Joey (Age 10)
Joey’s mom was getting frustrated with complaints from Joey’s teachers about his behavior. School was a bit of struggle ~ Joey’s family knew he was smart but his grades were not reflecting his abilities. The evaluation revealed problems with sensory processing – visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive, and vestibular systems. You may be thinking – so what does that mean? With these systems not working well, Joey experienced the following (not inclusive of all problems):
• He got agitated at school in the hallways and gets sweaty and complains in crowded situations
• He had trouble following 2 and 3 step commands
• He didn’t respond well to verbal cues
• He was easily distracted by noises and heard noises that others didn’t notice
• He often lost his place while reading and fatigued easily with reading
• He had a strong visual memory
• He hesitated going up and down stairs
• He had difficulty copying from the blackboard
• He was a very slow eater
The good news is, with treatment, Joey is able to focus for longer periods, homework time is becoming less stressful, and there are less complaints from his teachers.
Chris (Age 13)
Chris’ parents were worried about Chris because he always seemed tired. He had trouble concentrating. He never wanted to play sports. He didn’t do much when he got home from school.
His evaluation revealed problems with visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular processing. With these sensory processing challenges, Chris experienced the following (not inclusive of all problems):
• He was very sensitive to pain, more so than others
• He was excessively ticklish
• He had trouble listening or concentrating with background noise
• He had some difficulties with balance
• He was a “slumper” – he had poor posture and slumps in the chair
• He tired easily with physical activity or writing
• He had difficulty finding objects in a pocket or backpack without looking
• He had a hard time following directions
• He had a hard time with handwriting
The good news is, within the first month of care, Chris was able to focus for longer periods and was finishing his homework faster.
***All names changed to protect patient privacy.
Neurosensory Integration and The Childhood Joy of Riding a Bike
