Sensory Processing
Helping Children Feel Calm, Focused, and Confident through Sensory Support
Occupational therapy (OT) can play a crucial role in supporting children with sensory processing by helping them manage how they respond to sensory input. For children who struggle to process and organize sensory information from their environment, OT can help them learn to better cope with and integrate these sensory experiences, leading to improvements in their behavior, emotional regulation, and overall functioning.
What Is Sensory Processing?
Sensory processing refers to how our brain receives and organizes information from the senses, such as sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell, as well as from our “hidden” senses including the sense of movement, our body position, and the internal state of our body.
Below are the eight sensory systems that work together to provide a complete picture of our environment and bodily state:
Tactile System (Touch)
This system involves sensory receptors in the skin that detect pressure, temperature, texture, pain, and vibration.
Auditory System (Hearing)
The auditory system processes sound, including speech, environmental noises, and other auditory cues.
Visual System (Sight)
The visual system processes light, color, shape, and depth, helping us understand what is happening around us and navigate through the environment.
Gustatory System (Taste)
This system detects different tastes, allowing us to experience and respond to flavors in food and drink.
Olfactory System (Smell)
The olfactory system detects odors and influences our perception of the environment, helping us recognize smells (e.g., flowers, food, smoke).
Interoceptive System (Internal Sensations)
This system is responsible for sensing internal bodily states, such as hunger, thirst, pain, temperature, and the need for rest or bathroom use.
Vestibular System (Balance and Movement):
The vestibular system detects head movement and the position of the body in space. It helps with balance, coordination, and understanding the movement of the body (e.g., running, jumping).
Proprioceptive System (Body Awareness)
This system provides information about the position of our body parts relative to each other (e.g., knowing where your hand is without looking at it) and helps coordinate muscle movements.
What Do Sensory Processing Difficulties Look Like?
Sensory processing is essential for functioning in everyday activities. When the brain processes sensory information efficiently, it allows individuals to respond appropriately to their environment and stay engaged in tasks. However, when sensory processing is disrupted, individuals may have difficulty interpreting and responding to sensory input, leading to sensory processing challenges.
At Hummingbird, our occupational therapists are trained to assess for several signs and behaviors that may indicate your child is struggling with sensory processing. Below are some signs that might suggest sensory processing difficulties:
Becoming overwhelmed by crowded places or too much stimulation
Extreme reactions to certain textures, sounds, lights, or smells (e.g., covering ears, crying, or becoming distressed over loud noises or specific fabrics)
Avoiding certain textures in food, clothing, or on skin (e.g., refusing to wear certain clothes, avoiding touching sticky or slimy substances).
Underreaction to sensory stimuli (Sensory Seeking)
Not noticing when they’re in pain or hurt
Lack of awareness of their body position or movements (e.g., clumsiness, falling frequently)
Seeking out strong sensory input, such as jumping, spinning, or engaging in activities that provide intense physical sensations (e.g., crashing into furniture, rubbing rough surfaces)
Difficulty with emotional regulation
Avoidance or resistance to certain activities
Avoiding physical touch
Avoiding physical movement or changes in head position
Problems with focus and attention
Inability to sit still in classroom settings or during meals
Difficulty staying focused on tasks or following instructions
Difficulty with social interactions
Difficulty joining group activities and/or trouble reading social cues
Becoming overwhelmed by crowded places or too much stimulation
Extreme reactions to certain textures, sounds, lights, or smells (e.g., covering ears, crying, or becoming distressed over loud noises or specific fabrics)
Avoiding certain textures in food, clothing, or on skin (e.g., refusing to wear certain clothes, avoiding touching sticky or slimy substances).
Underreaction to sensory stimuli (Sensory Seeking)
Not noticing when they’re in pain or hurt
Lack of awareness of their body position or movements (e.g., clumsiness, falling frequently)
Seeking out strong sensory input, such as jumping, spinning, or engaging in activities that provide intense physical sensations (e.g., crashing into furniture, rubbing rough surfaces)
Difficulty with emotional regulation
Avoidance or resistance to certain activities
Avoiding physical touch
Avoiding physical movement or changes in head position
Problems with focus and attention
Inability to sit still in classroom settings or during meals
Difficulty staying focused on tasks or following instructions
Difficulty with social interactions
Difficulty joining group activities and/or trouble reading social cues
How Can Occupational Therapy Help?
In occupational therapy, the therapist works with the child to help them understand, explore, and integrate sensory information from their environment. Occupational therapy sessions may include:
Sensory Integration
Occupational therapists often use sensory integration techniques to help individuals process and respond to sensory input more effectively. Sensory integration therapy involves carefully designed activities that help individuals gradually become more comfortable with different types of sensory input. This therapy aims to improve the brain’s ability to process and respond to sensory information.
- Play-based Activities: OTs often use play-based activities to engage the child in sensory experiences that feel enjoyable while also promoting sensory integration. These activities might include swinging, jumping, climbing, or using textured materials.
- Customized Activities: The therapist tailors sensory integration techniques to meet the individual’s unique sensory needs, helping them tolerate, modulate, and respond to sensory experiences in a way that aligns with their daily routines.
Sensory Diet
A sensory diet is a personalized set of activities and strategies designed to help individuals regulate their sensory needs throughout the day. It can involve specific sensory activities to either calm or alert the nervous system based on individual needs.
- Calming Activities: If an individual is overwhelmed or overstimulated, calming activities like deep pressure, quiet time, or weighted blankets can help regulate the nervous system.
- Alerting Activities: If an individual is under-responsive, activities like jumping on a trampoline, listening to stimulating music, or engaging in fast-paced activities can help increase sensory awareness and alertness.
- Regular Sensory Breaks: Scheduled breaks that allow individuals to engage in sensory activities throughout the day help them regulate their sensory needs and stay engaged in daily tasks.
Environmental Modifications
Occupational therapists can suggest changes to the individual’s environment to minimize sensory overload or maximize sensory stimulation. These changes can improve comfort and focus, such as dimming lights, reducing noise, or offering quiet spaces to retreat to when feeling overwhelmed.
Sensory Processing Strategies
OT practitioners teach individuals different coping strategies to help with sensory challenges. These can include:
- Self-Regulation strategies: Learning to recognize when sensory input is becoming too much and how to take a break, engage in a calming activity, or use specific tools to cope.
- Improving Body Awareness: Helping individuals understand and recognize their body’s responses to sensory input (e.g., feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated) and how to manage it effectively.
Let’s Get Started!
Through personalized occupational therapy, we provide strategies and interventions designed to improve sensory integration and empower your child to thrive in their home, school, and community environments. Contact us today to schedule an evaluation with one of our occupational therapists.