Sensory processing is vital to the normal development of children, because the senses are the way that children gather information about their world. If the senses don’t develop normally, then neither does the child.

This article will help you to understand the basics of sensory processing and will give you activity ideas to help your children develop their sensory processing skills.

A Brief Overview of Sensory Processing

Sensory processing is the neurological process that our brains follow to take in and interpret information from the environment.

The body uses receptors, called senses, that gather information about what is going on around our bodies and within our bodies. The following chart reviews the senses, the receptors for those senses, and what information each sense sends to the brain:

All of the information gathered by these senses is transmitted to the brain through these neural pathways. The brain integrates, analyzes and interprets the information, then sends signals back to the body to cause the body to react appropriately.

These reactions are both conscious and unconscious, so sometimes we know what the brain is telling the body to do (like the desire to spit out food that is bitter), and sometimes we don’t (like the small corrections in sitting or standing balance that your body makes throughout the day).

Babies are born with all of these senses, but not all of the senses are fully developed at birth. In full term infants, the sense of touch is the most highly developed, while the senses related to movement, including vision, proprioception, and vestibular, are the least developed.

These senses mature and refine themselves throughout childhood and early adolescence.

When the brain has difficulty receiving and interpreting sensory information, a condition develops called sensory processing disorder, or SPD. People with SPD experience difficulty knowing how to react to what goes on around them because their brains are not interpreting sensory information correctly.

General Guidelines for Sensory Activities

Play activities that stimulate the senses can help them to develop and mature. These activities can be beneficial for all children, not just those with SPD. The above activities are designed to target each specific sense, but your child will use multiple senses while participating.

Here are a few guidelines to follow when encouraging your children to participate in sensory activities:

1. Sensory play is just that – play. Do not force your children to participate. Make activities available or offer them as a play option. Your children will most likely gravitate to each activity at some point, especially if their bodies are craving the type of sensory input provided by the activity.

2. Don’t bombard your children with sensory activities. Offer one or two at a time over the normal course of the day. These activities will not “fix” your children, but will aid in their overall sensory development.

3. If your child is afraid to participate in an activity, offer it in small doses. For example, if your child dislikes swinging, encourage your child to sit on the swing without it moving for a short period of time. Once your child is used to that, move the swing a little bit, and so on. Make sure your child is comfortable with the level of input the activity provides. If the input is more than they can handle, children tend to avoid those activities in the future.

4. Watch your children as they participate in sensory activities, especially those that stimulate the vestibular system. If your children appear to react adversely, i.e. become nauseous or more “revved up” than usual, end the activity and provide a quiet, calming activity for your child instead.

5. These activities are geared toward children. Once children reach adolescence, they tend to prefer sensory input in the form of activities that are more appropriate for their ages, such as sporting activities, cooking, crafts, and other tasks. Normal movement-based or hands-on activities help adolescents to “fine-tune” their sensory systems, so encourage your teenagers to participate in any of these types of activities they enjoy.

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