I've never heard of this and I'm curious to what it is.

Sensory Integration Dysfunction is the inability of the brain to correctly process information brought in by the senses. Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID/DSI) or sensory processing deficits can come in many different forms. No two children will be affected in the same ways. SID/DSI was first noticed in children with autism or who had autistic traits but is also seen in children with other disabilities such as cerebral palsy or ADD/ADHD or can be present by itself. Children can have mild, moderate or severe SI deficits. SID/DSI is treatable with therapy and a sensory diet set up by an occupational therapist who is trained in SI.

Children with SID/DSI can be either hyposensitive or hypersensitive to outside stimuli. For example a child who is hyposensitive to touch will constantly be crashing into things seeking extra stimulation while the hypersensitive child will avoid being touched or touching things when at all possible. SID/DSI can also include children who have processing deficits in one or more areas. Visual and auditory processing deficits are noticed in children with cerebral palsy quite often. When a child has a visual processing deficit, it does not mean that they cannot see. It means that they have a hard time finding the words for objects they are viewing or, if asked to go get an object, they might look right at it and then say they can't find it. This is because they are seeing it but their brains are not processing that they are seeing it. Auditory processing deficits are the same, the child hears what you say but the brain does not process it so the child understands or it takes several minutes for what you have said to "click" with the child. One way to help with auditory processing deficits is to break down instructions, giving them one thing at a time to do. Let them finish the first task before you give them another instruction. Listening or music therapy can also help with auditory processing deficits. Below is a list of other behaviors exibited by children with SID/DSI:

Loves to spin, swing and jump--this will seem to calm them down after several minutes.

Complains of how clothing feels, does not like tags left in their clothing and have to have their socks on just so, or a certain kind of sock.

Picky eaters--get stuck on one certain food and is basically impossible to get them to eat anything else.

Oversensitivity to smells. Or undersensitivity--may sniff people, objects, food.

Oversensitivity to sounds--will frequently cover ears. Or undersensivity.

May have an exceptionally high pain tolerance

May tire easily

Unusually high or low activity level

Resists new situations

Problems with muscle tone, coordination, motor planning

Can be very impulsive or distractible.

Persistently walks on toes to avoid sensory input from the bottom of the feet. This can also be a sign of cerebral palsy if the child is unable to bring their feet down flat when asked or trying.

These are just a few of the symptoms that children with SID/DSI can exhibit.

* The above text was almost completely copied from: http://www.geocities.com/~kasmom/sid.html

My son has Sensory Integration Dysfunction. He may actually have Aspergers Syndrome and we are in the process of trying to get him seen at the M.I.N.D. Institute at UC Davis. Hopefully we will get to a doctor qualified to deal in this soon, it has been a long road of medical redtape!!

Anyone on this board have a child with Aspergers Syndrome?

Auditory processing deficits are the same, the child hears what you say but the brain does not process it so the child understands or it takes several minutes for what you have said to "click" with the child.

This is me, for sure. It has ALWAYS been a problem for me. Consequently, I always received "does not listen and follow directions" on my report card in school.

Even today, it is one hell of a struggle. And people are MUCH less tolerant of your not 'getting it' as an adult and the consequences can be quite unpleasant. It is often a very painful disorder.

Hmmm, I was about to post that my walking on the balls of my feet when I was younger was more a result of my constant "fight or flight" readiness due to my abuse at the hands of my father when I was younger, then I remembered I hate having the tags in my clothes...

It drove my mom crazy that I wouldn't stop walking on the balls of my feet. She told me all about how bad it was for my feet, my knees, my back, etc. I knew she was right, but walking any other way just didn't feel right. Also can't stand tags, scratchy clothes, turtlenecks, high-pitched noises ... Now I see all this and more in my 5-y.o., too.

I am seriously affected by certain touches, sounds, tastes, smells too... I can't stand people being in my body space... my wife and son I have learned to tolerate for the most part, but sometimes I need to back them off too.

I have never been able to tolerate any clothing or hair on my throat/neck or my forehead either. And I react with involuntary violence to any attempt to tickle me.

My wife is EXTREMELY sensitive to scent. Cat litter, perfume, cleaning chemicals all drive her out of the room... she cannot tolerate them at all. Deep bass rumbling sounds do the same thing to her - instant headache.

My son has almost the opposite - noise, motion, physical touch all thrill him, he seems addicted to them...

a few years ago, and even last year, i went through a few periods of walking on the balls of my feet.

i often have the visual DSI when looking for soemthing. after i find the thing, i think to myself how STUPID i am for not seeing it when it was literally right infront of me.

sometimes i can be HOLDING soemthing, and i look for it for 10 minutes until i click and realise "hey... im holding this thing!"

i have slight auditory DSI also
- often i dont hear / i miss something that is said, so i say "what?" asking for repetition. as soon as i have said this, i 'hear' what it said, before the person repeats is for me.
- often i will hear all the words, but i wont hear them in the right order, and / or i just wont be able to make any sense whatsoever of the meaning.. i just cant get ANY meaning out of it.

with the visual also.... i dont know if its anything to do with this, i will often look at something like a sign or a short phrase, and the words will all LOOK completely scrambled, or i will actually SEE different words than are there.

My 5 yr old son is very much the same way. He has auditory sensitivities for the most part. He is often seen covering his ears; is always asking to repeat yourself even if he 'hears' you .. in fact, it just dawned on me about what you said about the delayed processing. I've asked him many times, "Why do you always ask me to repeat myself when you know what I said??" I think it's because between him asking and me telling, he's already processed what's been said. So thank you for this tidbit. It never occured to me.

He also has issues with motion; water poured over his head in a bath; transitions; skin sensitivities - often complains I 'scrub' him too hard in bath time; water temperatures. Baths are usually luke warm. I'm glad I found this site.

what is SID?
three times a day in reference to meds

My understanding is that the original research of Jane Ayer's, the "discoverer" of SID, has only been replicated by her grad students.

As such, it remains an unproven theoretical construct.

This is a perfect example where I disagree with the idea that it doesn't exist, because I clearly have whatever it is (or isn"t), and have been thru OT (Occupational Therapy ) twice as an adult.

By the same token, I also know that unless and until those data are substantiated, that the above statement remains true.

I'm highly suspected of having SID and I'm only just finding out about it myself

I found this very interesting http://www.incrediblehorizons.com/sensory-integration.htm (http://www.incrediblehorizons.com/sensory-integration.htm)