Sensory guide for children

Our eight senses

Sight

If your child is oversensitive (hypersensitive) to visual input, they may get distressed by bright lights, as it could be difficult for them to look at. 

Alternatively, they may be under-responsive (hyposensitive) or under-sensitive to visual input. In this case it may be a struggle to get them focus. 

Some things you can do to manage sight sensitivity are: 

• dimming the lighting.  
• use sunglasses to reduce glare when you’re out and about outside, or encourage your child to wear a baseball cap.
• reduce the brightness on any screens.
• blackout blinds could help with sleeping.

Sound

They may be hyposensitive (lack of stimulation) or hypersensitive (physical sensitivity) to sound which they may or may not respond to. Your child might enjoy loud noises, this could lead to them seeking sensory input, whether this is in the form of loud music or verbalising making noises. Headphones can be useful for reducing background noise if your child is overwhelmed with noise. However, using headphones near public near roads can be dangerous in case they do not hear cars or emergency vehicles. Overuse of headphones can lead to your child becoming isolated from the environment and reliant on headphones.

• Reduce the sound within your environment as much as 
• possible. This could even be something as simple as remembering to turn the extractor fan off after cooking. Turn the TV off if the young person appears overwhelmed.

Smell

Physical sensation (hypersensitivity) to smell can be difficult. Even a relaxing bath can be overstimulating for your child. Suddenly their brain might be unable to process any other information because the strong smell. 

This can also be dangerous if they are hyposensitive to smells and may have a very limited sense of smell.  Some smells can signify danger, such as a fire, and your child could be unable to react as they are overwhelmed.

• use unscented body care items, such as shower gel and moisturiser or use smelly bubble bath if seeking a sensory stimulation.
• remove scented air fresheners/diffusers.

Touch

If your child is hypersensitive to touch, this can be a daily struggle. This can make choosing clothes tricky as your child may be irritated by fabrics, and brushing or washing could feel painful. Textures with foods can also be difficult to manage and some children may prefer a bland dry diet.

If your child is hyposensitive to touch, they may have a very high pain threshold and they may not realise that they are hurting themselves, this can be distressing to see. They may eat inedible objects or might enjoy the feeling of pressure being applied. 

• Some things that can help touch sensitivity are:
• buying seam-free clothing and removing labels from clothes. 
• fidget toys can distract a child seeking sensations from touch.

Taste

Some children may enjoy very strong flavours or eat objects which are inedible or dangerous. If they are hypersensitive this can affect what food and diet, they want to eat. For example, they might not like spicy foods. Sometimes this changes as they get older. 

The issue could be sensory differences in relation to food, which includes taste, texture, and smell. Try not to add pressure to your child and you. Seek advice from your GP if you are worried around diet.
 

Vestibular

The vestibular system is part of the structure within the inner ear. It is our balance and movement sense. It tells us where our body is in relation to gravity, where it is moving and how fast. The movement receptors are in the inner ear and are important for body posture, muscle tone and bilateral integration (the ability to coordinate both sides of the body together).

Things that may help with movement:

• sensory breaks such as walking your child on a curb or line (or a balance beam). 
• walk on the couch cushions or across a bed. 
• balance across an obstacle course.
• try some stretches or yoga poses. 
• riding a bike.
• playing head, shoulders, knees and toes.

Proprioception

The proprioceptive system is one of the lesser-known senses. It is our sense of body awareness. Messages from muscles, joint capsules (a fibrous connective tissue between bones), and tendons provide information about where our body is in space, how it is moving (direction, speed and force) without using vision. It is proprioception that allows us to move our hands carefully without having to observe every movement.

Things that may help with propriception:

• sensory breaks such as weight bearing activities, for example crawling, push-ups. 
• resistance activities such as pushing/pulling. 
• heavy lifting, such as carrying books. 
• cardiovascular activities such as running, jumping on a trampoline. 
• oral activities such as chewing, blowing bubbles. 
• deep pressure such as tight hugs.

Interoception 

Interoception is sensation related to physiological/physical condition of the body. It detects responses that guide regulation such as hunger, thirst, heart rate, the need to use the toilet, the need to breathe, and itching.

Things that can help with interoception:

• yoga – this focuses on listening to your body and providing good proprioceptive and vestibular input. 
• mindfulness – this gives the person time to focus on their body and emotional state. Useful for older children.
• breathing exercises. 
• heavy work activities – these involve large muscles of the body, such as getting a child to carry something heavy.
• heat/temperature activities, such as ice balloons and hand warmers.

Date of publication: 31/08/2024
Reference code: PIL242/IND022
Review date: 01/09/2027