Presenter Giovanna Ewbank revealed that her 8-year-old son Bless was diagnosed with a sensory syndrome, which disrupts the basic senses, such as hearing, smell and touch.
“I might think that I was freshness for the rest of my life, if I didn’t look directly at my son”, said Giovanna, through tears, in the latest edition of the podcast Quem pode, pod.
According to psychologist Alexander Bez, the syndrome, called Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), confuses the brain when processing external stimuli. “It affects part of the senses, for hyposensitivity or hypersensitivity”, he points out.
Sensory Processing Disorder is often associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). That, however, is not the case with Bless.
During the program, Giovanna noticed something different with the child during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Bless started to get very airy, [fazia] some things I thought were a little odd. I started to think that he might have a degree of autism, until a doctor in São Paulo diagnosed him with a sensory syndrome, ”he said.
Because of the syndrome, Bless is more sensitive to noise and is also more uncomfortable with walking barefoot.
Symptoms
Psychologist Alexander Bez says that the two manifestations of the problem are very different from each other. “Hyposensitivity is often confused with possible hyperactivity due to restlessness. The child makes a lot of effort to recognize the stimuli in the environment, moving a lot to react to the stimuli ”, he clarifies.
Hypersensitivity is characterized by extreme discomfort in processing sensory stimuli. “The lights become brighter and the temperature higher, the sounds are more intense and the touch more accurate”, points out the expert.
According to the psychologist, parents should be aware of their children’s reactions, as there is a risk of the problem going unnoticed and being understood as “freshness”.
Giovanna reported that her son often passed by the kitchen and complained regarding the smell. Upon coming into contact with the grass, there were occasions when Bless asked his mother to take him away. “When I had the diagnosis, it was an absurd guilt”, laments the mother.
Treatment and diagnosis
Sensory Processing Disorder is a problem of genetic origin, still without cure. The patient, however, can improve interactions and coexistence by learning to deal with the condition.
Treatment with an occupational therapist is recommended and important for the child to have a good quality of life.
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