Is there something you can’t stand eating because you can’t deal with the texture? (For me, that would be yogurt with fruit in it.) Do fingernails down a chalkboard freak you out? Does the potential of a balloon popping loudly make your heart pound? Well, these are all "sensory" issues and we all have them to some degree. For people whom these issues get in the way of living a positive everyday life, it is actually a disorder.

My little Madison is currently in the process of being diagnosed with "Sensory Integration Dysfunction" (SID for short). What I have learned about this is quite fascinating and something we can all relate to. There are many people out there with this disorder, and I thought you might be interested in learning more about it.

Madison diagnosis would be considered mild, but they are definitely getting in her way. Her sensory "issues" don’t affect her life too negatively, but we are starting to see how they might be getting worse and could eventually have a negative impact. They are small things that you might not notice unless you were overanalyzing her, which is something I do quite often. She can’t stand sitting on grass. We didn’t have to worry about her taking ornaments off of the Christmas tree because she wouldn’t dare touch the tree. Animals freak her out because she can’t deal with their fur. Brushing her teeth is a nightmare. She pulls her own hair out of her head to suck on it (now that’s a really weird one, I know - why do you think we got her hair cut?). These are all things she is overly (hyper) sensitive to. On the other hand, there are issues she is not sensitive enough to, which is also a problem (hypo-sensitive). An extremely loud, ground-shaking canon ball goes off at a Civil War re-enactment and she doesn’t even notice it (but her hearing is fine), the only way to soothe her is to rock her very intensely or bounce her up and down very strongly. If any sense is over-reactive or under-reactive to "normal" things it can be a sign of a problem. If she just had a few of these things (lots of kids don’t like to touch grass and don’t like their teeth being brushed), we wouldn’t think twice about it. Since there is quite a list, though, it is a red flag that there might actually be a problem. And, fortunately, there is something we can do about it.

So what do we do? But of course, even more therapy! There are therapy programs that specialize in sensory "issues". "Brighter Futures" in Modesto is probably where Madison would go for therapy if she were to be diagnosed. The therapists there help children successfully process sensory information through play. (Or so I’ve been told - I must do some more research before I act like an expert on sensory therapy.) I’ve learned that it can be quite helpful and beneficial. And just like with all of her therapy, the earlier we start it, the better the chance of positive results.

When I first heard of this, it sounded a bit wacky to me and I thought people were being over-analytical. But I have learned that this dysfunction can greatly affect (among many other things) a child’s motor skills, which is one of Madison’s greatest challenges. Is this related to her Cerebral Palsy? Did the CP cause the SID? Or did the SID cause CP? (Did the chicken come first?) Good questions, ones we might never now the answer to. But SID does, in many cases, go hand in hand with certain diagnosis, CP being one of them. (SID is also seen in a lot of Autism cases, too.)

So the next time you eat that gross yogurt with fruit-in-the-middle or go barefoot in the grass, you can think of my little girl and me. Think about your own life - I bet you, too, have a "sensory issue" about something!