Sensory Processing Disorder

A neurological disorder (also known as "sensory integration dysfunction") that is characterized by the brain's inability to organize information about one's own body and the world that is obtained through the five senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch). Difficulties may also affect the proprioceptive system which provides a sense of the position of the body in space and the vestibular system which provides a sense of how the body is moving even when the eyes are closed. Depending on the form the disorder takes, symptoms may include oversensitivity to touch, movement, sights or sounds; lack of reaction to external stimuli including an inadequate response to pain or temperature extremes; unusually high or low activity level; lack of coordination/motor clumsiness; and behavioral problems. SPD is often associated with other diagnoses such as learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorders, language impairments, anxiety disorders, depression and behavioral disorders. Its status as a diagnosis in its own right has yet to be universally accepted.