Occupational Therapy to Treat Children Who Over or Under React to Their Environment

Children with Sensory Modulation Dysfunction (SMD) either over- or under-react to stimuli in their environment. This can cause significant problems with daily activities and may lead to anxiety, poor attention, low self-esteem, and further complications in motor, cognitive, social and emotional development. Diagnosis of SMD is based on physiological responses to specific stimuli, measures of behavioral/social/emotional symptoms, and studies of the resulting functional limitation and disability. Treatments involve direct biomedical and behavioral intervention to improve sensory processing, as well as adjustments to the home, school and community environment. This study will compare the effect of occupational therapy vs. alternative therapy on the reactivity and function of children who have SMD.