In Part 1 of this series, I talked about how my journey with sensory processing began when I discovered that my youngest daughter had some sensory differences that were making it hard for her to learn some school readiness skills. I also talked about the three main sensory preferences, and the realization that we ALL have a sensory preference. Being aware of my own and my older daughter's, along with my younger daughter's, and how they color our perceptions has been a game changer.
Today I'm going to talk about the major sensory systems and what you need to know about them.
Most of us learned about the five senses when we were little. Occupational therapists like to talk about seven senses.
1. Vision. Just like they taught you in kindergarten, this is the way your brain perceives visual input. People who are avoidant in this area tend to be bothered by bright lights, crowds, and movement. This could by why your child always has a meltdown in Target. People who are seekers in this area tend to crave these things. It's also important to be aware that low registration in this area can make it hard for kids (and adults) to notice some visual things, which can make reading and writing difficult.
2. Sound. If you avoid sound (like me!!), you may find yourself wanting to wear earphones in public places. My daughter seeks sound, so she's always talking or humming. Kids who have low registration for sound are often accused of not paying attention when really it's just that they have a hard time distinguishing the speaker's words from background noise.
3. Touch. My seeker daughter touches EVERYTHING. We took her furniture shopping once, and i nearly had a heart attack watching her feel all the sofas until she found a swatch book and was in heaven. The first time I ever heard of sensory issues was with kids with touch avoidance. These kids hate being messy; it actually seems to cause them pain. They may also be bothered by tags and seams on clothing, and they are often picky eaters.
4 and 5. Taste and smell. People can definitely seek and avoid these two senses too, but it isn't as common as the other 3.
And now for the two senses you might not have heard of.
6. Proprioception is the sensation of your body's position in space. The input for this comes primarily from your muscles and joints. We feel proprioception as deep pressure, which can come in the form of pressure from the ground when you run and jump, from a bar when you hang, or from compression clothing or heavy weights. To simplify this a little, it is pretty rare for someone to avoid proprioceptive input. It's calming and organizing to the brain for almost everyone. This is why you see weighted blankets now marketed as stress reducers. Kids who are proprioceptive seekers will crash into things constantly. Kids who have low registration in proprioception will fall down a lot or seek extra input by leaning on walls when they walk. I live on this list of Proprioceptive Activities from Alisha at Your Kids Table. I think these activities are helpful for almost everyone but especially if you have a kid who has high needs in this area.
7. Vestibular is the sense of your body moving. This is the feeling you get on a roller coaster or when you're spinning. Some kids HATE the feeling of motion when they're swinging or riding a bike fast and other kids could swing or spin all day. Finding ways to proactively meet these needs for motion before you expect your kids to sit still for any period of time can be a life saver.
Overwhelmed yet? Questions?
For more reading from people who know way more about this stuff than I do, check out these great resources:
Sensory Basics from Your Kids Table
The OT Toolbox
What is sensory? from Miss Jaime OT
Repeated disclaimer: I am not a doctor or an occupational therapist, I've just read lots of great stuff from people who are and wanted to share what I've learned. If your kids are struggling, get them evaluated. Help is always good.
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