Sue Asquith, Early Childhood Consultant explores sensory processing.
The sensory system is how your body and brain process information to make sense of the world. Sensory systems are unique; we all need a bespoke mix of sensory input to feel regulated. Knowledge about sensory systems helps us to understand our own sensory needs, as well as enabling us to support children to understand their body’s signals, helping them on the road to being able to self-regulate.
What is Sensory Processing?
Sensory processing is how the brain receives and sorts the sensations that we are experiencing before deciding if and how to respond.
You may have heard the term sensory processing and connect it with neurodiversity, Autism or ADHD, etc., where people may have some very specific sensory needs. However, we all rely on our sensory processing systems (the way our bodies receive and interpret incoming stimuli) throughout the day and night, reacting to and interacting with the world around us. Sensory systems work together to help us to maintain a sense of position, our ability to move and levels of alertness. Everyone has a unique set of sensory needs and preferences.
Why is Sensory Processing Important?
Sensory processing is a critical part of our lives. For example, you touch something hot, your body reacts as fast as lightning sending a response to remove your hand from the hot surface. However, sensory processing difficulties may compromise our safety; if your body is under sensitive to touch it may not detect the hot surface you have just touched and may not send the response to remove your hand. Sensory processing difficulties or specific needs can impact other areas of our lives too and may lead to anxiety and meltdowns.
We rely on our sensory processing systems to process and monitor sensory input every hour of the day; sensory systems that are not working efficiently can cause all sorts of challenges and disturbances in our lives. Just like a fire alarm sounds to alert you to potential danger, your sensory system is an ‘alarm’ that reacts when your nervous system feels unsafe.
How Many Senses are There?
You may have explored 5 of the senses in pre-school and learnt more about these external senses (sight, sound, taste, touch and smell) in school, but that’s just the beginning. There is an entire sensory system detecting your internal sensory cues, helping you to monitor and recognise temperature, hunger and even your breathing and heartbeat! There are actually 8 senses in total; the three that you may not have heard as much about are:
- Proprioception (body awareness)
- Interoception (internal sensations)
- Vestibular (movement)
Babies and young children are sensory learners; sensory sensations contribute to healthy brain development by strengthening nerve connections in the brain. Babies and young children need to have the opportunities to build strong sensory processing systems such as:
- Babies being cuddled, supervised floor and tummy time (sense of touch and proprioception)
- Exploring new textures and flavours as they are weaning (sense of taste)
- Opportunities to play with sand and water, play dough, etc. (sense of touch and sight)
- Exploring pictures in books, songs, rhymes and music (sense of sight and hearing)
- Experiencing swings, climbing equipment and roundabouts (vestibular sense)
Key Facts
- We all have sensory processing preferences.
- We have 8 different senses.
- Sensory systems process information received by your body to try make sense of the world.
- Your sensory system reacts and feels under threat when your nervous system feels unsafe, this may lead to anxiety and meltdowns.
- We encourage you to work in partnership with multi-agencies teams to develop and support tailored plans for children.
Sensory Systems Affect Our Behaviour
I am seeing lots of social media posts from early years educators and teachers about ‘children’s behaviour’. Did you know that sensory processing systems might be causing some children to bounce off the walls whilst others may seem tired and lethargic?
Some people are sensory seekers whilst others are sensory sensitive (or sensory avoiders) and it is possible to be both at the same time, depending on the situation. What calms one person’s nervous/sensory system might completely dysregulate someone else. For example, time in a zen zone or cosy corner might help some of us to calm down and self-regulate, whilst a burst of physicality will be the sensory input that others might need to meet their sensory needs.
When you hear the term ‘self-regulation’ do your thoughts immediately shift to helping children to explore and name their feelings? Did you know that sensory regulation is also a key to staying regulated? Knowing more about sensory processing and sensory input can help us with the understanding and strategies we need to help and support children (and perhaps understand yourself and other adults in your life too).
Have you ever noticed a child who chews on everything or an adult who is constantly chewing gum? Children who lay down, lean against things or wrap themselves in blankets? People who jig their legs up and down whilst sat in a meeting or on the train? These are all examples of people using sensory strategies to regulate!
The more you understand sensory needs, the better you can support the children in your care; it might also help with understanding your own behaviours and sensory preferences as well as those of your colleagues and family members.
You can help children to meet their sensory needs with simple, effective strategies and sensory-friendly, enabling environments. Here are a few examples:
- Is there a cosy corner or zen zone for children to retreat to?
- Do you provide calming activities to help to ease children’s anxiety?
- Could you provide calming bags/boxes giving various sensory input for children to access?
- Do you provide opportunities for physicality to help children when their energy levels are low; for example, brain gym, wake up shake up, fidget toys, busy bags?
- Do you provide activities or opportunities for children to improve their focus, listening and attention and executive function as they are growing and developing?