Research that is Good News for Children and Families

Good News About Helping Children with Sensory Processing Disorder

This weekend I had the privilege of attending the conference for the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children (OAEYC)  at Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, OH.

This is me having a ball with my friend, Meredith.

One of the workshops I attended while I was there was
 "What's Going on in There?  Sensory:Brain:Your Classroom
by 
Judee L. Mulhollen-Gorczynski M.Ed., BBS,LSW
Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant

Even though she was not able to give us the definite cause of sensory processing disorder, Professor Mulhollen-Gorczynski was able to help us to define Sensory Processing Disorder and provided  good news and hope about helping children with this diagnosis.  She defined Sensory Processing Disorder as something that happens when a child's brain is unable to organize sensory signals and sensory information properly, leaving them unable to respond appropriately.  Young children who are unable to coordinate information from all seven senses are unable to function effectively in the world.  This leads to the symptoms of irritability, impulsiveness, aggression or a withdrawn state.

Professor Mulhollen-Gorczynski was able to give us many suggestions from research for helping children experiencing these difficulties.  The key is to balance the child's environment and activities so they maintain the right amount of stimulation to keep them relaxed.  Often the teacher must experiment to see what will work best.  Different children respond to more or less physical touch.  They respond to a change in noise level and textures of materials around them.  They are often helped by being able to manipulate "fidgets" or different textured objects that fit easily in their hand, to help them listen and participate during group times.  Occupational Therapists are making great strides and can offer the teachers of their clients suggestions to help the child in the classroom.

Professor Mulhollen-Gorczynski recommended the writings of several researchers in order to understand Sensory Processing Disorder better.  They are Dr. Bruce Perry, David Kisor and Dr. A. Jean Ayres.  She recommended the following websites:  

www.the spiral foudation.org

www.spdfoundation.net

www.lemonlimeadventures.com

 

My personal research experiences

My Research Experiences

            Since beginning my courses at Walden a whole new world has opened up for me in the area of research.  When I first began at Walden the only way I knew to do research was to search for books on my local library’s website or do a search through google or another search engine.  I also would try go to a website that might relate to my subject and look around for some information there.  All of this was tedious and often not very fruitful.  I became frustrated not finding exactly what I wanted.

            As soon as I began my coursework at Walden I was introduced to the Walden Library.  There I learned to use databases to find exactly what I need.

            Now that I am taking the research course, I am learning even more.  I am learning to discern whether or not a source is reliable.  This morning when I was playing the piano, it came to my mind that analyzing a piece of music before playing it feels like examining a resource before citing it.  Just as I check the key signature and  go over the notes and chords in a piece of music before playing it, I check  out the author and verify the content of an article before relying on it and citing it!

            I have chosen to focus on attachment and separation anxiety as my topic for this research class.  The three questions I compiled are: Does separation anxiety increase or decrease based on the quality of attachment between parent and child?  How can children and parents heal from inadequate attachment relationships?  What are the best techniques to help children and parents separate with less stress?  The one question I want to focus in on is the first one, “Does separation anxiety increase or decrease based on the quality of attachment between parent and child?”  I chose this question because it is the one that looks at the connection between the two parts of the topic.

            I know it will take careful research to isolate such a specific connection between these two topics.  I hope I will be able to find what I am looking for.  However, I am willing to change my question if necessary.  I know research is not an exact science and am aware that it may take several adjustments before I am satisfied with the information I find.

            One resource I plan to use is a personal interview of at least one of my friends that has adopted a child from a foreign country.  Then I can compare what they say to what I find in my readings.

            I am excited to read what everyone else is going to be researching.  I will be happy to help in any way I can.  I also welcome input and suggestions from all of my classmates as we walk this simulation journey together.  I believe, having taken these classes together, we will continue to follow each other’s work throughout the rest of our lives!