Smita ( 5 years)
Smita is cute gal who used to enjoy mother’s touch as a newborn. Whenever her mother held her near the chest for breast feeding she always giggled with sparkling eyes at her. But the scene changed with time. Smita didn’t liked to be held by anyone in the house. She started crying whenever her father wanted to hug. She seemed to be super cranky whenever her aunt, cousin sister tried to kiss her on cheeks or hug. Smita seem to be more happy in her own world. Smita’s odd reactions to some clothes, her stubborn attitude for wearing same dress again and again puzzled her mom lot! Finally her mom took her to pediatrician where she was diagnosed with SPD with Tactile Hypersensitivity!
Tactile (Touch) Sense and SPD:
Tactile system involves everything related to what we feel on our skin. It involves the nerves which are located under the skin surfaces which send information to the brain. This information includes light touch, pain, temperature, and pressure. These play an important role in perceiving the environment as well as protective reactions.
When child with SPD have immature and improperly working tactile system, the abnormal neural signals from nerves are sent to the brain which can interfere with other brain processes. This, in turn, causes the brain to be overly stimulated and may lead to excessive brain activity, which can neither be turned off nor organized. This type of over-stimulation in the brain can make it difficult for an individual to organize one’s behavior and concentrate and may lead to a negative emotional response to touch sensations.
The tactile processing deficits may manifest into tactile hypersensitivity (defensiveness/ over responsitiity) or the hyposensitivity/ under sensitivity.
Tactile Hypersensitivity:
Tactile sensitivity or hypersensitivity is an unusual or increased sensitivity to touch that makes the person feel peculiar, uncomfortable, unbearable, or even in pain. It is also called tactile defensiveness or tactile over-sensitivity. Like other sensory processing issues, tactile sensitivity can run from mild to severe. For these individuals, touch makes the person feel overwhelmed and often leads to avoiding touch when possible. They may be sent into fight or flight over very small, everyday touch sensations.
Following are some typical characteristics of tactile hypersensitivity.
Withdrawing when being touched,Dislikes kisses, hugs.
Dislikes rough clothes, tags, and/or seams in socks.
Fearful of large crowd.Refusing to eat certain ‘textured’ foods and/or to wear certain types of clothing.
Complaining about having one’s hair or face washed.
Avoiding messy play in which one’s hands get dirty (i.e., glue, sand, mud, finger-paint),
Using one’s finger tips rather than whole hands to manipulate objects.
Mis-perception of touch and/or pain (hyper- or hypo-sensitive) and may lead to self-imposed isolation, general irritability, distracted behavior
Persistently walks on toes to avoid sensory input from the bottom of the feet.Refuse to walk bare-feet.
Hates haircuts.
Tactile Hypo-sensitivity
It’s important to note that there are also individuals who have tactile under-sensitivity, also called tactile under-responsiveness.
Those who are hypo-sensitive to tactile input are underwhelmed by the world around them and seek out additional sensory information to feel content.
They can’t feel large changes in temperature or wind on their body etc.
Seeking out surfaces and textures that provide strong tactile feedback.
Prefers tight clothing.
Decreased awareness of being touched or bumped unless done with extreme force or intensity.
Decreased awareness to pain and temperature.
Decreased awareness of dirty hands or face.
Often hurts others or pets while playing without knowing it.
Repetitively touching soothing objects.
Enjoys and seeks out messy play.
Enjoys spinning for extended periods of time, and can do so without getting dizzy.
Constantly mouths objects
May crave for strong flavors.
Low impulse control craves to touch everything.
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