How To Recognize The Signs Of Sensory Processing Disorder In Your Child

Does your child struggle to handle change?

Do they throw constant tantrums?

Do they find it intolerable to wear certain types of clothing?

Are they constantly touching all the items in their environment, even when you ask them not to?

If so, these may all be signs that your child has sensory processing disorder.

Sensory processing disorder is a condition that causes extreme reactions, or lack of reaction, to certain stimuli.

Our blog provides a wealth of information about this condition.

For instance, we’ve explored the link between sensory processing disorder and mental health in kids.

We also have some great tips for celebrating a sensory friendly Halloween and other holidays.

But you might wonder how you can tell whether your child has this condition in the first place.

Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Pediatric occupational therapy can both assess and provide intervention for children who find it hard to cope with certain sensory stimuli.

Or, if you already know that your child has sensory processing disorder, consider searching for sensory processing disorder treatment centers near you.

But for now, let’s take a closer look at how to recognize the signs of sensory processing disorder in your child.

We talked about three already, but there are many more.

What Is Sensory Processing Disorder?

Sensory processing disorder is a neurological condition that interferes with your body’s ability to interpret sensory messages from the brain.

This in turn makes it difficult for your brain to convert those messages into appropriate motor and behavioral responses.

In other words, children with sensory processing disorder will find it difficult to understand and react to information coming from their senses.

It’s a relatively common condition.

According to a 2020 study by Crasta et al., as many as 1 in 6.25 American children live with sensory processing challenges.

Some children with this condition only face challenges with one of their senses, such as their hearing or sense of smell.

Other children have trouble with multiple or all their senses.

Sensory processing disorder also makes it difficult to filter out and ignore unimportant sensory information.

An example of this is the noise of cars humming along the streets while you’re walking on the sidewalk, or the sound of the air conditioning running in the house.

For most of us, it’s easy for the brain to filter that background noise out so we can focus on the more important things happening around us.

However, for children with sensory processing disorder, these background noises can create feelings of overwhelm, stress, and anxiety.

How Can You Tell If Your Child Has Sensory Processing Disorder?

There are many different ways to tell if your child has sensory processing disorder.

This is because of the wide number of senses it can affect, which includes:

• Taste
• Hearing
• Touch
• Smell
• Vision
• Gross motor skills control
• Balance and coordination
• Poor posture
• Interoception, which are sensations from inside your body like hunger

Now, it’s possible for your child to show signs of sensory processing disorder from the time they’re a baby.

They may be a particularly fussy baby, and throw tantrums or demonstrate clear anxiety as they grow.

As they age, they may demonstrate picky eating habits.

However, it only becomes a concern when your child’s symptoms interfere with their quality of life.

And what are these symptoms?

Let’s take a look.

They Recoil At Loud Noises

Children who experience auditory challenges with sensory processing disorder may frequently recoil at loud noises.

Now, of course, if your child is young and experiences banging fireworks or bright lights and loud music at a concert, this reaction is normal.

It’s a sign of sensory processing disorder if you notice they consistently recoil from everyday loud noises like a toilet flushing, a vacuum running, or your cellphone ringing.

They’re Unresponsive When You Call To Them

Like we said before, many children with sensory processing disorder are unresponsive instead of over responsive to sensory stimuli.

Their nervous system has difficulty filtering out what’s important and what’s not.

An example of this is if they’re unresponsive when you call their name.

Now, the only thing to remember is that if this is the only sign that you notice, it could equally be the result of their being hard of hearing.

They’re Unresponsive To Physical Stimuli

Another sign that they might have sensory processing disorder is if you notice that they are unresponsive to physical stimuli.

This can include anything from heat to cold, and even pain.

For example, your child may not react when touching an ice cube or takes a large tumble and doesn’t seem fazed at all.

They Recoil When Touched

If you notice that your child consistently recoils when you touch them, it’s possible that this is an overresponsive sign of sensory processing disorder.

Remember, with this condition, your child’s brain has trouble processing physical sensations and so it can be very overwhelming and stressful when you touch them.

This can cause developmental delays in their social skills.

However, a speech-language therapist can help support social skills and communication development.

At Little Feet Pediatric Therapy, we offer social skills and peer interaction therapy, which tends to be more effective with early intervention.

This is especially the case if your child has sensory processing disorder and is also on the autism spectrum.

According to a 2023 study by Patil and Kaple, it’s common for autistic children to also experience sensory processing differences.

Because these two disorders often overlap, pediatric therapy for autism spectrum disorder also tends to overlap with sensory processing disorder treatment.

RELATED ARTICLE: Frequently Asked Questions About Autism Spectrum Disorder
RELATED ARTICLE: Dispelling The Myths About Autism Spectrum Disorder

They’re Bothered By The Tag In Their Clothes

Another example that can trigger a sensory overload is a tag in your child’s clothes.

the texture and placement of a clothing tag can feel unbearable for a child with sensory processing disorder.

At this stage, they don’t have the ability to ignore any physical sensation and so a tag on their clothes can trigger a meltdown.

They Want To Get Away From Strong Scents

Smell is another sense that many children with sensory processing disorder have trouble with.

Your child may be very sensitive to strong scents and consistently avoid or run from them.

This can include harsh chemical smells like household cleaners, artificial scents like perfumes or air fresheners, or even strong cooking smells like garlic or onions.

They’re Exceptionally Clumsy

If your child is exceptionally clumsy, it’s possible they have sensory processing disorder affecting their balance and coordination.

This happens because their brain doesn’t interpret changes in their posture or balance.

When they slip, they don’t try to catch themselves because their brain hasn’t realized that they’re falling yet.

If this is the case, your child is probably also uncoordinated because their brain is not aware of where their limbs are in space due to this condition.

They Hate Getting Ready For Bed

Children with sensory processing disorder can also be incredibly resistant to their bedtime routine.

This is because the acts of brushing their teeth, combing their hair and changing clothes can be a massive sensory overload for them.

Each of these activities is a trigger that can overstimulate a child with sensory processing disorder.

At the same time, these are obviously self care tasks that your child can’t avoid.

If your child is facing difficulties with such things, self care skills therapy can help.

RELATED ARTICLE: How Can Occupational Therapy Help Your Child Develop Self Care Skills?

They’re Exceptionally Picky Eaters

Finally, taste presents another common sensory challenge for children with sensory processing disorder.

If your child is an exceptionally picky eater, it can be a sign that they have this condition.

This might especially be the case if you notice that your child is particularly sensitive to both the taste and texture of certain foods.

Their reaction to a surprising texture can range from refusing to eat the food, to immediately vomiting based on the severity of their overstimulation.

RELATED ARTICLE: How To Deal With A Child Who’s A Picky Eater
RELATED ARTICLE: What Causes Children To Be Picky Eaters?

Pediatric Occupational Therapy For Sensory Processing Disorder

Pediatric occupational therapy is a great resource to help your child learn to cope with their sensory processing disorder.

After a thorough evaluation, your pediatric occupational therapist will understand the type of stimuli that your child is sensitive to.

Then, they can create a treatment plan to help teach your child how to process stimulation and how to cope appropriately when they start to feel over stimulated.

These coping mechanisms are helpful tools that your child can return to whenever they face sensory overload.

By slowly introducing activities that are sensitive to your child, your pediatric occupational therapist can expand their range of acceptable sensations.

we generally refer to this process as the sensory integration approach.

The goal is for your child to be equipped to function easily at home, and at school.

Book Your Appointment With Our Pediatric Therapy Clinic Today

Sensory processing disorder can affect nearly every part of your child’s day, from how they eat and sleep to how they play and connect with others.

But with the right support, your child can learn to manage sensory input and gain confidence in their environment.

At Little Feet Therapy, our pediatric therapists specialize in helping children navigate these challenges through personalized, evidence-based care.

Early intervention can make a lasting difference in how your child experiences the world around them.

Book your appointment with Little Feet Therapy today and take the first step toward helping your child thrive.