“It is a daily struggle to get my son to brush his teeth.”
”My daughter has a huge meltdown any time we go to a crowded place.”
”My child plays too rough with other kids, and can’t seem to get out of their personal space.”
”We spend forever trying to find clothes my child is willing to wear, because nothing feels ‘right’ to him.”
Do any of these sound familiar to you? Concerns like these bring many families to a child counselor’s office, because they can really get in the way of a child’s life and cause stress for the whole family. But how can you know if your child’s behavior are caused by emotional struggles like anxiety, or by sensory issues? In this post, I’ll be talking about common signs of sensory processing difficulties that might show up as behavioral or emotional problems.
What Are Sensory Processing Issues, Exactly?
“Sensory processing” describes the way that our brain and nervous system deals with the information we receive through our senses. We take in sensory information all day long through our eyes, ears, noses, mouths and hands, and special receptors pass along this information to the brain, which interprets the information and decides how important it is. For most of us, this all happens pretty easily: our brains can manage the amount of sensory information they’re receiving, and know just how to handle the information when it arrives.
For some people, though, this process isn’t quite so easy. They may be easily overwhelmed by the sensory information they’re receiving, which is called hypersensitivity. They may crave more sensory information and not be getting enough, called hyposensitivity. Or, they may have a hard time organizing information from different senses and keeping it all in sync, a process called sensory integration. This kind of trouble with sensory information is more common than you might think: it likely affects between 5 and 15% of kids.
How do Sensory Processing Issues Affect Kids?
Sensory processing issues can affect any of the 5 senses we are all familiar with—sight, hearing, sound, taste, and smell—but it can also have an impact on 3 additional senses you may not have heard of before. These senses are:
Proprioception: Our sense of where our body is in space, and what our body is doing.
Vestibular: Our sense of balance and movement, which is controlled by the inner ear.
Interoception: Our awareness of sensations inside our bodies, like heartbeat and hunger.
We may not always be totally aware of these senses: for example, proprioception helps us to move around easily while we focus on other things, and our vestibular system keeps us balanced as we go about our day. When one of these senses is not being processed well, it can cause problems for a child.
When Sensory Hypersensitivity Looks Like Emotional Problems
Children who are hypersensitive are more easily affected by information from at least one of the senses. This means they can get easily overwhelmed by sensory experiences that might not seem like a big deal to others, which can lead to outbursts, meltdowns, or avoidance of certain tasks that might look a lot like anxiety or behavior problems. Here are a few ways hypersensitivity commonly shows up that might look like an emotional issue:
Extremely picky eating
Tantrums and meltdowns that seem to come out of nowhere, but mainly happen in loud or overstimulating places
Abruptly running away from caregivers, which can be a safety risk
Being very sensitive to the fit and texture of clothing, for example, refusing to wear anything with a tag or anything that feels “wrong”
Refusing to brush their teeth or hair, or avoiding other activities that involve the senses, like haircuts
Not enjoying cuddles or touch, especially when it’s unexpected
Fear of swings, slides, or other activities that involve movement
When Sensory Hyposensitivity Looks Like Behavioral Problems
Kids who are hyposensitive react less strongly to sensory input than other people, meaning they often feel understimulated and crave more sensory input. These children often engage in “sensory seeking” behavior, meaning they deliberately try to get more of the sensory experiences they lack. Sensory seeking can look a lot like aggression or hyperactivity, and it may be hard to figure out the root cause of a child’s behavior at first glance. Here are a few examples of hyposensitivity that might resemble emotional symptoms:
Speaking too loudly, or craving loud music or TV
Not giving people enough personal space
Seemingly in constant motion, with difficulty sitting still
Lack of awareness of their own strength, which leads to being too rough with others
Touching people (hugging, holding hands, sitting in laps) even when it isn’t socially appropriate
Very drawn to rough-and-tumble play, like crashing into furniture and jumping off things
Doesn’t appear sensitive to pain
Frequent chewing on objects, thumb-sucking, or nail-biting
How to Get Help for a Child with Sensory Issues
If you suspect your child has issues with sensory processing, it’s worth bringing up with your child’s pediatrician and school. Often, schools can help children to get evaluated for sensory processing issues for free. Teachers might also have good insight into your child’s behavior at school, and your pediatrician may recommend skills to try at home before reaching out to another professional for help.
If you do decide to get professional help for sensory issues, an occupational therapist can help. Occupational therapists use an activity-based approach to help children better process sensory information and practice life skills. Kids often participate in occupational therapy in a “sensory gym”, and the process is a bit like play therapy in that it non-invasive and often fun for children. Through OT, kids learn exercises they can practice at home to get used to different sensory experiences.
Sometimes children with sensory difficulties benefit from counseling, as well. Many (but not all) kids with sensory processing difficulties also have anxiety, ADHD, or fall somewhere on the autism spectrum. You can learn more about my online therapy with children by contacting me here.
