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Sensory Processing Disorders and Self-Regulation Problems
Sensory processing disorders (SPDs) are problems with misinterpreting everyday sensory information such as touch, sound, taste, movement and smells. At the hypersensitivity end, this can lead to the person becoming easily overwhelmed by seemingly normal sensations of touch, sound or other senses. Behaviours like rage, tantrums, anxiety or avoidance may result. At the other extreme, hyposensitive or under-sensitive individuals may inappropriately seek out excess sensory stimuli such as movement, touch and sound.
1. Interactive Metronome (IM)
Interactive Metronome® (IM) is a therapeutic brain training program that helps people with timing, attention, impulse control, coordination and regulation.
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2. Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
The Safe and Sound Protocol, developed by Dr. Porges, is a five-day intervention designed to reduce stress and auditory sensitivity while enhancing capacity for social engagement and emotional resilience. It is an auditory intervention (distinct from auditory integration training) where the person wears headphones that play specially formulated music for up to one hour on five consecutive days. It can be done in the office of a trained clinician (e.g. occupational therapist) or in the comfort of the person's home.
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3. Visual Stress
Visual stress is a visual perceptual processing condition that affects how visual information is interpreted by the brain and interferes with reading, attention, coordination, general health and behaviour. This is different from problems involving sight or sharpness of vision and can occur despite normal vision. Classic symptoms include light sensitivity, headaches from reading, and problems reading because the white “page appears too bright” or the words appear to be "moving, flashing, or jumping on the page". As reading is such a key skill for school and life in general, problems with reading can thus lead to significant impairment. The good news is that appropriate intervention can make a significant improvement and for many individuals, one of the interventions is as simple as specific colour filters.
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