else is wrong but she can’t put her finger on it. Why does he hate to be touched and recoil when she strokes him affectionately, she wonders, or scream when she tries to wash his hair or cut his nails? Why does he get hysterical when she tries to spin or swing him? And why does he easily loses his balance, bump into things, and still have problems buttoning his shirt?

Answer: Tucker has sensory processing disorder: He is tactile defensive, gravitationally insecure, and has poor fine motor coordination.

Sarah is bright but “lazy.” She slumps in her chair at school and barely seems awake often. Her teachers wonder if she’s getting enough sleep and if she’s being neglected at home. In fact, Sarah has a loving and caring family.

Answer: Sarah has sensory processing disorder: She has low muscle tone. Sitting upright in her seat and holding a pencil in her hand and writing takes great effort and easily exhausts her.

Tommy is a monster at home – bossy, immature, explosive and demanding, insisting that everyone do what he wants. The children won’t play with him and he spends most of his time in the rocking boat, rolling on the floor, or pushing up against the other children who push him away. He refuses to participate in group activities like circle time, or games like Simon Says, and avoids the blocks or activities requiring cutting, coloring or writing. His pediatrician has recommended that his parents set firm limits and put him on medication.

Answer: Tommy has sensory processing disorder: He has problems with motor coordination, vestibular (sense of balance) insecurity, and is under-responsive to sensation.

Common Behavioral Misinterpretations in Children

Stubborn: Suki refuses to put socks on.
Reason: The seams irritate her.

Manipulative: Latisha refuses to take a box up to the attic, saying that she has to do her homework.
Reason: Walking up the narrow stairway creates lightheadness and dizziness.

Aggressive: Tommy pushes away another child who gets too close or brushes against him.
Reason: The other’s touch or even the possibility of touch irritates him and may even cause panic.

Shy: Justin looks away when spoken to.
Reason: Eye contact feels overwhelming.

Hypochondriac: Kristina gets hysterical over a small cut or bump.
Reason: She feels pain intensely.

Picky: Denzel insists that all the bumps are taken out of the mashed potatoes.
Reason: The texture feels repulsive to him.

Attention getting: Latima flies under the dinner table.
Reason: She has an acute sense of smell and the smell of certain foods like broccoli or chicken makes her suddenly nauseous.

Spoiled: Toya insists on wearing overalls to the party.
Reason: She cannot tolerate the feel of her party dress on her skin. Temper

Tantrumming: Rachel loses it in the supermarket.
Reason: She feels overstimulated by the crowds, lights, noise and movement.

Crybaby: Gabriel gets hysterical when a balloon breaks.
Reason: The noise feels painful to his ears.

Grumpy: Abdul complains constantly.
Reason: Easily overwhelmed, he feels constantly uncomfortable.

Lazy: Maya refuses to get up from the couch and clean her room.
Reason: Low muscle tone makes it hard for her to get her body moving.

Disrespectful: Jetta ignores her grandmother’s request to get out of bed and clean her room.
Reason: Taken to fireworks the night before, she needs more sleep to re-organize her nervous system.

Party pooper: Madison wants to leave the birthday party early.
Reason: She feels overwhelmed by colors, lights, crowds, noise.

Not paying attention or listening: Sarah fails to follow the teacher’s directions and gets accused of daydreaming.
Reason: She is unable to process what is being said to her and zones out.

Off task: Anwar stacks the puzzle pieces rather than placing them in the puzzle.
Reason: He lacks the fine motor skills and visual processing to do so.

Cheating: Jordan looks at another child’s paper.
Reason: Unable to tease out figure from background, he is confused about the assignment and tries to figure out what he’s supposed to be doing.

Jabbering: Rafael chats away at the children around him, ignoring the paper assignment he’s supposed to be doing.
Reason: Unable to do the task-at-hand, he escapes into language.