Parents often wonder why their child seems to struggle to control their behavior or emotions. What we’ve noticed in pediatric therapy is that, a lot of times, these challenges are caused by difficulties with sensory processing.
Today, we’re going to cover what sensory processing is, signs that your child has trouble with sensory processing, and simple things that you can do to help them feel more regulated, comfortable, and in control of their environment.
What Is Sensory Processing?
Sensory processing is the way that your brain receives signals from your environment and makes sense of them. A simple example of this is if you step outside when it’s cold, your body will feel cold. Your brain has registered the temperature and how it’s affecting your body. Then you know, “I need to grab a sweater.”
Sensory processing involves the five basic senses that everybody knows about: sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing. But there are other senses that you have that you may not know about, such as:
- Proprioception: awareness of your body’s position and movement in space
- Vestibular sense: your sense of balance and coordination
- Interoception: awareness of what’s going on inside your body, like hunger or thirst
Signs that a Child Has Trouble with Sensory Processing
Children who have trouble with sensory processing will either be hypersensitive, which means that they are overly sensitive to things in their environment; or they may be hyposensitive, which means that they are not quite sensitive enough to what’s going on in their environment.
Signs of Hypersensitivity
Children who are hypersensitive might:
- Be clumsy or accident prone
- Cover their eyes from lights
- Cover their ears from sounds
- Dislike being touched
- Be very picky about the texture of their clothes
- Be very picky eaters
Signs of Hyposensitivity
Children who are hyposensitive, on the other hand, tend to:
- Be very active and rambunctious
- Have a high pain threshold
- Constantly touch things around them
- Put things in their mouths
- Disregard others’ personal space
- Be constantly in motion
- Crash into objects often
- Take part in dangerous or thrill-seeking activities
Tips to Help Your Child When They Feel Dysregulated
Sensory dysregulation is when a child gets overstimulated or under-stimulated by either too much or too little sensory input from their environment. When a child is dysregulated, it may be difficult for them to calm down after they get upset or excited.
Here are some simple tips that you can use to help your child stay regulated.
Be Aware of What Causes Your Child to Feel Dysregulated
To help your child stay regulated, you have to know what causes them to feel dysregulated in the first place. For example, if you know that your child tends to get overwhelmed when they are in places with bright lights, loud sounds or large crowds, you can help by:
- Talking with them beforehand to prepare them for the environment.
- Providing tools like sunglasses or noise-canceling headphones.
- Keeping them in a safe, contained space like a shopping cart to limit exposure to crowds.
It’s important that when your child is feeling dysregulated that you do your best to stay calm and patient. This can help them feel more secure because they know that you are on their side.
Try to Maintain Routines So Your Child Knows What to Expect
A predictable routine helps children with sensory challenges feel safe and prepared for what’s next. For example, if you keep a consistent schedule for meals, bedtime and other activities, that can help reduce anxiety and make it easier for your child to handle their environment.
If you know that you have to deviate from the schedule, you should prepare your child in advance as much as possible to let them know what’s going to happen and offer support.
Offer a Sensory Space for Hypersensitive Children
For children who are hypersensitive, you might create a sensory-friendly room in your home where they can go to relax when they’re feeling overwhelmed. It can be a room with dim lighting, soft blankets and pillows, and a low noise level.
Give Hyposensitive Children an Outlet
For children who are hyposensitive, you might add activities to your daily schedule to give them the stimulation they need, such as:
- Doing obstacle courses
- Jumping on a trampoline or ball
- Playing at the park
- Joining a team sport
Create a Sensory Diet for Your Child
Once you’ve pinpointed what causes your child to feel dysregulated, you will be able to create a sensory diet, which is basically a prescription of activities that a child does to help them keep their body feeling regulated. The same way you might need your morning coffee to feel ready for the workday, your child might need to spend quiet time under a weighted blanket after school to decompress.
Understand That Every Child Is Different
It’s important to remember that every child is different, and what works for one child may not necessarily work for another. This can be true even for children in the same household. What helped your older child feel calm may not necessarily work for your younger child.
Reach Out to First Steps for Expert Support
Helping your child navigate their sensory needs can transform their ability to regulate their emotions and behavior. If you’d like personalized guidance, our team at First Steps Pediatric Therapy is here to help. Our occupational, physical, and speech therapists specialize in creating individualized plans to support sensory regulation and overall development.
Call us today at (720) 989-0179 to schedule an evaluation and help your child take their first steps toward a brighter future.
