Can you explain what sensory issues are?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 1:09 pm

STMommy wrote:

Do you have any indication at all about why the person said that? "Sensory issues" very broadly could mean an under or oversensitivity to various types of stimuli (visual, auditory, tactile) . With more information many amothers here can help you.

no idea... thats why im so confused! Dd is under a yr, very very active and extremely attached to me.
thats what she saw...

balance

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 1:16 pm

The sensory system involves 7 senses (smell, sight, hearing, taste, touch, balance and movement). Broadly speaking, every person takes in information in all areas, processes that information and acts accordingly. For example, if you hear a siren, you hear the noise, process it - how close is it, where is it, where are you, decide if you need to do anything and then act accordingly.

Some with sensory processing issues either underreacts or overreacts to input from one or more of these senses. So in our example, they may run away when they hear a siren that is not close by or not react even if the siren is close by.

This kind of over or under reacting can happen with one or more senses and you can also overreact to some and underreact to others.

Do you notice that your daughter makes a big deal about things other people don't notice?

Google sensory processing disorder questionnaire and fill it in and it should give you an idea what you may be dealing with.

AlwaysGrateful ↓

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 1:22 pm

There are two types of "sensory issues" -- hyposensory and hypersensory. In other words, you can crave sensory input or avoid sensory input. (Some people have a mixture of the two.)

For example, kids who avoid sensory input often hate tags on their clothing, are particular about the types of clothing they wear, avoid or shy away from light touch, might have a hard time with showers or sprinklers, might avoid getting dirty or messy in any way, get bothered if they bump into things or people and avoid some of the activities I'll explain in the next paragraph. While the tactile sense is usually the most obvious, some kids will also avoid bright lights, get overwhelmed easily by loud noises, and be bothered by smells. They might also be pickier eaters because they're more sensitive to textures or tastes.

Kids who crave sensory input are the opposite. They constantly need sensory input to feel "grounded." Meaning they might constantly be banging into things or people, rolling around on the ground, wrapping themselves in things, etc. They may crave loud noises and busy places, may LOVE messy play (shaving cream, playdough, finger paint, water), may constantly be on the move, may sniff random things or put things in their mouths when it's no longer appropriate.

An OT evaluation can diagnose this, but unless it's causing real issues (eating issues, anxiety, major behavioral issues) I'm not sure they'll treat it with an infant. Also, there are other conditions that can look like this, including ADHD, anxiety disorders, and just normal "being an infant." Because infants are naturally more sensory-based than older kids, so it may be completely developmentally appropriate at this age. Again, if it's really impacting your child's life, that's a different story...

amother

Celeste

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 1:29 pm

To start off, sensory issues does not mean sensory processing disorder. My son's OT told me that many of us have sensory issues and sensitivities, but unless it affects day to day it's not a disorder. Like some people don't like tags in clothing or loud music or are fidgety.

A sensory processing disorder is where the person does not process stimuli (or lack of) that affect their 5 senses, location/movement (such as swinging vs standing), and body function (hunger, thirst, etc), and it affects the day to day living . My son for example couldn't tolerate any textures. Not to eat or touch. This affected his growth, He was also sensitive if a drop of water got on his sleeve, or touching things that were wet, sticky, etc. He also craved input on his body -- such as sitting on an exercise ball or snapping a rubber band . He won't eat many foods due to smell and texture. It also affected him when it came to pain. He doesn't process pain correctly and shuts down. (he had a broken bone and we didn't know right away) We thought he was a just a weird kid. It wasn't until he was 3 and we had him evaluated, were we able to get him the help he needed. BH he's a normal teen now and learned to be in tune to his body and give himself any input he needs.

amother

Catmint ↓

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 1:45 pm

AlwaysGrateful wrote:

That explains myself exactly right. You have so much knowledge in this, do you know how it could be helped? How common and helpful is a OT for adults

↑ AlwaysGrateful

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 1:53 pm

I am not an OT. I was just letting her know what I've learned in my years as a mother.

I do have one son who had this issue. They did a lot of playing with shaving cream and digging through beans and in sand...but I don't think that would necessarily be appropriate for an adult.

Maybe start another thread asking if anyone was helped with this as an adult?

Again, as one of the previous posters said, this is not necessarily a problem, unless it actually creates problems. Meaning if every time a toddler spills something in your house, you react in an extremely strong way and feel badly about it afterwards, that might be worth addressing. If you react to a toddler spill by sighing, putting on rubber gloves, and dealing with it, I don't know if it's worth making a big deal out of nothing.

I think everyone falls somewhere along this spectrum. With young children, we try to move them towards the middle because either extreme can grow into something that's very hard to live with. At this point, you probably know whether where you are on the spectrum is "liveable" or "severely impacting your life."

#BestBubby

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 1:59 pm

There are two types of sensory issues.

Most common is OVER-Sensitive - over sensitive to noise, loud colors, itchy clothing, strong tasting foods

Some Kids are UNDER Sensitive - and seek out strong sensations to overcome the "numbness" they
experience - these kids are always touching, like strong squeezes and hugs, jumping hard, wrestling/rough play, like spicy food, loud noise, loud colors, etc.

amother

↑ Catmint ↓

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 2:20 pm

AlwaysGrateful wrote:

I'ts getting problematic when coming to intimacy.
I actually love playing with sand and things like that.

amother

DarkCyan ↓

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 2:48 pm

amother OP wrote:

Thanks to all of your answers!
I basically dont see anything bothering her, she's still very young.
I guess I'll keep this in mind and watch as she gets older.

Sometimes very high activity levels come from a child seeking specific sensory input. Same for constant clinging to another person, or lounging on the floor or on furniture all the time.

Sensory issues doesn't mean someone needs therapy for it. Everyone has unique preferences. When it's interfering with functioning, it's usually helpful to try therapy.

amother

Blonde ↓

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 2:52 pm

amother Catmint wrote:

That explains myself exactly right. You have so much knowledge in this, do you know how it could be helped? How common and helpful is a OT for adults

As an OT, I can tell you that there are therapists who work with adults to help these issues. I'd tell you to do some research in your area to try to find someone. If you want to post your location, I can let you know if I know of someone there.

the world's best mom

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 2:52 pm

If you don't see anything bothering her, then it seems more likely that she is under-sensitive than oversensitive. (Of course, she may not have sensory issues at all. But if she does...)

Oversensitivity is easier to see and understand. If your kid cries every time a siren goes by, even if it's blocks away, you see an oversensitivity. If your kid refuses to touch fruits or vegetables, even with their hands, you see an oversensitivity. (I have a kid who refuses to touch bread. That is just plain weird, but yes, it's an oversensitivity.)

The kids who are under-sensitive will not cry and show you what they dislike. They tend to be very wild as they seek out sensory input. They might ram their head into you repeatedly, because they love the way it feels. They might run or move all the time because they crave movement. They might be smearing paint, glue, water, and whatever else they can get all over themselves because they love how it feels and they crave more of it. They might pour salt on the table and lick it whenever the salt is left in their reach.

The second category of children is much more difficult to deal with in my experience.

amother

↑ Catmint ↓

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 2:59 pm

amother Blonde wrote:

Will an OT deal with intimacy issues as well or I'ts two separate things?

amother

↑ Blonde ↓

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 4:04 pm

amother Catmint wrote:

Will an OT deal with intimacy issues as well or I'ts two separate things?

An OT won't do talk therapy the way a mental health professional will. They'll work on the neurological foundations that are causing the sensory difficulties to affect intimacy. It's more physical work than emotional work, but the way are bodies function on a physical level has an affect on how we function emotionally. Many OTs who do this work will strongly encourage you to work with a mental health professional as well, so that both the physical and emotional aspects can improve in tandem. I will caution you to inquire and make sure that whoever you use has a very good understanding of sensory processing, neurochemistry, etc and is experienced with working with these issues.

amother

↑ Catmint

Tue, Aug 16 2022, 4:10 pm

amother Blonde wrote:

Thank you, this was helpful

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Aug 17 2022, 11:02 am

amother Blonde wrote:

Starting to think if dh has some sensory issues. He sometimes gets so irritated and annoyed when I touch him, while other times he loves it. Does that place him in that category?
And is it genetic?