Have you heard about sensory processing disorder (SPD)? Neither had I until I read this article in the most recent issue of Time Magazine. It’s no wonder… In PsycINFO, the psychological research database, only 29 citations were noted for this disorder, while MEDLINE found 8 articles for “sensory integration dysfunction” (another common term to reference this concern). Not all of the citations were studies (some were book chapters, book reviews, dissertations and foreign-language journal articles).

One of the studies in PsycINFO was a review paper published in the Journal of Optometric Vision Development, suggesting that “delayed vestibular maturation correlates significantly with sensory integration dysfunctions” (Solan, 2007). So there may be at least a small number of cases where such problems are medically related or caused. It doesn’t appear that this is a common consideration amongst many occupational therapists who see and treat this concern (according to the article). Others may consider this an autism spectrum disorder, something that is already pretty well-captured in the world of autism and related research.

The other issue is that typically you’d be looking at a new diagnostic category to have a hundred or more research studies, at least a few of which would be in the “rigorous” category, before something is considered for inclusion as an official diagnosis. So while I find this article fascinating as a look into one of those rare childhood concerns (notwithstanding the 1 in 20 number quoted in the article, which was pulled from a single study that sent surveys to parents asking them about their child at a single point in time), I won’t be too worried that practitioners will see a new epidemic of these disorders like they did with ADHD in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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University Update - ADHD - The Next ADHD? Sensory Processing Disorder (12/3/2007)

    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 3 Dec 2007
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