Marion Wilm

Poor Grace! The little girl in this picture is obviously not having much fun on the day of the Royal Wedding in London. As reported, she did not like the noise of the crowds during the carriage ride from the church to the palace and again during this balcony scene. She is obviously experiencing sensory overload from all of the noise. You can see from her facial expression and her response of covering her ears that she has had enough. I am certainly not diagnosing Grace as having sensory issues based on this one incident; however, for many "sensational kids", this type of behavior happens everyday.

Children with Sensory Processing Dysfunction (SPD) don't process sensations the way other people's brains do. Sensations may appear much stronger for them and sensory overload occurs much faster than in others. They may then have tantrums or meltdowns, become shy or withdrawn, and avoid activities that others enjoy. If you notice this type of behavior in your child on a daily basis or it starts to interfere with life (i.e. refusal to attend birthday parties, fear of school, avoids loud places such as church, supermarkets, or malls) then your child might benefit from Sensory Integration Therapy provided by an occupational therapist. 

See more information on SPD at www.SPDFoundation.net or contact us at Child and Family Development in Charlotte, NC.