Sensory Processing

To understand child behavior it helps to know about the ways that our bodies seek, avoid, and process sensory inputs. Many challenging or confusing child behaviors can be explained once you understand your child’s sensory needs and ways that he/she experiences the world. In addition to the basic five senses (vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell) we have two additional sense systems that are vital to understanding child behavior - the proprioceptive system (body awareness that comes from sensory input through the muscles and joints) and the vestibular system (movement in space). Some children are hypersensitive to sensory sensation, are easily overwhelmed, and may try to avoid certain experiences, feelings, or sounds. Children who are hypersensitive may be overwhelmed easily by noise, specific textures of clothing, or avoid specific food textures. On the other hand, some children are hyposensitive and crave and seek out additional sensory input. These children may intentionally crash and bump, chew on non-food items, and seem to be in constant motion with spinning or flapping.

Parents, teachers, and therapists can help children reach a sense of calm and balance (referred to as “regulated”) by providing the right level of sensory stimulation. It’s like “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” - not too much, not too little… but finding the “just right” level of sensory input for your child.

There are many resources available on sensory processing. Here’s one website that provides a great overview and a checklist to guide your observations.