In a previous post, Recognizing Sensory Seeking in Children, we discussed the “sensory seeking” child. On the other end of the spectrum is the sensory defensive child. Unlike sensory seekers who have high thresholds for sensory input, sensory sensitive children have very low sensory thresholds. Due to these low thresholds, they experience sensory input much more intensely or notice sensory input much more often than their peers. This means that sensory input that may not bother you and I may be very aversive, distracting, threatening, or even painful for that child.
Our OT-V episode (below), will help you to understand this sensitivity and provide you with the solutions an Occupational Therapist can recommend.
Summer Programming Note:
Summer vacation is here and we will be taking a break from our regular schedule. We will be posting some of our popular seasonal blogs just once a week throughout the summer but will resume our regular three weekly posts in September, filled with new and exciting content including our popular O-Tip of Week series.