Pediatric Coding Alert

Question: What diagnosis should we submit for sensory integration disorder?

Nevada Subscriber

Answer: Sensory integration disorder is not a recognized diagnosis in ICD-9, so the most accurate choice is 781.99 (Other symptoms involving nervous and musculoskeletal systems).

Also known as sensory integration dysfunction, SID is a neurological disorder that results from the brain's inability to integrate certain information received from the body's five basic sensory systems. Physicians often detect SID in young children. Signs can include (but are not limited to) oversensitivity to touch, movement, sights, or sounds; a tendency to be easily distracted; an activity level that is unusually high or unusually low; difficulty in making transitions from one situation to another; and delays in speech, language, or motor skills or academic achievement.