Health

Researcher Offers New Help for Out-of-Control Kids

Written For The Web By Libby Smith, CBS4 Special Projects Producer

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. (CBS4) ― At the Sensory Therapies & Research (STAR) Center in Greenwood Village, children are treated to a "space experience." They're hooked up to dozens of electrodes and then they watch the movie "Apollo 13."

Meanwhile researchers map their brainwaves and sensory reactions to the movie. Colorado research, Dr. Lucy Miller, says that the "space experience" helps them determine if a child is suffering from Sensory processing disorder.

"What appears to be happening is that the sensory information comes in but it's kind of garbled and it's not processed correctly. So the responses are not in line with the information coming in," Miller said.

Sensory processing disorder was the perfect answer for Jennifer Turner. Turner's 3-year-old son, Jacob, had frequent meltdowns during mealtimes.

He couldn't stand the feel of food on his skin. Jacob would also go into screaming fits when he was in large, noisy, crowded spaces.

Turner says that she knew something was wrong with Jacob but he didn't fit into the categories that describe attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) or autism.

"In some ways I felt helpless as a mom, like there's my 3-year-old child and I can't even help my child eat a meal," Turner told CBS4.

Turner shot a video of one of Jacob's meltdowns and a therapist suggested he had sensory processing disorder.

"It was almost like finally there's an answer," Turner said.

She took Jacob to the STAR Center for occupational therapy. During three months of working with a therapist, Jacob was exposed to different textures and sensations helping him to normalize his response to them. He learned different tools and techniques for handling situations when he feels overwhelmed.

"I feel like I have a normal 3-year-old. Life is more peaceful," Turner said.

"With every activity that we do, we challenge the child but we make sure they have success. Carefully we are able to help them to try things that are harder and harder and normalize the response that they have to all the different kinds of sensory and motor things that we give them to do,". Miller told CBS4.

Alex Dahlager also got help from the STAR Center. At 6 years old, Alex was described as rambunctious, disruptive and annoyed other kids by playing too rough.

"There were times when he was together. He would listen. He was the perfect little gentleman. But more times than not you would have to tell him 15 - 20 times, 'please, don't do that', 'stop doing that,' 'if you do that again, you're going to be sent to your room,'" said Alex's mom, April Dahlager.

At the STAR Center, Alex works his way through an obstacle course. It helps him to focus on one task at a time and process each new challenge in order. His parents say that his time at the STAR Center has made a big difference in his behavior.

"He's made such great progress. When we first came in here he couldn't do half of the things he's doing now," said Alex's father, Rob Dahlager.

"These children do not have a filtering system that is working for them, and we can see that when we measure certain parts of the brain," Miller added.

Miller started the STAR Center in part to research sensory processing disorder. She working to gather the medical research necessary to get the disorder listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, a influential guidebook of disorders. Miller says that getting sensory processing disorder officially recognized in the medical community would lead to more research dollars and to better insurance coverage for treatment.

For more information about sensory processing disorder you can go to the STAR Center Web site: http://www.starcenter.us.

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