What does it mean to be “sensory”?
“My child doesn’t ever sit still”
“My child refuses to go into the bathroom because of the hand dryers”
“My child always seems so sleepy”
“My child refuses to eat any foods that aren’t crunchy”
Do any of these statements sound familiar to you? Or has someone mentioned that your child seems to be “sensory”? What does this mean? Let’s break down the sensory system and how it can influence your child (or even you!).
The sensory system is how our body processes stimulation in the environment around us. We all know we have 5 sensory systems: sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. But did you know you also have 2 other sensory systems that influence your ability to interact with the world around you? The Vestibular and Proprioceptive systems.
Vestibular System: the body’s sense of balance. This system also provides information about your body’s position. The vestibular system is housed in our inner ear.
Proprioceptive System: this system tells your body where it is in space. For example, how close it is to the wall, or how much force/pressure we need to use to lift a glass off the table. It is housed in our joints, muscles, and tendons.
A functioning sensory system will take in information from the environment and be able to process it within the brain and tell the body how to react (ex. The music is just right or it is too loud). Most of the time, our bodies are able to do this automatically and react appropriately (ex. We smell something burning in the oven, we automatically go over to take it out). Some kids (and even adults) have difficulties processing this information, called dysregulation. There are a few different ways this can present:
Sensory Over Responsivity: when the child overreacts to sensory stimulation. For example, gagging when trying to eat oatmeal.
Sensory Under Responsivity: when the child does not notice a sensory stimulation or it takes an intense sensory stimuli. For example, the child falls off of the playground equipment, scrapes his arm, and does not cry.
Sensory Seeking/Craving: when the child has an intense craving for sensory input that is not always appropriate for the environment. Ex running around and crashing into the wall during circle time at school.
This dysregulation impacts the child’s ability to participate in their daily activities. For example, a child who is over-responsive to smells may not be able to sit at the table to enjoy dinner with their family. Or the child who is under-responsive to temperature, may turn the bath water on scalding hot without realizing they may burn themselves. Lastly, the child who is a sensory seeker, may not be able to sit and pay attention to a school lesson because they have the urge to move their body.
How do we help these children? It all depends on the child and what sensory system is impacted and how.
You can provide the child with headphones if the cafeteria at school is too loud.
Massage or hugs may help a child become more responsive to touch.
Providing the child opportunities throughout the day to spin, crash or move around so that they can attend the lesson presented by the teacher.
The best way to help if you think your child is experiencing sensory dysregulation is to seek out an evaluation by a Licensed Occupational Therapist. An OT will be able to discern which sensory system or systems are being impacted in which way and create activities in order to regulate these sensory systems. In addition, your OT will provide tools to you and your child in order to increase their participation in everyday activities. BOOK NOW to work with a licensed Occupational Therapist at All Together Wellness today!
Kaitlin Dudziec, OT resides in Jacksonville, FL with her husband and 2 children. She joined the All Together team to carry forward her passion of helping families struggling with daily activities in a meaningful place that should be stress-free for all—at home! Kaitlin brings years of experience working with children with exceptional needs, first in a school environment and then early intervention. She carries her own personal experience helping her own children, creating an empathy for other parents too.
