Brookfield Early Childhood Centre

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What a beautiful explanation….

Some people naturally need more sensory stimulation, while others need less. I fall into the "less" category. That's because I feel things MORE than others. E.g. I have a low threshold for noise input, so I notice noise more than others - I can’t concentrate in noisy cafes, and I’m easily startled by loud noises. I’m sensitive to visual input - so I don’t like lights being too bright.

The idea that people are more or less sensitive to visual, auditory, touch, smell, taste, movement and internal sensations is part of SENSORY PROCESSING.

People who are MORE sensitive, may take measures to AVOID sensory input. People who are LESS sensitive, may take measures to SEEK sensory input. This is easy for adults to do. E.g. if I'm struggling to concentrate in a noisy cafe, I put my headphones in. If the sun is too bright, I put my sunglasses on. Adults also develop coping mechanisms for when they experience unwanted sensory input. E.g. when I’m startled by a loud noise, I take a few deep breaths.

Imagine being a child with sensory under- or over-sensitivity, and not having developed the measures to cope, or simply not being able to use them, because you're in an adult-controlled environment. E.g. A child who is less sensitive to movement, so is constantly seeking it, may have trouble sitting still on the mat and be reprimanded for this. A child who is sensitive to proprioceptive input may have a meltdown because someone brushed past them, but that brush felt like a BUMP. Or a child who is sensitive to tactile input may not be able to concentrate on painting when there’s paint on his hand. And being in these states of dysregulation, of having too much or not enough of the sensory input our body needs to function optimally, can be very uncomfortable.

It's important to understand that we all have our preferences, and they don't necessarily need to be "fixed". However for children especially, we need to help them, and the adults around them, understand their preferences and how best to work WITH them. How can we accommodate their preferences? It usually takes a lot of time, patience and trial and error.

It’s also important to note that the terms “under” and “over” sensitivity are used in comparison to what we have historically believed the majority of others feel, but we’re learning more and more that the “minority” is bigger than we realise.

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