Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD, is a very misdiagnosed disorder mainly due to the lack of understanding of what it is. People with SPD are often assumed to be either on the autism spectrum or as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Jean Ayers, Ph.D., an Occupational Therapist, Neuroscientist and Psychologist, likens SPD to a "traffic jam" in the neurological system that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving information needed to correctly interpret sensory information, in any or all the the body's 7 sensory systems- visual (sight), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), tactile (touch), auditory (hearing), proprioception (kinesthesia), and vestibular (sense of balance and interpretation/ internal state of the body). The exact cause of SPD has not yet been identified but as many as 1 in 20 people in the general population may be affected. Because SPD can impact every sensory system of the human body as it manifests itself in a different way for each person afflicted, thus making it challenging to diagnose. But, with as many resources as possible in a community, the easier it is for someone with SPD to feel included in their community.