Autism spectrum disorder is complex in itself, but this complexity is only exacerbated by the comorbid conditions that can arise from it. Some of these include sensory processing disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and seizures. Understanding the disorder and its comorbid conditions is challenging but important for parents, medical professionals, and educators. A common comorbidity of autism spectrum disorder is sensory processing disorder. Sensory processing disorder is the breakdown in how the nervous system receives sensory input and translates it into appropriate motor and behavioral responses (Sensory Processing Disorder Explained, 2014). In the normal process, in the first stage there is some kind of sensory input, secondly the nervous system processes this input and finally the nervous system translates it into an appropriate response. For example, the child receives sensory input when a teacher lightly touches his hand to bring him back to the task, his nervous system processes this input and sends signals to the brain, finally the brain translates it into an appropriate response. In this case, the child quickly returns to the task. However, with sensory processing disorder there is a disruption somewhere along this cycle. A person suffering from sensory processing disorder will often find it difficult to process sensory input. There may be over- or under-processing. An example of overprocessing would be a child who reacts painfully to this teacher's light touch. Although the teacher only lightly touched the child's hand, this caused discomfort to the child. Overprocessing can make light, sound, clothing, and even food unbearable. Whereas, ongoing processing occurs when a child does not detect...... middle of paper...... smspeaks.org/family-services/epilepsyGreenspan, S.I., & Salmon, J. (1996) . The challenging child: Understanding, raising, and appreciating the five types of "difficult" children. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Pub. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). (2013, August 9). Symptoms. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ocd/basics/symptoms/con-20027827 Sensory Processing Disorder Explained | SPD Foundation. (2014, February 19). Sensory Processing Disorder Explained | SPD Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.spdfoundation.net/about-sensory-processing-disorder.html Steensel, F. J., Bögels, S. M., & Perrin, S. (2011, July 07). Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved February 20, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162631/