Does your child have trouble focusing on schoolwork? Do they struggle with loud or busy atmospheres? Do they shy away from active social situations?
It’s hard to watch your child struggle; we understand. You want to know how you can make your child’s life easier, but how can you do that if you don’t know what the problem is?
Have you considered that your child may have sensory processing difficulties?
When a child has sensory processing difficulties or a sensory processing disorder, they are easily overstimulated by sensory stimulation. This causes stress, frustration, anxiety, and a lack of focus.
If this sounds familiar, we want to help guide you to an answer. Keep reading to learn about a few signs that your child might have sensory processing difficulties.
1. Your Child Seems Clumsy
Children with sensory processing difficulties often show signs of clumsiness. They may not develop their fine motor skills or gross motor skills at the same rate as other children their age. This makes it difficult for them to do things like play with puzzles and small toys, play with balls on the playground, or may shy away from activities that require agility or dexterity.
If you’ve found that your child prefers playing in wide open spaces or sitting quietly during playtime, it may be a sign that they’re having a problem with sensory processing.
That said, not all clumsy children have sensory processing disorders. Don’t be alarmed based on this symptom alone.
2. They Don’t Like Being Touched
If you’ve noticed that your child doesn’t like being touched, even by close friends or family members, that might be because they have sensory processing differences.
Children with these difficulties are hypersensitive to certain sensations. They may become alarmed or stressed when someone touches them unexpectedly or even when too many people are too close.
It doesn’t have to be another person that’s touching them. These children are also particular about clothing fabrics, scratchy tags, uncomfortable bedsheets, hair growing over their eyes or shoulders, and other things that the average person notices but isn’t bothered by.
Children who have sensory processing difficulties can get upset when an unfamiliar or unpleasant touch happens.
3. They Have Unusually Good Hearing
Children with sensory processing difficulties sometimes appear to have strong or acute hearing compared to the average person. They may be able to hear things from across the home, even quiet noises.
These noises, because they’re so much more noticeable to them, can cause the child to become stressed. The noises are distracting and interfere with what they are doing.
Your child may point out a noise to you that you can’t hear and explain that it’s bothering them. They’re not imagining the noise; they can hear things that you don’t notice.
Even everyday noises can be distressing for these children. Sounds that are as simple as the buzz from lights, the gentle clangs from cutlery, or the sound of pencils scratching against paper are sometimes enough to send the child into a meltdown.
4. They Have a Hard Time Focusing
Because of the touch and sound aversion, children with sensory difficulties have a hard time focusing at home or in the classroom.
Everything is distracting to these children, making it hard for them to sit down in class and focus on work or reading. For the average person without sensory difficulties, it’s like trying to focus on work in a busy bar or restaurant.
If your child’s teacher or caregiver mentions that they’re having a hard time focusing, they’re fidgeting and being disruptive, or they tend to zone out in class, they may be experiencing a sign of sensory processing sensitivity.
5. They Have Poor Boundaries
While children who experience sensory processing difficulties don’t like being touched, they may have boundary issues that cause them to touch others or stand too close. We call this “sensory seeking” behavior.
They want to touch everything that they can. If you go through stores and they run their hands across everything or have a need to touch something with both hands after touching it with one (so it’s “even”), they’re exhibiting signs of sensory processing difficulties.
6. They’re Sensitive to Light
Similar to how these children are sensitive to touch and sound, they may also be sensitive to light.
Their eyes aren’t literally more sensitive than those of other people, but the way that they interpret light is. Bright or blue lights can be upsetting and distracting, as well as the flashing or changing of decorative lights.
7. They Get Overwhelmed In Public Places
As we mentioned, a child with sensory processing difficulties is more sensitive to light, touch, and sound. When you’re in a busy public place, like a theme park, a convention center, or even a busy school or restaurant, your child may feel distressed.
When there’s too much going on, your child can’t process all of the sensory information. This can result in public meltdowns and tantrums.
Does Your Child Have Sensory Processing Difficulties?
If your child is distracted often, if you find them avoiding loud sounds or bright lights, or if they get distressed when they’re in crowded spaces, you may have a child with sensory processing diffierences.. It’s important to take them in to see a professional to figure out your next steps.
Sensosry processing differences can exist alone, but are most often part of another disorder. We want to help figure this out for you and your family.
We know how stressful getting an initial assessment is for you and your child. We want to make this process easy and smooth for both of you. Contact us to get an assessment for your child scheduled today so you can start helping them navigate the world in the way that suits them best.
