Beyond FINESSE: Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, Director of the KID Foundation’s Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) Network

Many adults and children suffer from disorders unfamiliar to the general public. Sensory Processing Disorder is one such condition. Imagine becoming so irritated and distraught over the feel of a cotton t-shirt that you can’t control your behavior. Imagine having a baby who screams at every feeding because she can’t stand the feel of various food textures in her mouth. Imagine having a child who pulls away from the pressure of your touch. For more than ten years, many families of children with SPD have turned to a Denver doctor for help.

Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, Director of Denver-based nonprofit KID Foundation and its Sensory Processing Disorder Network, runs a local center to help treat children and adults with SPD. She is also the author of Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder.

Often confused with ADD, SPD involves the misinterpretation of everyday stimuli. While some patients over-respond to stimuli such as lighting, noise, food textures, and physical contact, some under-respond and are at risk for burns and other dangers. SPD can lead to behavioral problems, difficulties with coordination, and other issues.

Dr. Miller’s KID Foundation website and newsletter offer up-to-date information on SPD, including treatment options. It also offers links to parent support groups located across the country and in Canada and Israel. The KID Foundation’s Treatment Directory lists care providers such as dentists, eye doctors, and therapists who have experience working with SPD patients.

While devoted to helping patients with SPD and their families, Dr. Miller recognizes the need to spread the word about SPD so it can be diagnosed as quickly as possible. Only then can helpful treatments be implemented; only then can SPD patients and their families hope for a brighter future. BEYOND Understanding is all about raising awareness of special, often hidden, issues faced by so many. New insights foster new understandings. Check out Dr. Miller’s site and learn something new today about others who share this world with you. I certainly did.