Aug 3, 2023, Washington Post: It’s a busy, noisy, bright world. For some, going out is hard. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/08/03/sensory-friendly-store-hours-disorders/
Some businesses are offering special hours and events for people with sensory processing disorder that makes sights, sounds and smells feel overwhelming…
They have what is known as sensory processing disorder, a neurological condition that can cause people to be either over- or under-responsive to different internal and external sensory stimuli, as well as experience other sensory processing differences that can lead to challenges with language, coordination, movement or intellectual milestones.
Sensory processing disorder could affect about 5 to 16 percent of school aged children who have no other conditions such as autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The overall percentage of people with sensory processing disorder is likely much higher because it is also common in people with other conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic migraines and traumatic brain injuries, experts say.
Despite the condition’s seemingly high prevalence, it is not recognized as a separate medical or psychiatric disorder and has only just begun to gain awareness and acceptance in mainstream culture, advocates say. Walmart recently announced that it would offer sensory-friendly hours during the back-to-school shopping season. The company joins a growing number of businesses and organizations that provide accommodations for those with sensory challenges.
Some now offer special screenings or performances. AMC Theatres offers sensory-friendly film screenings where they turn the sound down and keep the theater lights on. Go Live Theatre Projects, which works with West End productions in London offers “relaxed performances,” where audiences are told what to expect, and during the show, houselights are kept on low, certain triggers such as flashing lights, loud noises or loud music are eliminated or toned down, and audience members can stand up, move around or make noise.
Others have offered sensory-friendly hours. The Smithsonian Institution runs a “Mornings at the Museum” program where museums open an hour early for preregistered families to visit with less crowds.
During Walmart’s sensory-friendly hours — 8 to 10 a.m. Saturdays until the end of August in most stores — select stores dim their overhead lights, turn off radios and replace moving images on TV with static images….
The sensory system is one of the very first parts of the brain that develops and is critical for giving the brain information about the outside world, said Pratik Mukherjee, a radiology and bioengineering professor at the University of California at San Francisco.
To process sensory data, the brain relies on white matter to connect different parts of the brain and transmit information in a rapid manner, Mukherjee said. This becomes more complex and difficult in a human brain, roughly 50 percent of which is composed of white matter.
When Mukherjee studied brain images of people with sensory processing disorders, he found that they had noticeable abnormalities in their white matter structures. Most of these differences were found in the back areas of the brain, where sensory information like sound or sight is initially processed….
Someone with a sensory processing disorder can also under-register sensory information and need more stimulation, said Cynthia Martin, psychologist and senior clinical director of the Child Mind Institute’s Autism Center. Examples include when someone uses fidget toys or listens to music to focus or calm down, she said.
Not all people with a sensory processing disorder have additional neurodivergent conditions — an umbrella term used to describe various neurological conditions such as ADHD, autism, learning disorders and anxiety. The overlaps, though, are so significant that some researchers hypothesize that sensory processing disorders are not merely adjacent to those conditions, but could be the initial signs of them….
“Our labeling system is broken,” she said. “We have kids who come in and get diagnosed with six different disorders all stemming from the same cause.”
In her research, Marco found that in children who are overresponsive to sound and touch, 40 percent also have problems with attention — a characteristic commonly found in individuals with ADHD. Hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory information also is part of the diagnostic criteria for autism.
Many with sensory processing disorder describe feelings of panic, anxiety or stress when they get overstimulated. Mandy Ealey, 31, says the amount of noises she hears in Walmart can cause her to completely shut down, and she must be guided out of the store….
Initiatives such as sensory-friendly hours could benefit a broader range of people, even those who don’t have a sensory processing disorder, said Virginia Spielmann, the executive director of the STAR Institute for Sensory Processing, an organization that researches and promotes sensory health and provides therapeutic support for people with sensory processing differences.
She believes that a much higher percentage of people have sensory processing differences, which may not always create challenges or be considered a disorder, but can still affect their overall emotional well-being and mental health.
Decades of research have shown that there is an inextricable link between sensation and emotion, and some studies have linked sensory processing difficulties to mood disorders, anxiety and depression….
Spielmann hopes that Walmart’s initiative encourages more businesses, schools and other organizations to think about how they can best accommodate a variety of sensory differences.
“Differences in sensory processing don’t have to be disabling and, if they are, it’s often because of the rigid and quite inhospitable world we live in,” she said.
Coping with sensory processing disorder
People with sensory processing difficulties can try to go to the store only during less busy hours, such as early mornings or late nights, which takes away the additional chaos that a crowd can bring, Martin said….
“What’s really powerful about what Walmart is doing is that kids now know what it’s like to be in an environment that’s accessible for them,” she said. “If I was a kid and I could go back to school shopping without the anxiety, that would be pretty empowering.”
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