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QSTI RESEARCH PROJECT ON QST MASSAGE FOR CHILDREN WITH SENSORY SYMPTOMS
We are conducting a research project on Sensory children in 2017.
Please read the information below to decide if you and your child want to participate.
QSTI Sensory Kid project - Exploring solutions for your child
The Sensory Kid research project will collect information about symptom patterns in Sensory Kids and provide parents with a recommendation for QST massage. Dr. Silva or one of our master trainers will review the information and make a recommendation about which protocol to follow. We will check back with you after 3, 6, and 9 weeks to find out how the massage is going and help you troubleshoot any difficulties you are having giving it. This project is not for children already diagnosed with ASD or Down syndrome, as we already have done the research to show that children benefit from QST massage protocols for ASD or Down syndrome.
Registration
To receive acces to the online survey click on the yellow star at the top of this page. Dr. Silva or one of our master trainers will review your survey responses and reply back to you within one week. You will be notified to complete follow-up progress report surveys 3, 6, and 9 weeks after your initial survey is submitted.
What are sensory symptoms?
Most parents have experienced sensory symptoms at some point, usually as a response to fatigue and stress. Ordinary, everyday sound, light and touch become intense, harsh, irritating or uncomfortable. For example, you have had a long and tiring week, it is the end of the day and you still have a lot to do. Your system is in sensory overload: voices grate on your nerves, the light is too bright, your collar and shoes feel too tight, and your child pulling on you is irritating. Things that didn't bother you at the beginning of the week, bother you now. You might feel like snapping at someone, you might feel like crying, or you might feel like shutting down emotionally.
For most adults, sensory symptoms are an occasional event that is remedied with a good night's sleep. But when sensory symptoms appear in young children, they can be a sign of a more serious problem. There is a range of severity, and symptoms can be persistent.
When do sensory symptoms cause problems in young children?
Sensory symptoms cause problems in a young child when they happen every day. This is a sign that the child is consistently misinterpreting everyday sensations like touch, sound and movement. Things that feel normal and comfortable to the parent, feel uncomfortable or overwhelming to the child (the clothing is irritating, the texture of the food is unpleasant, the sound of a fan is frightening). As a result, the child reacts to normal things as if they were harmful and easily becomes distressed or overwhelmed. This is known as Sensory Processing Disorder. If difficulties persist for months and years, children's behavior and health suffer.
What kinds of problems do persistent sensory symptoms cause?
Sensory problems cause self-regulation problems. Young children need accurate information to learn, and when sensory information coming in from the world around them is misinterpreted, children find it difficult to learn how to regulate themselves appropriately according to what is going on around them. There are five main areas of difficulty:
What are some examples of self-regulation problems?
Can sensory problems also cause delay of development?
Yes, when sensory problems are severe and persistent, they can cause delay in any or all of the early developmental milestones: motor, self-help, social, communication and cognitive.
What do parents (and teachers) need to know about sensory problems?
Most parents don't know that sensory problems can be the underlying cause of behavior problems. It is important for parents to learn to recognize when sensory problems are causing behavior problems. Parents monitor whether their children are in danger and whether they are behaving properly; they provide the child with food, clothing, and an environment that Is safe. And so when these bases are covered, and parents see their child refuse to cooperate, they may not think of a sensory cause. They may think that the behavior is 'a bad choice', or 'bad behavior', or the child 'wants to do something else'.
Unfortunately when a parent or teacher tries to manage behavior that has a sensory cause without dealing with the cause, it is not very effective. For example, if a child is uncooperative because something hurts, no amount of talking or consequences will change the behavior until the pain stops.
What are the causes of sensory problems in young children?
There are many different causes of sensory problems. Here is a short list:
1. Autism Spectrum Disorder. These are usually the most severe sensory symptoms and include loss of feeling in the skin. But most children with sensory problems do not have autism.
2. Delay of motor skills in early life. The sensory and motor systems function together as a unit. During the years when there is motor delay, the sensory system is under-stimulated and remains immature. Sensory symptoms result from that immaturity.
3. Developmental delay for reasons other than autism. In these children, the developing nervous system is immature and needs protection. Sensory nerves are oversensitive and sensory symptoms result.
4. Undiagnosed hearing or vision loss. The sensory nervous system needs balanced information from all the senses to develop in a normal way. If there is loss of one sense, sensory symptoms persist until the loss is diagnosed and treated.
5. Experiences of prolonged stress, trauma or threat of harm. This includes abuse, war, homelessness, intensive care unit hospitalization, and refugee status. The effect of severe stress on the nervous system of a developing child can be reversed with regular soothing parent touch and good sleep. When children are in high stress environments without enough soothing parent touch or good sleep, sensory nerves become oversensitive, the nervous system resets to a higher stress level, and sensory symptoms persist.
6. Insufficient soothing parent touch. This can be due to many different situations including parent absence, neglect, and long hours in daycare and educational settings where touch is prohibited.
7. Chronic sleep problems.
8. Genetic conditions affecting the nervous system e.g. Down syndrome, Rett syndrome.
9. Early trauma to the nervous system e.g. cerebral palsy, motor vehicle accident, head injury.
10. Children with toxic exposures affecting the nervous system e.g. lead, mercury, drug-exposed children.
11. Syndromes causing mental retardation.
12. Other unknown causes.
Does my child have sensory and self-regulation problems?
To find out how your child compares with other children, download the Sense and Self-Regulation Checklist and fill it out. Typically developing children under age six usually score below 18 for sensory symptoms and below 26 for self-regulatory symptoms. If your child has sensory and self-regulation symptoms that are above the normal level, then you might consider exploring treatment solutions.
What treatment do pediatricians recommend for sensory and self-regulation problems in young children?
Pediatricians often refer children with sensory symptoms to Occupational Therapy. OT uses play-based activities to help children experience various sensations in an organized and safe way. They use a range of different interventions including adapting the environment to help alleviate symptoms. However this is not a cure. Likewise pediatricians do not offer a cure for self-regulation problems. Sometimes medication is prescribed, but most of the time parents are reassured that their children will grow out of it.
QST Massage for sensory and self-regulation symptoms. What do the research studies show? What can parents do?
We are conducting a research project on Sensory children in 2017.
Please read the information below to decide if you and your child want to participate.
QSTI Sensory Kid project - Exploring solutions for your child
The Sensory Kid research project will collect information about symptom patterns in Sensory Kids and provide parents with a recommendation for QST massage. Dr. Silva or one of our master trainers will review the information and make a recommendation about which protocol to follow. We will check back with you after 3, 6, and 9 weeks to find out how the massage is going and help you troubleshoot any difficulties you are having giving it. This project is not for children already diagnosed with ASD or Down syndrome, as we already have done the research to show that children benefit from QST massage protocols for ASD or Down syndrome.
Registration
To receive acces to the online survey click on the yellow star at the top of this page. Dr. Silva or one of our master trainers will review your survey responses and reply back to you within one week. You will be notified to complete follow-up progress report surveys 3, 6, and 9 weeks after your initial survey is submitted.
What are sensory symptoms?
Most parents have experienced sensory symptoms at some point, usually as a response to fatigue and stress. Ordinary, everyday sound, light and touch become intense, harsh, irritating or uncomfortable. For example, you have had a long and tiring week, it is the end of the day and you still have a lot to do. Your system is in sensory overload: voices grate on your nerves, the light is too bright, your collar and shoes feel too tight, and your child pulling on you is irritating. Things that didn't bother you at the beginning of the week, bother you now. You might feel like snapping at someone, you might feel like crying, or you might feel like shutting down emotionally.
For most adults, sensory symptoms are an occasional event that is remedied with a good night's sleep. But when sensory symptoms appear in young children, they can be a sign of a more serious problem. There is a range of severity, and symptoms can be persistent.
When do sensory symptoms cause problems in young children?
Sensory symptoms cause problems in a young child when they happen every day. This is a sign that the child is consistently misinterpreting everyday sensations like touch, sound and movement. Things that feel normal and comfortable to the parent, feel uncomfortable or overwhelming to the child (the clothing is irritating, the texture of the food is unpleasant, the sound of a fan is frightening). As a result, the child reacts to normal things as if they were harmful and easily becomes distressed or overwhelmed. This is known as Sensory Processing Disorder. If difficulties persist for months and years, children's behavior and health suffer.
What kinds of problems do persistent sensory symptoms cause?
Sensory problems cause self-regulation problems. Young children need accurate information to learn, and when sensory information coming in from the world around them is misinterpreted, children find it difficult to learn how to regulate themselves appropriately according to what is going on around them. There are five main areas of difficulty:
- Behavior
- Emotions
- Self-soothing
- Sleep
- Diet and digestion
What are some examples of self-regulation problems?
- anxiety and irritability
- difficulty calming down
- tantrums and meltdowns
- aggression
- difficulty focusing and paying attention
- difficulty following directions
- sleep problems
- and from sensory problems in the mouth:
- overly restricted diet
- digestive problems such as reflux, constipation or diarrhea
Can sensory problems also cause delay of development?
Yes, when sensory problems are severe and persistent, they can cause delay in any or all of the early developmental milestones: motor, self-help, social, communication and cognitive.
What do parents (and teachers) need to know about sensory problems?
Most parents don't know that sensory problems can be the underlying cause of behavior problems. It is important for parents to learn to recognize when sensory problems are causing behavior problems. Parents monitor whether their children are in danger and whether they are behaving properly; they provide the child with food, clothing, and an environment that Is safe. And so when these bases are covered, and parents see their child refuse to cooperate, they may not think of a sensory cause. They may think that the behavior is 'a bad choice', or 'bad behavior', or the child 'wants to do something else'.
Unfortunately when a parent or teacher tries to manage behavior that has a sensory cause without dealing with the cause, it is not very effective. For example, if a child is uncooperative because something hurts, no amount of talking or consequences will change the behavior until the pain stops.
What are the causes of sensory problems in young children?
There are many different causes of sensory problems. Here is a short list:
1. Autism Spectrum Disorder. These are usually the most severe sensory symptoms and include loss of feeling in the skin. But most children with sensory problems do not have autism.
2. Delay of motor skills in early life. The sensory and motor systems function together as a unit. During the years when there is motor delay, the sensory system is under-stimulated and remains immature. Sensory symptoms result from that immaturity.
3. Developmental delay for reasons other than autism. In these children, the developing nervous system is immature and needs protection. Sensory nerves are oversensitive and sensory symptoms result.
4. Undiagnosed hearing or vision loss. The sensory nervous system needs balanced information from all the senses to develop in a normal way. If there is loss of one sense, sensory symptoms persist until the loss is diagnosed and treated.
5. Experiences of prolonged stress, trauma or threat of harm. This includes abuse, war, homelessness, intensive care unit hospitalization, and refugee status. The effect of severe stress on the nervous system of a developing child can be reversed with regular soothing parent touch and good sleep. When children are in high stress environments without enough soothing parent touch or good sleep, sensory nerves become oversensitive, the nervous system resets to a higher stress level, and sensory symptoms persist.
6. Insufficient soothing parent touch. This can be due to many different situations including parent absence, neglect, and long hours in daycare and educational settings where touch is prohibited.
7. Chronic sleep problems.
8. Genetic conditions affecting the nervous system e.g. Down syndrome, Rett syndrome.
9. Early trauma to the nervous system e.g. cerebral palsy, motor vehicle accident, head injury.
10. Children with toxic exposures affecting the nervous system e.g. lead, mercury, drug-exposed children.
11. Syndromes causing mental retardation.
12. Other unknown causes.
Does my child have sensory and self-regulation problems?
To find out how your child compares with other children, download the Sense and Self-Regulation Checklist and fill it out. Typically developing children under age six usually score below 18 for sensory symptoms and below 26 for self-regulatory symptoms. If your child has sensory and self-regulation symptoms that are above the normal level, then you might consider exploring treatment solutions.
What treatment do pediatricians recommend for sensory and self-regulation problems in young children?
Pediatricians often refer children with sensory symptoms to Occupational Therapy. OT uses play-based activities to help children experience various sensations in an organized and safe way. They use a range of different interventions including adapting the environment to help alleviate symptoms. However this is not a cure. Likewise pediatricians do not offer a cure for self-regulation problems. Sometimes medication is prescribed, but most of the time parents are reassured that their children will grow out of it.
QST Massage for sensory and self-regulation symptoms. What do the research studies show? What can parents do?
- In children with autism, sensory symptoms improve with daily treatment with the QST Massage protocol for autism.
- In children with Down syndrome, sensory and motor symptoms improve with the QST Massage protocol for Down syndrome.
- In Sensory Kids with neither autism nor Downs, a small study showed sensory symptoms improve with the QST Down syndrome protocol. The study was not published, and we have since learned that while some children do better with the Downs protocol, others do better with the autism protocol.
- The Sensory Kid Project is not for children already diagnosed with ASD or Down syndrome, as we already have done the research to show that these children benefit from QST massage protocols for ASD or Downs.
