Information

So I should probably start a whole new blog about this, but my goal is to not let it define Shane- so if there's anything interesting that I find out I will probably just share it here so it's not so concentrated.

I lucked out, as I read more about SID (Sensory Integration Dysfunction) it was reminding me of the tiny bit I remembered about some struggles that my brother and sister-in-law were going through a number of years back. I wrote them and my wonderful sister Tonya, was right there with information, explanations and tons of support. So for those that don't know Ken and Tonya and thier kids, or those that don't remember what the deal was... here's some information...

(Tonya wrote most of it, I just rearranged and changed some examples)

Every one in the world has some form of SID. Me; I hate clothing around my neck- crew and turtle-necks. I have a friend that can’t handle ground meat (imagine a life without cheeseburgers; ugh!) SID becomes a problem when the Sensory Dysfunction over rides the other things that your brain is trying to do.

The simple breakdown: The brain is sent millions of signals every second from everywhere in our bodies. Every nerve has a job to let the brain know what it is doing. Examples are pressure under our feet, pressure under our butt if we are sitting. Are we up right, are we down, are we falling...how bright it is outside, how dark it is inside, bright colors, dull colors, too much sound, buzzing background sounds, wind, cold, hot, sour, sweet, stinky, fragrant, wet, dry, rough, smooth, sharp, dull....all of this stuff has to be prioritized by the brain in a way so that we recognize what is important, and what is just background "stuff."

With Sensory "integration" dysfunction the brain has a hard time prioritizing the input. It can also have a hard time disregarding unnecessary input. The integration of all the information gets mixed up, or jammed up and the jamming factor becomes the focus. It can be slight to severe, depending on the input, the jam up, the individual, and if they are trying to cope with other things on top of it all. All of our senses: hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch, and proprireceptive (where our bodies are in space) play into it. It is even harder for people who have ADHD, autism, and a list of other "disabilities" because these conditions make it even more difficult for the brain to focus on the important input.

For another example, Shane’s cousin, Daniel, is very sensitive to sound, always has been. Going to a movie is literally painful for him. If the volume is too high that is all that he can think about, not the movie - just how loud it is. They take the old fashioned type of head phones for him so that the sound is muted to a level that is acceptable for him. Daniel and his sister are both sensitive to light as well. All of the pictures from when they are little have them looking away from the camera. They aren't able to handle the flash.

We're still figuring out all that Shane has issue with. Luckily, it's one of those parts of life that most of it we were working around already. Like Shane's aversion to lumps in his yogurt. There are others that will take some figuring out, but now that we understand where the trouble comes from, we can stop tormenting Shane by forceing it. Like his bath times- hopefully he'll outgrow that trouble 'cause it's got me stumped.