Sensory processing disorder (SPD)

Lots of children find noise, light, touch, clothing, smells or movement much harder to cope with than other people expect. Some parents are told, or read, that this is sensory processing Sensory processing differences Some children take in sound, touch, taste, light and movement in their own way. They can feel some things far too much and others hardly at all. Read the full definition of Sensory processing differences disorder.

The difficulties are real and they are worth taking seriously. The label is the part that does not hold up formally. The National Autistic Society says that although sensory Sensory Needs One of the eight Assembly Dimensions. It covers how your child takes in sound, touch, taste, smell and movement, and how they react to it. Read the full definition of Sensory Needs processing disorder is not a formal diagnosis in the medical literature, sensory differences can be identified and support provided. NHS children's occupational therapy services put it the same way: it is not in the DSM-5, sensory differences are treated as something that shows up alongside other things rather than a diagnosis in itself, and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists does not support using SPD as a diagnostic label.

Sensory differences do count in an autism assessment Diagnostic assessment The appointments where specialists work out whether your child meets the criteria for a diagnosis, such as autism or ADHD. It is the step that can end with a diagnosis. Read the full definition of Diagnostic assessment . They are one of the things assessors look at, though a child does not have to have them to be autistic.

What this means for you is that asking for a diagnosis of SPD is unlikely to get anywhere, but asking for your child's sensory needs to be assessed and supported, usually by an occupational therapist Occupational therapist An occupational therapist helps with the practical everyday things a child needs to do: dressing, handwriting, using cutlery, coping at school. They work on the activity and the environment, not just the child. Read the full definition of Occupational therapist , is a normal and reasonable request.