Signs and Symptoms of Sensory Processing Issues
Sensory Over-responsive
A child who is sensory over-responsive is sensitive to sensations e.g. sights, sounds, touch, movement, smells and taste. They neurologically respond too much, too frequently or for too long to sensory stimuli. This can lead to sensory overload and sensory meltdowns which are out of the child’s control and very different from tantrums. When a child is overwhelmed by sensory stimulation the behaviours you might see:
Upset by unexpected changes
Aggressive or impulsive
Irritable, fussy and moody
Unsociable, avoids group activities and has trouble forming friendships
Excessively cautious and afraid to try new things
Holds hands over ears to protect themself from loud sounds
Difficulty completing work if there is too much background noise
Sensitive to certain clothing textures, labels and seams in socks, pants
Reacts negatively to textures on hands such as paint, crumbs and dirt
Gags on textured foods and avoids certain tastes/smells
Becomes anxious or distressed when their feet leave the ground and avoids climbing, jumping and playground equipment that require movement e.g. swings and slides
Often labeled a “fussy baby” or “difficult”
These children benefit from less sensory information in their environment, an appropriate amount of “personal space”and a calming place to retreat to when things get too overwhelming.
Sensory Under-responsive
This is when the child is less sensitive to and less aware of sensory stimuli than most children. When in the presence of sensations, the behaviours you might see are:
Passive, quiet, withdrawn or lethargic
Difficulty engaging in conversations or other social interactions
Easily lost in their own fantasy world
Excessively slow to complete tasks
Difficulty responding to directions and needs them to be repeated
Can be non-responsive when having their name called
May seem oblivious to details of objects and the surrounding environment
Tends to slump or lean on walls, chairs, desk and other furniture
Prefers sedentary activities such as watching TV, or sitting around
Poor internal drive, uninterested in exploring games or objects or the world around him/ her
These children benefit from a lot of sensory experiences and opportunities to explore sensory materials throughout the day. This helps them attend to and engage in learning.
Sensory Seeking
Seems to want much more sensory stimuli than most children but can become more dysregulated when they get more of it. The problem with seeking is the child’s brain “tricks” them to feel they must obtain the sensation. It assigns significant importance to it and they will do it harder, faster, again and again. They often seek movement, physical contact and pressure. But sometimes what the child is seeking is not nourishing for development. Here are some behaviours you might see:
Constantly wants control over every situation
Does not wait for their turn, interrupts constantly
Smells people, objects and animals
Desire to mouth, bite or chew on non-food items e.g. clothing, toys beyond appropriate developmental stages
Attracted to watching flickering lights
Gazes at spinning objects for long periods of time
Tends to make noises while doing other tasks
Obsessed with excessive jumping, bumping and crashing activities
Enjoys entering and crawling or squeezing through small places
Bumps into objects and people a lot
Frequently falls on the floor and rolls around intentionally
Angry or even explosive when required to sit still or stop what he is doing
Since these children are not passive, giving them more stimulation can be disorgansing. Sensory seekers greatly benefit from more treatment in Sensory Integration therapy.
