Sensory Processing and Reactions Challenges
What are some challenges?
Differences in sensory processing: How you receive information through your senses, organize that information, and use it in your everyday life.
Differences in response to sensory information: Information from all your senses.
Sensory aversive: More easily overwhelmed by small amounts of sensory information.
Sensory seeking: May not recognize extreme sensations such as pain.
What does this look like?
Challenges recognizing individual sounds within crowded scenes. You might not hear when a parent or teacher calls you.
It is challenging to hear when someone is speaking in a crowd.
Reacting negatively to loud noises, bright lights, and heights.
Reacting negatively to specific food textures. Example: You’re a picky eater because you dislike how something feels in your mouth.
You cannot stand to wear clothes that itch, tags bother them, and seams in socks irritate you.
You feel the need to touch everything
You seek thrills (jumping) and visual simulation (electronics).
Possible diagnoses:
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Asperger’s Syndrome
ADHD
NVLD
Possible Interventions
Practice mindfulness and/or work with a therapist to gain awareness of specific triggers and try to reduce or avoid them. This helps avoid arguments over situations like hair brushing and itchy clothing.
Occupational therapy for sensory processing.
Click on these links for references on interventions and conditions.