Sensory processing differences in children: a plain-language guide for parents
The tags in clothes that feel unbearable. The lunchbox that comes home uneaten because the school hall is too loud. The child who covers their ears at birthday parties, or who crashes into furniture and seems to barely notice. The one who hates the feel of grass under bare feet, or who seeks out deep pressure constantly, climbing on everything, never still.
If any of these sound familiar, sensory processing differences may be part of the picture.
What sensory processing actually is
Our nervous systems are constantly receiving information from the world around us — and from within our own bodies. Sensory processing is the way the brain takes in, organises and responds to all of that information.
For most people, this happens largely automatically. For children with sensory processing differences, the system works differently — information may be processed more intensely, less intensely, or in ways that lead to unexpected responses to ordinary experiences.
Importantly, this is not a behaviour problem. It's a neurological difference in how the nervous system handles input.
The eight senses — including the ones you weren't taught in school
Most of us learned about five senses. In sensory processing, we work with eight:
• Sight — visual input, light sensitivity, visual clutter
• Sound — auditory processing, sensitivity to volume, pitch or background noise
• Touch (tactile) — texture, temperature, pain, the feel of clothing or food
• Smell and taste — often closely linked, can be intense and difficult to modulate
• Proprioception — the sense of where your body is in space, provided by muscles and joints. Children who seek heavy work, climbing or crashing are often seeking proprioceptive input.
• Vestibular — the sense of movement and balance, located in the inner ear. Children who spin constantly or hate swings may have vestibular differences.
• Interoception — the sense of what's happening inside your body: hunger, thirst, the need to use the bathroom, heartbeat, temperature. Children with interoceptive differences may not notice they're hungry or tired until they're in crisis.
Understanding which senses are affected — and how — is the first step in building genuinely useful support.
Sensory seeking vs. sensory avoiding
Sensory differences can show up in two broad patterns — though many children experience both in different sensory systems:
Sensory seeking — the child seems to need more input than the environment naturally provides. They seek out movement, crash into things, touch everything, make loud noises, or crave strong flavours and textures.
Sensory avoiding — the child is overwhelmed by input that others barely notice. Tags, seams, certain sounds, crowds, unexpected touch, or specific smells can be genuinely distressing rather than mildly annoying.
Neither pattern is 'worse' than the other, and neither means the child is being difficult. Both are simply nervous systems trying to manage an input level that doesn't match what they need.
What to look for in everyday life
Signs of sensory processing differences can show up across home, school and community:
• Meltdowns or shutdowns in busy, loud or unpredictable environments
• Strong reactions to clothing — particularly tags, seams, tight waistbands or certain fabrics
• Extreme food preferences driven by texture, temperature or smell rather than taste alone
• Difficulty with transitions, particularly when moving from a preferred sensory environment
• Constant movement-seeking — spinning, jumping, hanging upside down
• Covering ears, eyes or seeking dark, quiet spaces
• Seeming not to notice bumps, bruises or temperature extremes
These aren't red flags in isolation — many children have some of these experiences. They become worth exploring when they're consistently affecting daily life, learning or participation.
How OT can help
Occupational therapists with training in sensory processing can assess how a child is processing sensory information across each system, and work with families to develop support that fits their everyday life.
This might include:
• A sensory profile — understanding which senses are affected and how
• Environmental modifications at home, school or childcare
• A sensory diet — a personalised schedule of sensory activities that help the child stay regulated throughout the day
• Working with teachers and educators to make adjustments in the classroom
• Supporting parents to understand what they're seeing and respond in ways that help
Sensory support doesn't involve pushing children through discomfort. It involves understanding their nervous system and creating conditions in which they can participate, learn and feel safe.
If you think sensory processing differences might be affecting your child's daily life, we'd love to talk. A free discovery call is a good place to start.