TBRI Tip #11: Sensory Needs

Kids from hard places often have sensory impairments due to their impoverished early years. Our sensory parts of our brain develop as we experience nurturing care such as rocking, cooing and holding, from our caregiver in the first years of life. If these nurturing activities were not routinely done by a caregiver, the child will lack the hardware, that is neural structures, for optimal sensory processing. Sensory processing helps children learn about the world they live in, develop and use language, control emotions and develop healthy relationships with others. It’s important to be aware of and recognize possible sensory deficits in your child as they are often the root cause of behavior problems. First let’s review what our senses are. You probably are familiar with the five external senses: touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight. The senses help the brain select what is most important to attend to and help organize the brain. We often utilize all five of our senses with very little conscious awareness. For example, eating an apple would involve tasting it, smelling it, hearing the crunch and seeing it before eating it! There are also three internal senses that help the brain create meaning from sensory input received from the environment. They are the vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile senses. The vestibular sense tells the body where it is in relation to the earth. The proprioceptive sense registers the feeling of being touched and deep pressure when the body is being touched. The tactile sense is the first sense to develop in-utero and is sensitive to the amount of pressure which we are touched or held. 

When a child’s sensory system is under developed they can have behavioral reactions from too much or too little sensory input. These reactions will often be seen as misbehavior and yet the child is just responding how their brain and body tell them they need to respond. For example, if a child has sound sensitivity and is in a classroom that is loud, they may put their hands over their ears to reduce the incoming noise or talk to themself to self-soothe. They can’t articulate what’s wrong but are using coping behaviors that could get them in trouble, because the teacher sees it as goofing around. If you knew your child had an auditory sensitivity you could let the teacher know ahead of time and could give him earplugs to carry around in his pocket for whenever he needs them. Often just having the power to control, in this case the incoming volume, will be enough to help your child feel in control and be okay. 

Teach and Apply Sensory Needs 

Because misbehavior often has sensory roots, it’s important to understand if your child has sensory deficits. Going to a professional who specializes in sensory issues like an Occupational Therapist is one good way to find out if your child is having sensory problems. Another way you could begin to explore your child’s sensory preferences is to do a Sensory Checklist. There are many online including a free downloadable checklist from Occupational Therapist Lindsey Biel www.sensorysmarts.com. TBRI Empowering Principles give us a way to track behaviors and sensory input that occurred right before, using a 3-column chart so you can begin to notice the connection. This is the same chart we used in TBRI #5 for identifying behaviors due to transitions. On the left column is where you mark down what the Child’s Behavior was, in the middle log the Time & Date and in the right column write down the Sensory Circumstances. Over time you’ll see a pattern emerge of what sensory inputs cause behavior problems and you can begin to be proactive. By understanding more about the senses and your child’s sensory preferences you can empower your child by making the appropriate changes to help them. Incorporating movement/physical activity every two hours is another great way to help sensory processing. Different activities provide different types of sensory stimulation, but most physical activities will be helpful overall with internal sensory needs. If you feel your child has significant sensory deficits or a processing disorder, they should be assessed for specific interventions to meet their needs. For further, in-depth information go to www.child.tcu.edu.