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Sensory

Our senses tell us about our environment, receiving information from both inside and outside our body. Our senses are made of different “systems”. Sensory systems are what gives our bodies information and support us to go about our day-to-day lives. We have 8 systems:

The Auditory system – the sense of hearing
The Olfactory system – the sense of smell
The Oral sensory system – the sense of taste
The Tactile system – the sense of touch
The Visual system – the sense of sight
The Vestibular system – our sense of where our bodies are in space. This sense is what keeps us balanced and coordinated.
The Proprioceptive system – our sense of awareness for our bodies. This helps us maintain posture and motor control and tells us about how we are moving and occupying space.
The Interoceptive system – our sense of what is happening to our bodies, or how we “feel”. This is responsible for the general sense of our body’s physical sensations such as hunger, thirst, temperature, or internal discomfort.

Sensory processing (also known as sensory integration) is how our senses work together to process information. When our sensory systems work together, it allows us to interact with the environment. Activities such as using a scooter require us to use sensory processing.

People with sensory processing difficulties may be over-sensitive or under-sensitive in some or all of their senses. This can cause stress or anxiety that can result in behaviours that may not seem linked to sensory sensitivities but they could be the underlying cause.

We may notice:

They may attempt to feed a sensory system they struggle with registering
They may seek certain sensory stimulation – this may be an attempt to “kick start” a system that is not as active as the child needs it to be
They may reach an overload state from too many stimuli causing high anxiety

The development of sensory processing is a part of development. This helps children gradually learn to organise sensory information to develop responses. It is important to remember there are factors that influence on a person’s ability to cope with sensory input, such as:

The environment they are in
What is going on around them at a given time
If they are feeling tired, stressed, hungry or unwell

Children may present with different types of sensory needs and if their sensory needs are not supported effectively this can lead to feelings of overwhelm, and may cause sensory meltdowns. Young people often know what they need and give clues of what sensory input they are seeking or are unable to cope with through verbal or non-verbal cues.

Often sensory differences are categorised into two groups:

Hyper (over) sensitive – easily stimulated and may experience:

Dislike of touch / texture experiences, e.g. messy play, physical contact
Dislike of loud sudden noises
Dislike of bright lights
Avoidance of playground equipment e.g. swings and slides
Avoidance of certain foods or food texture, colours, temperatures
Dislike or avoidance of certain smells

These reactions may cause:

A low pain threshold
Uncoordinated movements
Withdrawal from activities
Discomfort and confusion
Fleeing without regard to safety
Covering of eyes or ears frequently
Picky food preferences

Hypersensitive people can appear to be ‘avoiding’ activities and experiences. They will have trouble suppressing information they receive and may feel overloaded, which can cause distress.

Hypo (under) sensitive –not so easily stimulated and may experience:

Appear to have no fear or does not feel pain
Seeks movement or touch opportunities (fidgets, rocks, jumps, leans on peers, runs around)
Mouths or chews things
Poor attention / unresponsive to the environment or people around them
Distractible / over-excited
Lack of energy

These reactions may cause:

A high pain threshold
Bumping into walls
Touching things
Putting things into their mouth
Giving bear hugs
Crashing into other people or things

Hyposensitive young people seek sensory input, interacting with their surroundings to gain sensory feedback. They may appear as hyperactive when they are trying to make their senses engaged. Alternatively, they may lose focus or appear inattentive because they are not receiving enough input to sustain their engagement.

Sensory needs can have an impact on day-to-day life, such as:

Running out of busy places when there are lots of visuals and/or sounds present
Seeking lots of physical movement through the day
Sensitivity to light touch
Seeking heavy touch and hugs
Difficulty with posture and co-ordination
Being overloaded by visual or sound input
Sensory avoiding

Sensory processing difficulties can be evident in a range of conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disability, Neurological disabilities, Developmental Co-ordination Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Global Developmental Delay. However, anyone may have Sensory Processing difficulties.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

An individual’s sensory profile can be over-responsive to some sensory systems and under-responsive in others. Individuals with ASD can present with sensory processing ranging from extreme sensitivities to complete lack of responsiveness to input. Sensory processing may affect participation in daily occupations such as self-care. Many children with ASD have difficulty with ideation praxis – important to initiate new solo tasks – and as a result can prefer known routines.

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)

Hyperactivity and impulsivity can be symptoms of Sensory Processing difficulties as well as ADHD. Those with ADHD or other neurodevelopmental disorders are more likely to exhibit signs of sensory overload, such as screaming, crying, kicking, or trying to hide.

Learning Disabilities (LD)

Effective processing of sensory information as we receive it can be challenging and may be even more challenging for an individual with a learning disability. We have to learn how to filter through sensory information to distinguish what is important and what to ignore. Some young people may struggle with this filtering process.

When to consider asking for more specialist help

If you feel your child has sensory processing difficulties that are having a direct impact on their ability to cope with their environment and daily activities, please discuss this with your School, GP, or other Health Professional.