Sensory Processing Difficulties

What are sensory processing difficulties?

Every second, our brains receive information from our senses.

The brain has to notice this information, work out what is important and decide how the body should respond.

For some people, this sensory information is processed differently.

Sounds might feel painfully loud. A light touch might feel unbearable. Clothing might feel uncomfortable against the skin. Movement might be needed in order to concentrate.

Other sensations may hardly be noticed at all.

These differences are often described as sensory processing difficulties or sensory processing differences.

Sensory differences are particularly common in autistic people and can also occur alongside conditions such as ADHD. Sensory sensitivities are included within the diagnostic criteria for autism.

We have more than five senses

We often learn about five senses:

Sight – what we see.

Hearing – what we hear.

Touch – what we feel against our skin.

Taste – what we taste.

Smell – what we smell.

But our bodies use other sensory systems too.

Vestibular sense helps us understand movement and balance.

Proprioception gives us information about the position and movement of our body.

Interoception helps us notice what is happening inside our body, such as hunger, thirst, needing the toilet, temperature and changes in our heartbeat.

These less obvious senses can have a huge effect on someone's comfort, regulation and everyday life.

Sensory sensitivity

Someone can be hypersensitive, sometimes called sensory avoiding.

This means their brain may notice sensory information very strongly.

Something that feels ordinary to somebody else might feel intense, uncomfortable or even painful.

For example, someone might:

• cover their ears around certain sounds

• dislike bright or fluorescent lights

• struggle with clothing seams or labels

• dislike being unexpectedly touched

• notice smells that other people barely detect

• find certain food textures unbearable

• become overwhelmed in busy environments.

This is not somebody being fussy or dramatic.

Their experience of that sensation may genuinely be very different.

Sensory seeking

Sometimes a person needs more sensory information to feel comfortable or regulated.

This is often called sensory seeking.

Someone might:

rock, bounce, spin, chew, climb, crash into cushions, touch objects, make sounds, fiddle with things or seek strong flavours and textures.

Movement can also help some people concentrate and regulate their bodies.

Sensory-seeking behaviour is not automatically something that needs to be stopped.

Instead, we can ask:

“What sensory need is this meeting?”

Then we can find safe and appropriate ways for the person to access that sensory input.

Sensory under-responsivity

Some sensory information may not register as strongly as expected.

A person might:

not notice that their hands are dirty,

seem unaware of minor injuries,

not notice when somebody calls their name,

need stronger flavours,

or seek lots of movement before their body feels settled.

Someone can also be very sensitive to one type of sensory information and under-responsive to another.

Sensory processing is not simply a choice between being “sensitive” or “not sensitive”.

Hearing

Everyday sounds can be extremely difficult for someone with auditory sensitivity.

This might include:

hand dryers, vacuum cleaners, alarms, school bells, babies crying, dogs barking, people eating, scraping chairs or several conversations happening at once.

A busy classroom may require the brain to process the teacher's voice, children talking, chairs moving, footsteps, equipment and noises outside all at the same time.

The person may struggle to filter out the sounds that are not important.

Helpful adjustments can include ear defenders, noise-reducing headphones, quieter spaces and reducing unnecessary background noise.

Sight

Visual information can also become overwhelming.

Someone might struggle with:

bright lights, fluorescent lighting, flashing images, clutter, busy displays, crowded rooms or lots of movement around them.

A classroom covered with brightly coloured displays may look exciting to one child while being visually exhausting to another.

Reducing clutter and creating calm spaces can make it easier for the brain to decide where to focus.

Touch

Touch sensitivity can affect many parts of everyday life.

Someone might struggle with:

clothing labels, seams, socks, shoes, hair brushing, haircuts, toothbrushing, showers, messy play or unexpected physical contact.

They may tolerate touch when they initiate it but find unexpected touch extremely uncomfortable.

This is important when thinking about personal boundaries.

Someone who dislikes hugs is not necessarily rejecting affection.

They may simply prefer affection to be communicated differently.

Taste and food

Sensory differences can have a significant effect on eating.

Food involves several senses at once:

taste, smell, texture, temperature, appearance and sound.

Someone may be able to eat a particular food prepared one way but not another.

A different brand, shape or texture can make a familiar food feel completely different.

Sensory-based food difficulties are not necessarily someone simply being a “picky eater”.

Pressure to eat can sometimes increase anxiety and distress around food.

Smell

Some people notice smells extremely strongly.

Perfume, deodorant, cleaning products, food, classrooms, toilets or other people's clothing may become overwhelming.

A smell that another person barely notices might make someone feel nauseous, distracted or desperate to leave.

Others may seek strong smells because they find them enjoyable or regulating.

Movement and balance

The vestibular system helps the brain understand movement, balance and where the head is in relation to the body.

Someone might seek lots of:

spinning, swinging, rocking, bouncing or climbing.

Another person might dislike movement and feel unsafe on:

swings, escalators, climbing equipment or uneven surfaces.

Both can reflect differences in sensory processing.

Proprioception

Proprioception tells us where our body is and how much force we are using.

Some people seek activities involving pushing, pulling, squeezing, carrying or resistance.

They might enjoy:

carrying something heavy,

pushing against a wall,

jumping,

climbing,

squeezing cushions,

or wrapping themselves tightly in a blanket.

This type of input can feel organising and regulating for some people.

Interoception

Interoception helps us notice signals from inside our bodies.

These signals can include:

hunger, thirst, tiredness, pain, temperature, needing the toilet and changes in heartbeat or breathing.

Someone with interoceptive differences may not realise that they are hungry until they are extremely hungry.

They might not notice that they need the toilet until it becomes urgent.

They may also find it difficult to recognise the physical signals connected with emotions.

For example, recognising a racing heart and tight chest as signs that they are becoming anxious may not happen automatically.

Sensory overload

Sometimes the brain receives more sensory information than it can manage.

This is called sensory overload.

Imagine trying to listen to somebody while music is playing loudly, lights are flashing, somebody is touching your arm, your clothes feel uncomfortable and several other conversations are happening around you.

Now imagine being unable to turn any of it down.

Sensory overload can cause significant distress.

Someone might:

cover their ears, close their eyes, escape, cry, shout, become agitated, stop communicating, freeze or shut down.

The priority should be to reduce the sensory input and help the person feel safe.

Meltdowns and shutdowns

Sensory overload can sometimes contribute to a meltdown or shutdown.

A meltdown happens when somebody becomes so overwhelmed that they temporarily lose the ability to regulate their response.

A shutdown may look quieter. Someone might withdraw, become very still, stop speaking or struggle to respond.

Neither is simply bad behaviour.

By the time somebody reaches this point, their nervous system may already be overwhelmed.

Reducing demands, providing space and allowing time to recover can be more helpful than asking lots of questions or trying to reason with the person immediately.

Sensory differences can change

A person's sensory needs are not necessarily the same every day.

Someone may usually cope with a noisy room but find the same room unbearable when they are:

tired, hungry, anxious, unwell, already overwhelmed or recovering from a difficult experience.

This can sometimes look inconsistent from the outside.

Being able to tolerate something yesterday does not necessarily mean the person can tolerate it today.

Sensory needs and behaviour

Behaviour can communicate sensory needs.

A child repeatedly leaving a room may be trying to escape overwhelming noise.

Someone chewing their clothing may be seeking oral sensory input.

A person constantly moving may be using movement to help their nervous system regulate.

Instead of only asking:

“How do we stop this behaviour?”

it can be more helpful to ask:

“What is happening around this person, and what might their body need?”

Sensory differences and learning

Sensory processing can have a big effect on learning and concentration.

A child cannot easily concentrate on a maths problem if their brain is also trying to manage a buzzing light, scraping chairs, uncomfortable clothing and people moving around them.

The difficulty may not be with the learning itself.

Changing the sensory environment can sometimes make it much easier for someone to access their learning.

Supporting sensory needs

There is no single sensory strategy that works for everybody.

Helpful adjustments might include:

quiet spaces, ear defenders, softer lighting, comfortable clothing, movement breaks, fidget tools, sensory objects, predictable routines, reduced visual clutter and opportunities to leave overwhelming environments.

Some people benefit from support from an occupational therapist, particularly when sensory differences significantly affect everyday activities.

The important thing is that support should be based on the individual person's sensory profile, rather than assuming everybody needs the same sensory activities.

Sensory tools are tools

Things such as ear defenders, sunglasses, fidget toys, chewable items, movement cushions and comfort objects can help some people regulate.

They are tools rather than rewards.

If someone needs ear defenders to comfortably access an environment, taking them away as a consequence can remove an important regulation strategy.

The same principle applies to movement and sensory breaks.

Someone should not have to become completely overwhelmed before they are allowed to meet a recognised sensory need.

Sensory processing difficulties in the UK

The term Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is widely used, particularly by families and some professionals, but it is important to understand its position in the UK.

Sensory processing difficulties are real and can significantly affect everyday life, but Sensory Processing Disorder is not generally used as a standalone medical diagnosis within the main international diagnostic systems used by UK health services.

Instead, sensory differences may be identified as part of someone's wider needs or alongside another diagnosis such as autism or ADHD.

A person does not need to have autism to experience sensory processing difficulties.

If sensory differences are substantially affecting a child's everyday life, families can speak to professionals involved with the child, such as their GP, school or SENCO, about appropriate support and whether further assessment or occupational therapy input may be useful.

Creating sensory-friendly environments

A sensory-friendly environment does not need to contain lots of specialist equipment.

Often, small changes can make an enormous difference.

Think about:

noise

lighting

temperature

smells

clothing

crowding

visual clutter

movement opportunities

and whether the person has somewhere they can go when things become too much.

Most importantly, involve the person themselves whenever possible.

What feels calming to one person may feel unpleasant to somebody else.

Sensory support should be individual.

Remember

Sensory distress is real.

Different people experience the same environment differently.

Sensory seeking is often meeting a need.

Movement can support regulation and concentration.

Sensory tools are tools, not rewards.

Needs can change from one day to another.

Removing the source of distress can be more helpful than trying to change the person's reaction to it.

And sometimes what looks like behaviour from the outside is actually a nervous system saying:

“This is too much.” 💜