ADHD: The Disconnection of Senses and Body Movement

Sensory integration involves the ability of each of us to incorporate our senses, that of touch, taste, smell, hearing and seeing, into feelings, comprehension and, from there, organization. It is our ability to utilize our sensory integration and, from there, sort the information into a logical sequence within our brains.

For individuals who suffer from neurological complications, such as ADHD, sensory integration is often impaired. In other words, the presence of a neurological disorder, often, will result in the individual finding great difficulty in sorting, organizing and processing the various senses simultaneously.

When caring for an individual who suffers from ADHD, therefore, it is important to recognize the various spectrums of complicated sensory processing which may be affected. First, there could a complication of the sensory registration. In this complication, of the ADHD child, the senses are either lethargic or hypersensitive, sending either message to the brain. As a result, the senses of movement or touch will be enhanced to either extreme; both very lethargic, and slow to respond, or hyperactive.

Beyond sensory registration, many ADHD children also suffer from a sensory integration complication known as sensory modulation. In this situation, the senses, while functioning, are interpreted incorrectly by the ADHD individual. As a result, an individual who suffers from ADHD may find great challenge and difficulty in facing change in their lives and will commonly respond with very hyperactive response or even detach and withdraw themselves.

And, finally, there could be a deficit in sensory response. Quite simply, this is the stage in which the child's senses are stimulated, processed correctly by the brain and then the motor, both gross and fine, skills are impaired and do not correlate with the event. In these deficiencies of sensory integration, the ADHD child will often find great difficulty in controlling body movements.