Week 9

The first major difference that comes to mind between a text of a podcast and a printed essay are the in-text citations. The text used for recording the podcast excludes the parenthetical citations whereas for written essays, the writer includes the parenthetical citation to provide the source with appropriate credit. A similarity between the two regarding in-text citations is that they both provide the reader/listener with the specific name of a source along with a brief description to introduce the reader/listener to the source. The similarity is due to the fact that sources must be provided with the proper credit because they’re not the author’s ideas. The difference regarding the parenthetical citations is due to the fact that it is not practical for the author to read off the sources name as well as the date of the source; it would sound strange to the listener. Also, the listeners of podcasts choose to listen to the text because it’s convenient. They’re not going to look up the source’s name along with the date of the article because they’re not concerned with the exact content of the source. Rather, they want a brief introduction to the source to help further establish their credibility in the author of the text of the podcast.

The text of a podcast also tends to be much shorter in length than a written essay. This is because people who listen to the text of a podcast want to hear the main ideas of a subject. They don’t want to hear about all the little details that make up the topic. They want a very precise summary of a specific idea of a main subject. When people plan on reading written essays, they may want the author to go into great detail and explanation of specific points because they can pick and choose what they read.

Another difference between the two is that written essays include hyperlinks to the specific sources mentioned whereas the text of a podcast excludes hyperlinks. This is due to the same reason that accounted for the previous difference. People who read essays can pick and choose how much they learn from the essay and which parts of the essay they learn more about. If they want to learn more about a specific idea of the subject, they can link to the hyperlinks to gain a better understanding. People listening to podcasts are generally looking for a brief yet concise overview of the main idea.

Week 8 Podcast Idea

I have decided to post 200 words on this topic because a lot of the comments on my text from peers regarded the age at which SPD is generally diagnosed. After editing my webtext, I discovered for myself that I had never indicated an age at which SPD is diagnosed. Therefore, I chose this topic for my audio as an answer to the questions I had received from peers. I hope that once they have a better idea of when it is diagnosed, the audience is able to visualize and imagine for themselves what a child’s life is like with this deviation. This podcast will not simply repeat information that my audience will read in the webtext. Rather, it will help them better understand an individual’s life with sensory processing disorder. Maybe it will cause them to recall their days as a young child. This may in turn reveal to them how difficult it would have been to function without their proprioceptive and vestibular systems functioning properly.

The prevalence of sensory processing disorder in children is at about 5% of the general population. However, for people with diagnosed developmental disabilities, the rate of sensory processing disorder is estimated to be from 40% to 80% (Hubbard, 2010). There is not an average age of onset, or diagnosis, but research has shown that sensory processing disorder is most commonly diagnosed in the early stages of childhood development; anywhere from 3 months old to 5 years old; though parents can generally sense when something is “off” about their child after only a couple months. Symptoms and behaviors may become more severe and noticeable as a child enters a school setting. As a result, a diagnosis is made once the condition is severe enough that it significantly impacts the child’s daily life.

Although it is most commonly diagnosed in young children, more cases are coming up where older children or even young adults were misdiagnosed earlier in life with other disorders, like ADD for example, and doctors are just now re-diagnosing them with sensory processing disorder. The down-side of being misdiagnosed early in life is that the form of sensory processing disorder will only continue to worsen as the child ages because it was left untreated for so long (Morris, 2010).

Early diagnosis is best because it leads to early intervention. Early diagnosis also increases the chances of a successful intervention. Younger children’s brains are still developing which allows them to change more easily while older children may benefit from therapy but the results may take longer to achieve. Children who receive treatment at younger ages also benefit because they acquire the skills they will need to succeed in school. Another benefit of being diagnosed during the earlier stages of life is that it can prevent secondary problems from developing like acting-out behaviors, temper tantrums, or low self-esteem. Early diagnosis also prevents teachers and parents from stereotyping these children as “aggressive” or “weird” (Miller, 2006).

·         Hubbard, S. (2010). Diagnosing Sensory Processing Disorder. Retrieved from      http://www.kidsdr.com/daily-dose/diagnosing-sensory-processing-disorders

·         Miller, L. J., Fuller, D. A. (2006). Chapter 3: Assessment and Diagnosis. In Kranowitz, C. S. (Ed.),   Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder (pp. 43- 57). New York, NY: Penguin Group.

·         Morris, M. (2010). Age of Onset of SPD. Retrieved from http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/age-of-onset-of-spd.html

Week 6, Summary 2

This article tells the story of Karen. She had surgery right after birth to repair birth defects and then was went home immediately with the message that she would be like any other little girl. However, as Karen’s neurological disorders and sensory integration problems began to surface, the mother, Liz, was sent into emotional turmoil. Unlike her twin, Karen was a screamer and lacked the ability to regulate herself and her moods. Nothing would comfort the poor child. Liz did some online research and discovered The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder. As she read the book, Karen’s behaviors began to make sense and she realized that a key component of treatment involved an occupational therapist. Liz quickly found an OT to provide Karen with sensory integration therapy to increase her regulation of sensation. However, there was only so much the OT could do. The rest of the family quickly began to fall apart and Liz sought therapy and was prescribed with antidepressants. The family worked hard to establish a routine, divide child care responsibilities, and spend time together as a family. Liz and her family decided it best to remodel their house to accommodate their children’s needs for larger play area. In the meanwhile, the occupational therapist continued to treat Karen in hopes of improving her condition, and, as a result, strengthening the family unit. Today, Karen is a fun-loving girl who still responds differently to environmental stimuli but the family now sees it as her way of adjusting to her body and the environment around it.  

Reference:

Wittman, P., Velde, B., Lamm, S., Mohler, M., & Thomas, L. (2007). Lessons learned about mothering a child with a sensory modulation disorder. Exceptional Parent, 37 (3), 52-53. Retrieved from CINAHL with Full Text database.

Week 6, Summary 1

This article explains a subtype of sensory processing disorder known as sensory over-responsivity. It lists some of the characteristics of children that struggle with sensory processing disorders including getting upset after hearing certain noises, being light-sensitive, and only being able to wear 100% cotton clothing. A young girl initially diagnosed with sensory over-responsivity was taken to a psychiatrist, diagnosed with juvenile bipolar disorder, and was prescribed numerous medications. The mother of the child is writing in to a psychologist asking whether or not she thinks her daughter should be placed on medication. Dr. Jennifer Brout is a psychologist dedicated to learning more about sensory processing disorder and its affect on mental health. This article is her response to the mother’s question. She explains that mood swings are common in children with SPD. Further, individuals diagnosed with SPD often jump from being calm one minute and irritable the next. Therefore, sensory-responsivity often appears to be bipolar disorder. In order to diagnose, one must observe the child’s irritability and trace the source of it. When children are irritable to specific sensory stimuli, it is a general indication that bipolar disorder is not the problem. Another characteristic to look for is the location where sensory stimuli may be irritating and whether or not the child acts out in those kinds of places (lunchroom, supermarkets, etc.). Unfortunately, differential research to distinguish between the two (bipolar and SPD) is hard to come by because SPD along with its subtypes cannot be found in the DSM-IV, the tool used to diagnose mental disabilities.


Reference: 
Brout, D. (2008). Sensory over-responsivity or juvenile bipolar disorder?. Exceptional Parent, 38 (7), 48. Retrieved from CINAHL with Full Text database.