Before we become parents, most of us have some general ideas of behaviors to expect from our future children. For the most part, those ideas can provide some guidance as long as we recognize the range of individual differences that children can have.
What happens when children begin to display behaviors that seem outside the usual responses observed in other children? Most parents will start looking for answers as to why their children respond differently and what this means for their future development. One area where such differences are frequently noticed is the processing of sensory information, and the earlier serious differences are discovered and mitigated, the better the outcome for the child. This is one reason newborns are tested for hearing abilities, and visual tracking is tested in well-child visits in the early weeks of life.
However, evaluating these two systems is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of processing differences. Individuals can have normal vision and hearing and still have difficulties with how their brains perceive and interpret that sensory information. The neural pathways of such individuals develop differently from those who perceive and interpret sensory input in what is considered more “typical” ways.
Individuals who display processing differences or difficulties are described in various ways. The most common grouping is that of “over-sensitivity versus under-sensitivity”, meaning the individual requires either lower levels of stimulus or much higher levels to respond appropriately. Sometimes the terms “over-responder” and “under-responder” are used to describe a child. A child who is over-sensitive to certain sounds cannot tolerate the same intensity of noise or music that other children enjoy. This sensitivity can result in screaming, withdrawing, or aggression toward the source of discomfort. On the other hand, an under-sensitive child would require a louder sound that most individuals would find unpleasant or even painful.
These differences in sensitivity are the result of how the brain deals with input. It is likely that most of these have a genetic basis that may have been affected by events during pregnancy, birth, or early childhood. Premature birth, for example, is associated with a greater number of sensory processing differences and difficulties. Sensory processing differences only become a concern when they interfere with the child’s functioning in daily life. If children have noticeable sensitivity in one area, they should be evaluated by a trained professional to determine if they have processing issues in other areas that haven’t been observed yet. Occupational therapists are highly trained to assess all areas of sensory and motor functioning as well as develop exercise strategies to work around the processing difficulty to accomplish more effective performance of daily tasks.
Children can be over- or under-sensitive in the areas of taste and smell, too, and this sometimes can contribute to avoidance of certain foods and the label of being a “picky eater.” With eating, sensitivity to certain foods can also lead to avoidance and problematic eating. Some individuals react very strongly to certain textures, and careful, non-judgmental questions about the rejected foods can sometimes lead to different methods of preparation so that a wider variety of foods is eaten. Parents can start by saying something like “Can you tell me what you don’t like about it?” If they say “Everything”, respond with more statements about taste, appearance, the way it feels in their mouths, or smell. Ask them if they can think of another way to prepare it that might taste better.
Parental awareness of sensory processing differences makes working with their sensory-sensitive children much easier. They can provide headsets or earbuds for their hearing under-responding children to enjoy music and programs at the level they require without causing family disruption over the sound level. The same rationale applies to all the other senses as well. An over-sensitive sense of taste or smell is going to result in strong reactions to items that the average person hardly notices.
The level of light brightness can be an issue for individuals who have visual sensitivities. What feels like a blinding light to an over-sensitive person may be experienced as too dim to read anything to an under-sensitive one. These differences can generate friction in families when they are not understood as neural processing patterns outside of voluntary control.
Fortunately, more parents have become aware that many children are highly sensitive to touch and can react negatively to the way certain clothes or materials feel against their bodies. Knowing this, they happily cut the tags out of shirts or buy ones that have no tags or try to provide clothing in the kind of fabrics that feel good against the children’s skin. Touch sensitivity can apply to items of furniture or household linens as well as reactions to the chemicals in laundry detergent, fabric softeners, and dryer sheets. Individuals don’t have to develop rashes to be uncomfortable with the feel of these residues against their skin.
There are many more sensory processing differences that can disrupt a child’s life as well as the life of the family, which are beyond the scope of this blog. An excellent overview for parents who might recognize some of these situations in their child or children is listed below.
Resources:
Kranowitz, Carol Stock. The Out-Of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Differences. 3rd edition, 2022, TarcherPerigee. (Available on Amazon)
Greene, Ross W. The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children. 6th edition, 2021, HarperCollins Publishing. (Available on Amazon)
