(06-11-2012, 10:52 PM)Marci Wrote: I'm having a hard time understanding the link between SPD and walking into traffic. What particular "sense" of the sensory processing issues gives rise that situation?

I just wanted to step in and comment on this. I can clearly see walking out in front of cars as being part of the sensory processing picture. Heck, it's a common symptom.

Not noticing when vehicles are coming can clearly fall under the realm of sensory under-responsiveness. Also, not being able to judge how far away a vehicle is, how quickly it is coming, or what direction it is even coming from are definitely caused by sensory processing (and in particular, sensory discrimination) issues.

Remember, it takes proper sensory processing to realize there's a street, to check for vehicles, to determine whether or not it's safe, and to get out of the way quickly if someone is coming at you quickly. Without proper sensory processing, any or all of these things may be impaired.

Marci Wrote:There are many tasks that service animals can be trained to do, but I'm just not seeing a "task" that the dog could be trained to do for SPD.

And this, from the sounds of it, is why Tuttleturtle posted this thread in the first place. She is having a hard time coming up with tasks, and is looking for possible suggestions for what could work that would satisfy the legal requirements for her to get a service animal (not convert an animal she already has into one).