Sensory processing

1. About sensory processing

Our brain receives information from all our senses, which we use to interact with the world around us. This may be through our thoughts, feelings and behaviour. We all process sensory information which, for most people, develops as we grow and mature.

Problems in processing a response to information from all our senses may result in being too sensitive to some stimuli and not sensitive enough to others.

It is often helpful for a person's sensory processing needs to be accepted and understood by themselves and others.

Here are some examples of behaviours you might notice if your child is oversensitive or under sensitive to sensory input:

Sight

If your child is under sensitive to sight they may:

• need lots of visual stimulation
• like bright environments, watching lights and reflective surfaces

If your child is oversensitive to sight, they may:

• dislike bright light
• want to wear a cap or have their hood up
• become overwhelmed by too many lights and colours

Smell

If your child is under sensitive to smell they may:

• seem unaware of strong smells
• seek out strong smells 

If your child is oversensitive to smell they may:

• notice smells that other people don’t, which causes stress and interferes with their ability to focus
• be bothered by typical household scents, perfume or aftershave

Hearing

If your child is under sensitive to sound you may may:

• talk loudly
• enjoy loud noise
• not pick up on usual auditory cues, for example, they don’t realise if you say their name

If your child is oversensitive to sound they may:

• avoid loud noise
• cover ears
• get anxious before loud noises occur
• be distracted by background noises

Taste

If your child is under sensitive to tastes they may:

• eat or mouth non food items
• craves strong tasting foods such as spicy or salty foods

If your child is oversensitive to tastes they may:

• dislikes strong tastes
• likes consistent temperature of foods
• gag on certain tastes
• struggle to try new food
• be a fussy or picky eater

Touch

If your child is under sensitive to touch they may:

• appear heavy handed
• enjoy messy play
• enjoy a variety of textures
• touch things constantly
• walk on their toes

If your child is oversensitive to touch they may:

• only seeks hugs/touch on their terms
• appear to overreact to another’s touch
• be bothered by certain types of clothing or clothing labels
• walk on their toes

Proprioception (knowing where your body is in in the space without looking at it)

If your child is under sensitive to proprioception they may:

• have frequent bumps, trips and falls
• appear poorly coordinated
• lean on furniture or other people
• over rely on vision for movement (for example look at their feet when going down stairs)

Vestibular (helps with balance and spatial orientation)

If your child is under sensitive to vestibular input they may:

• have difficulty sitting still
• seek movement
• run rather than walk
• enjoy spinning
• enjoy being upside down

If your child is oversensitive to vestibular input they may:

• struggle with motion (for example in the car or on escalators)
• become dizzy easily
• struggle in busy places watching a lot of movement

Interoception (interpreting sensations that come from inside your body)

If your child is under sensitive to interoception they may:

• not notice when hurt or unwell
• not recognise feelings of hunger or fullness
• have poor awareness of needing to go to the toilet
• not recognise if feeling too hot or too cold

If your child is oversensitive to interoception they may:

• frequently report being in pain
• be very sensitive to pain
• have a strong hunger impulse and struggle to wait for food if hungry
• struggle to cope when too hot or cold