What is sensory processing disorder?  How can I understand it and help my child?  Creating this post about sensory processing disorder has been therapeutic for me.  I have enjoyed reading about all things sensory because I know it will help me be a better mom, and parent, to my child.  My son over-reacts to several sensory symptoms and has mild sensory processing difficulties.  BUT my research does not only help him!  It helps me!  Adults can have sensory integration disorder too.  I have realized my own sensory strengths and weaknesses through this research.

If all parents, educators, and caregivers can understand the sensory systems, beyond “Our Five Senses,” then we can be our best, and give our best, to our children.  We can facilitate what is needed for a child who struggles with sensory processing.    This is about helping children process sensory stimuli so the can further develop socially, behaviorally, physically, and cognitively!  {For example, my son’s hyperactivity is a part of his difficulty with sensory processing, you can see some ways we are helping keep our family peaceful over at the How to help my hyperactive child post.}

How to help a child who has sensory processing disorder?  How can I help them function at the same level as their peers?  What can we do to help our precious children to work through, and hopefully one day, functionally overcome, certain dysfunctions with sensory awareness?  Every child will learn at their own unique pace, but understanding their needs will help them with sensory integration and helping them recognize and use self-regulation techniques.

It is of the utmost importance to know the following about every child:

1) Your child is precious,

2) Your child has unique sensory integration triggers,

3) We can help our children through therapy exercises or tools,

4) We can help our children to understand their own sensory triggers and give them the autonomy to help themselves as they go into adulthood.

Sensory modulation disorder

All children have eight sensory systems.  

What am I doing to help my child use his fullest abilities?

Is my child under- or over- sensitive to any of his sensory systems?

Let’s find out what all this means!!

Children can over- or under- react to their eight sensory systems with sensory modulation disorder.

Hypersensitive / over-reactive: children who receive more than normal sensory signals and seek the input from the sensory system.

Hyposensitive / under-reactive: children who are under-responsive to sensory signals and avoid the input from that sensory system.

I am including only very brief definitions of each of the sensory systems.  I wanted to have a place where I understood these sensory systems while using the simplest of terms.  Please click on the links below to receive a wealth of knowledge about Sensory Processing Resources.   You will find incredibly helpful free printables, including examples of each sensory disorder on the over-processing and under-processing scales over at Lemon Lime Adventures.  Further practical therapy, play, and tool ideas can be found at the Occupational Therapy websites : Helpful Sensory Information at The Inspired Treehouse or Is it behavior or sensory? at Golden Reflections Blog.

The body’s eight sensory systems

Vestibular :

The body’s spatial awareness tool, conducted by the inner ear.  The vestibular system allows us to maintain our body’s orientation and balance and helps it remain in control when in movement.

Over-reactive –> fear of heights, impulsive or constant movement, seeking to be upside down, motion sickness {me! in a car, plane, on a swing, anywhere!}

Under-reactive –> difficulty standing or sitting still, fear of movement activities or being upside down, claustrophobia, may seem clumsy, difficulty with stairs or rigorous exercises, lack of coordination

Read more : Vestibular Explained from Lemon Lime Adventures, Vestibular System Explains Child Behavior from Golden Reflections Blog, and Sensory Processing: The Vestibular System from The Inspired Treehouse.

Tactile :

How the body interprets nerve receptors on the skin, this includes: light touch {surface}, deep touch {pressure}, temperature, and pain, feeling vibrations and pressure through physical, discriminative touch.  Ability to feel pain {itching or tickling} or temperature, move muscle, tendon, and joint position and stretch is proprioception.  And ability to use motor skills and develop visual and body awareness.

Over-reactive –> defensive to touch, bothered by loose clothing or tags, cannot sit still, continuous movement, impulsive behaviors, motion sickness {me! in a car, plane, on a swing, anywhere!}

Under-reactive –> need to touch, desires to be touched

Read more : Tactile Explained from Lemon Lime Adventures, Tactile Sensitivities from Golden Reflections Blog, and Sensory Processing: The Vestibular System from The Inspired Treehouse or Growing up with Tactile Defensiveness from Allternative Learning.

Proprioception :

This sensory system allows the body to regulate muscles and joints to allow for movement and body position.  Allows the body to be aware of motion, acceleration, motor control, and posture.

Over-reactive –> cannot sit still, continuous movement, impulsive behaviors

Under-reactive –> fear of movement activities or being upside down, may seem clumsy, difficulty with stairs or rigorous exercises, lack of coordination

Read more : Proprioception Explained from Lemon Lime Adventures, Sensory Processing: Proprioception from The Inspired Treehouse, and Ideas for Proprioceptive Sensitivities from Golden Reflections Blog.

Visual :

This sensory systems does not have to do with eyesight or vision, but is rather the brain’s ability to properly process the visual environment to perceive and to discriminate visual input.

Over-reactive –> sensitive to the sun and light, distracted by too many things around them {i.e. a classroom wall}

Under-reactive –>  cannot look someone in the eye, difficulty reading words on a page, dyslexia 

Read more : Visual Explained from Lemon Lime Adventures, Visual Sensitivities from Golden Reflections Blog, and Sensory Processing: The Vestibular System from The Inspired Treehouse.

Auditory :

The body’s ability to discriminate between sounds and sort through their hearing processes.   Being able to focus attention on the most important sound among lesser ones, as well as to distinguish between words and to follow instructions.

Over-reactive –> sensitive to loud sounds and background noises

Under-reactive –> 

Read more : Auditory Explained from Lemon Lime Adventures, Auditory Sensitivities from Golden Reflections Blog, and Sensory Processing: The Vestibular System from The Inspired Treehouse.

Olfactory :

How the brain deciphers between pleasant and odorous smells, while aiding or inhibiting our ability to eat {gustatory}, to focus, or to remember information.

Over-reactive –> sensitive to smell

Under-reactive –> will overtly smells things around them

Read more : Olfactory Explained from Lemon Lime Adventures, Ideas for Olfactory Sensitivities from Golden Reflections Blog, and Olfactory Dysfunction from Child Behavior Guide.

Oral, or Gustatory :

The mouth’s ability to process temperature, taste, and texture while eating, as well as the body’s proprioceptive {muscle} response to eating for nourishment and pleasure.

Over-reactive –> picky eaters, sensitive to teeth brushing

Under-reactive –> chewing on pencils, fear of movement activities or being upside down, may seem clumsy, difficulty with stairs or rigorous exercises, lack of coordination

Read more : Oral Sensory Explained from Lemon Lime Adventures, Ideas for Oral Sensitivities from Golden Reflections Blog, and Oral Dysfunction from Child Behavior Guide.

Interoception :

The body’s eighth sensory system is not discussed at length in many places; it is the body’s nerve response to digestion or respiration.

Over-reactive –> seeking fast heartbeat through rigorous exercise, taking large breaths, not eating due to liking the sensation of hunger, always potty-ing

Under-reactive –> eating more often to avoid hunger pangs, slow to potty train, avoiding fast breathing or heartbeat

Read more : Interoception from SPD Life and Interoception Sense from Special-ism.

I hope this post has helped you think about how we can nourish our children instead of expect them to be placed in a behavior box.  No child sees the world the exact same as another child.  Every child will behave and react differently to various situations.  Sensory processing is not a discipline or parenting issue, truly, it is the nature of the child.

Here a few resources we love {affiliate links, thank you for supporting our site}:

Check out the 40+ day series of posts Decoding Kid Behaviors hosted by Lemon Lime Adventures, which inspired me to learn about about Sensory Processing Disorder and in writing this post.