Ever noticed how your little one squishes slime with their little fingers or remember the first time they tasted lime and made a face? Among the cutest moments isn’t it? Well, these cute moments are also indicators of your little human’s sensory development and processing. Anything and everything they do needs atleast one or two senses. So, why not understand how sensory processing happens in children and how you can support your little one during the early childhood years? 

Sensory processing is key to how kids interact with the world around them, shaping everything from their behavior to how they learn. It's important for parents, teachers, and caregivers to get how each of the seven senses—seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting, balance, and body awareness—plays a role in a child's growth. In this blog, let’s delve into why sensory processing matters, the phases of sensory growth in young kids, signs that a child might have sensory issues, and helpful ways to encourage healthy sensory development. Ready to dive in? Let’s begin. 

Understanding Sensory Processing

Sensory processing is a complex system that involves perceiving, processing, and organizing sensory information to form appropriate responses.  Let’s dive into the seven senses involved in sensory processing:

• Sight

This is all about how we see the world. Our eyes capture light and shapes, which our brain then interprets as images. It’s a key way we navigate and understand our environment.

• Hearing

This sense lets us pick up sounds through our ears. It involves detecting vibrations and turning them into information we can understand, like speech or music.

• Smell

Our nose is the hero here, identifying different scents by detecting molecules in the air. This sense is closely linked to taste and can trigger memories and emotional responses.

• Touch

This sense is spread all over our body through the skin. It lets us feel sensations like pressure, temperature, and pain, helping us understand the physical world directly.

• Taste

Our taste buds detect flavors like sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. It’s essential not just for enjoying food but also for survival, as it helps us avoid spoiled or harmful substances.

• Balance (Vestibular sense)

Located in our inner ear, this sense helps us maintain our balance and posture. It tells us where our body is in space and how it's moving, which is crucial for activities like walking, running, or riding a bike.

• Body Awareness (Proprioceptive sense)

This involves understanding where our body parts are and how they’re moving without having to look at them. It’s key for coordinating movements and maintaining posture.

Alright, this makes sense (pun intended). Now, let’s move ahead and understand the importance of sensory processing more deeply. 

Importance of Sensory Processing

Sensory processing is a key aspect of childhood development that significantly impacts how children understand and interact with their world. From emotional regulation to academic success, the ability to process sensory information effectively plays a crucial role. 

• Early Childhood Development

Sensory processing shapes how children perceive and interact with their surroundings, impacting their overall development.

• Motor Skills Development

Proper proprioception is essential for basic motor skills like walking and running. Insufficient development can lead to challenges in both physical and cognitive activities.

• Emotional Regulation

Strong sensory processing skills enable children to manage emotions more effectively, responding appropriately to different environmental stimuli.

• Behavioral Management

Efficient sensory integration helps maintain calmness and focus, essential for coping with classroom noises and activities. Sensory issues can increase anxiety and disrupt social interactions.

• Self-Awareness and Therapy

Occupational therapy that includes sensory integration techniques can significantly improve self-awareness and emotional management, aiding children in managing stress and anxiety.

• Supportive Learning Environments

Educators can enhance learning by adapting environments to meet diverse sensory needs, incorporating sensory-friendly programs to boost engagement.

• Multisensory Learning

Engaging multiple senses in educational activities helps children process and retain information more effectively, facilitating the understanding of complex concepts.

• Social Development

Effective sensory integration promotes smoother interactions with peers and teachers, fostering a more inclusive and positive learning environment.

Well, this is reason enough for you to focus on your child’s sensory development. Let’s look at the milestones of sensory processing during early childhood. 

Exploring Sensory Processing in Early Childhood

Sensory processing in early childhood is a fascinating journey through which children learn to interpret the world around them. Let’s look at these milestones closely. 

0 to 6 Months

Infants experience rapid growth in sensory abilities. They react to sounds and voices, enhancing their auditory skills. Notably, babies recognize their mother's scent, which bolsters feeding and bonding. Visually, they track moving objects, fostering spatial awareness, and begin to discern temperature differences, boosting tactile skills.

6 to 12 Months

During this phase, infants broaden their sensory skills. They start imitating gestures and achieve full color vision, crucial for visual processing. Depth perception develops, supporting spatial awareness. Experiencing various food textures enriches their taste and smell.

1 to 2 Years

Toddlers enhance their motor skills and coordination through walking and scribbling. They mimic sounds, aiding auditory processing, and start recognizing familiar faces and objects, important for cognitive development. They also learn to distinguish between safe and unsafe objects to chew on.

2 to 3 Years

Toddlers gain independence; they begin toilet training and understanding social concepts like taking turns. Cognitive skills advance as they match shapes and develop food preferences, further refining their sensory processing.

3 to 4 Years

Preschoolers grow in independence and social skills. They identify and name colors, feed themselves more adeptly, and engage in social play, which fosters emotional and social development. They also make strides in dressing themselves, though more complex tasks remain challenging.

4 to 5 Years

This period sees significant cognitive and emotional growth. Preschoolers identify various shapes and exhibit emotional self-regulation. Physically, they display improved balance and coordination, evident in activities like hopping on one foot.

5 to 6 Years

Children start forming simple sentences and grasp time concepts, enhancing their language and cognitive abilities. They prepare for formal schooling, showing the ability to follow structured activities and instructions, setting the foundation for their educational journey ahead.

While every child is different and has their own time of learning things, these milestones can help you track their progress. Now the question is, how do you identify if the child is facing any difficulties in sensory processing. Let’s look at some common signs of these difficulties, so you can reach out for professional help when needed. 

Signs of Sensory Processing Difficulties

According to a study published in PubMed Central, 5% to 13% of children from 4 to 6 years old are affected by sensory disorders and that they suffer from debilitating social and emotional consequences due to their sensory impairments. 

Recognizing the signs of sensory processing difficulties in early childhood is crucial for providing appropriate support and interventions. Children with sensory processing issues often exhibit a range of symptoms that can affect various aspects of their daily lives. Let's delve into some common signs to look out for:

• Heightened Reactivity to Sensory Stimuli 

Children may be overly sensitive to stimuli like loud noises or bright lights, leading to reactions such as covering their ears or squinting. Complaints about clothing textures being "itchy" or discomfort from water on the face are common signs of sensory overload, often culminating in emotional meltdowns.

• Low Reactivity and High Pain Threshold

Some children might show little reaction to pain or discomfort, often engaging in thrill-seeking behaviors for more intense sensory feedback. They might not react to injuries as expected and often seek strong sensory experiences, such as spicy foods or tight hugs.

• Behavioral and Emotional Regulation Challenges

Difficulties with sensory processing can affect a child’s focus, behavior, and emotional control. This might manifest as clumsiness, trouble with fine motor skills, or irregular sleep patterns. Managing emotions and behaviors in structured activities can also be challenging.

• Restricted Eating Patterns

Sensory sensitivities can lead to picky eating, where a child rejects foods based on smell or texture, often sticking to a limited diet. This can create nutritional challenges and require strategies to broaden their food choices.

• Social and Daily Life Impacts

Sensory issues might lead children to avoid certain clothing, activities, or social settings that trigger discomfort. They may display atypical behaviors like excessive touching or rough play and struggle with transitions between activities, often resulting in tantrums or frustration.

Understanding these signs can help caregivers and educators provide the right support and accommodations, promoting a healthier and more inclusive environment for children with sensory processing challenges.

Let’s understand the impact of these sensory processing issues in children. 

Impact of Sensory Processing Issues

Sensory processing issues can significantly affect various aspects of a child's life. These challenges become evident in early childhood and can influence everything from academic performance to social interactions. Let’s dive deeper into specific areas impacted by sensory processing issues.

Attention and Concentration Challenges

Children with sensory processing issues often find it hard to filter out irrelevant stimuli, which can lead to overstimulation or under-stimulation. This may manifest as restlessness, distractibility, or difficulties in following instructions and completing tasks, especially in classroom settings.

Behavioral Issues

Behavioral challenges such as tantrums, aggression, or avoidance are common and are often misinterpreted as mere misbehavior. These behaviors are usually defense mechanisms against sensory overload. Misunderstanding these signals can lead to inappropriate disciplinary actions, affecting the child’s emotional and social wellbeing.

Coordination and Body Awareness Problems

Some children may struggle with coordination and proprioception, affecting their ability to participate in physical activities. Common issues include clumsiness, poor balance, and difficulties with fine motor skills, which increase their risk of accidents and injuries.

Expressive and Receptive Language Difficulties

Sensory processing difficulties can impair both expressive and receptive language abilities. Children might face delays in speech, trouble with reading comprehension, and challenges in following spoken instructions, impacting their academic and social interactions.

Self-Regulation Issues

Managing emotions and behaviors in response to sensory inputs can be challenging for these children, leading to anxiety, mood swings, and difficulties with transitions between activities. Such regulation problems can disrupt daily routines and strain relationships, often leaving families feeling overwhelmed.

These sensory issues can be addressed by early detection and intervention. As a parent, you can also seek professional help to support your child and help them deal with these issues. 

Here are some strategies that you can use to help your child improve sensory processing. 

Strategies for Improving Sensory Processing

Improving sensory processing in children involves recognizing signs and applying effective management strategies. Here’s how parents and educators can help:

• Education on Management Strategies and Recognizing Triggers

Understanding what triggers sensory issues is crucial. Utilize sensory checklists and profiles to identify triggers like loud noises or crowded environments, and develop personalized strategies for managing these responses.

• Reducing Environmental Factors

Modify the child’s surroundings to lessen sensory overload. Implement quiet zones for decompression, use calming colors and sounds in classrooms, and introduce sensory-friendly resources like chewelry to help children without making them feel isolated.

• Programs for Self-Regulation

Engage in therapeutic programs designed for sensory integration and self-regulation:

1. The Alert Program: Helps children recognize and manage their arousal states through activities that teach them to adjust their sensory input levels.

2. Wilbarger Protocol: Known as "brushing therapy," it involves tactile stimulation to improve sensory tolerance. This method requires supervision by trained professionals for safety and effectiveness.

Seeking therapy, particularly occupational therapy, is highly recommended for effectively managing significant sensory issues. Occupational therapists develop personalized strategies that help children comfortably navigate their environments. 

By collaborating closely with both children and educators, they provide a holistic and empathetic approach to addressing sensory processing challenges.

Besides therapy and other professional help, you can also incoprorate some activities into playtime to support sensory processing in children. 

Activities to Support Sensory Processing

Activities that support sensory processing are crucial for young children as they help build and refine the skills needed for daily functioning. Here are some practical and engaging activities that can be seamlessly integrated into your child's routine to enhance their sensory experiences.

• Wheelbarrow Walking

This activity involves a child walking on their hands while an adult holds their legs. This not only strengthens their upper body but also stimulates their vestibular system by moving their body in different positions. This can be calming and organizing for children who need it.

• Animal Walks

Get children to imitate animals. They could walk like a bear (on all fours), a crab (on hands and feet, facing up), or a frog (hopping on all fours). These movements provide intense sensory input through movement and help develop the vestibular system.

•  Trampolining

Jumping on a trampoline delivers strong vestibular input which can be highly stimulating and beneficial for children needing more sensory input. It’s excellent for building coordination, balance, and overall sensory integration.

• Cycling or Scooting

These activities enhance balance and coordination by providing consistent vestibular input. They are great for outdoor play and increase a child’s sense of spatial awareness.

• Rough and Tumble Play

Rough and tumble play, such as wrestling, can be beneficial. It offers proprioceptive input through deep pressure and joint movement, helping children understand their body's position in space. This kind of play can be both organizing and calming.

• Swings

Use a swing set to provide a soothing and repetitive motion that helps calm children and organize their sensory systems. The swinging motion stimulates the vestibular system and can help improve balance.

• Heavy Backpacks

Wear a heavy backpack for short periods to give children deep pressure input, which is known to be calming and organizing. Make sure it’s not too heavy—around 10% of the child's body weight is a good guideline.

• Sensory Bins and Texture Play

Creating sensory bins filled with materials like rice, beans, or sand allows children to delve into exploratory play that engages their tactile system. They can run their hands through the materials, bury objects, and discover textures, which can be very calming and satisfying. Playing with various textures like playdough, slime, or engaging in finger painting also serves to develop the tactile system. 

These activities allow children to explore different sensations and build a richer understanding of their sensory experiences. You can also take these sensory experiences outdoors. 

The Importance of Outdoor Play

Never underestimate the power of outdoor play as these activities can significantly help develop both the vestibular sense (which controls balance and movement) and proprioception (which helps with spatial awareness). This is vital in helping children not only improve their physical skills but also their ability to process and respond to sensory information effectively.

• Jumping on a Trampoline and Monkey Bars

Jumping on a trampoline offers intense vestibular input and can be calming and organizing, helping children who need strong sensory experiences. Meanwhile, climbing on monkey bars mixes both vestibular and proprioceptive input, aiding in the development of balance and body awareness.

• Water Sensory Play

Engage in water-based activities, such as splashing, pouring, or playing with water guns, to provide a calming and exploratory experience. Water play stimulates the tactile system, helping children develop a robust understanding of different sensations.

• Use of Weighted Toys

Weighted toys, such as weighted balls or stuffed animals, can provide deep pressure input. This can be particularly calming and organizing for children, helping them manage their sensory needs more effectively.

Looking for more activities, explore our curated list of sensory activities for kids with Austism to help ease the sensory overload on young children.  

Final Thoughts

And that’s a wrap! We hope this detailed guide will help you understand sensory processing and track your child’s development. Understanding sensory processing in early childhood is essential for supporting your child's growth. Every sensory experience, from playing with slime to reacting to different textures, plays a crucial role in their development.

By recognizing sensory challenges and implementing simple strategies like creating sensory-friendly spaces or engaging in sensory-rich activities, you can help your child thrive. Each child’s journey is unique, so stay attentive and supportive, and enjoy these moments of discovery as they explore the world around them.