Supporting your child’s sensory processing needs
If your child reacts strongly to sounds, textures, tastes, smells, visuals, or movement, they may have sensory needs.
You might notice them avoiding or seeking certain experiences. While young children often have strong likes and dislikes, strong reactions can mean your child processes senses differently. These differences are common in autistic and dyspraxic children, but any child can have sensory issues.
If you think your child has sensory needs, there are ways to adapt their environment and get support.
Your child’s sensory processing
There are 8 senses that help people experience the world.
Most people will know about the first 5:
- hearing
- smell
- taste
- touch
- sight
As well as these senses, there are 3 more:
- balance and movement – knowing where our body is in space so we can keep our balance (vestibular)
- body awareness – knowing where our arms and legs are and how much pressure and force we need to use (proprioception)
- internal body signals: like noticing when we’re hungry, need the toilet or feel hot or cold (interoception)
Sometimes people’s brains process these senses in different ways. Your child might be oversensitive and avoid certain sensory experiences, or they might be under sensitive and seek out sensory experiences. Some children are a mix of both.
If you think your child has sensory needs, look out for sensory avoiding and sensory seeking behaviours. It might help to keep a diary of behaviours you notice.
Sensory avoiding behaviours
Some children are oversensitive to sensory input. This means their brains respond too strongly to their senses. Things like light, sound and touch can feel overwhelming to them, so they might try to avoid them. They might cover their ears or avoid certain foods. This is called ‘sensory avoiding’. Sensory avoiding children may seem quiet, fussier or easily frightened.
If your child’s hearing is oversensitive, they might:
- cover their ears when they hear loud noises
- be anxious before an expected noise, like the school bell
- avoid going to noisy places
If your child is oversensitive to touch and texture, they might show a dislike of:
- certain fabrics and textures, like labels and seams in clothes
- certain food textures, like sloppy or crunchy
- having their teeth or hair brushed
- hugs and physical touch
- messy play
They might also be more sensitive to pain and temperature.
If your child is oversensitive to smell and taste, they might:
- refuse food with certain smells or tastes
- gag and spit out food
- avoid strong smells like perfumes or cleaning products
If your child is oversensitive to sight, they might:
- Turn off lights
- Be easily distracted by movement
- Cover their eyes or look away from certain colours or patterns
If your child is oversensitive to movement, body awareness and balance, they might:
- dislike being picked up
- get travel sick
- slouch or slump when sitting
- avoid swings, roundabouts and climbing in playgrounds
Sensory seeking behaviours
Some children are under sensitive to sensory input. This means their brains don’t respond strongly enough to their senses. They need more sensory input to be able to process it. They might need to make big movements, loud sounds and they might like to touch or squeeze things. This is called ‘sensory seeking’. Sensory seeking children may seem clumsier or louder than other children.
If your child’s hearing is under sensitive, they might:
- like loud noise
- turn the volume up when listening to music or watching TV
- be drawn to banging and repetitive sounds
If your child is under sensitive to touch and texture, they might:
- enjoy chewing and sucking objects
- play with food, sand, water and other sensory play
- like to be held and hugged tightly
- Get too close to others
If your child is under sensitive to smell and taste, they might:
- sniff and smell things repeatedly
- Lick things that aren’t food
- put things like toys or their hair in their mouth
If your child is under sensitive to sight, they might:
- like to sit close to the TV
- bring bright objects close to their eyes
- be interested in lights, reflections or spinning objects
If your child is under sensitive to movement, body awareness and balance, they might:
- be constantly moving
- climb things without a sense of danger
- have difficulty with balance
- get in other people’s personal space
Diagnosing sensory processing differences
Some children will have phases where they avoid or seek out senses and grow out of it. For other children, their sensory needs are part of a disability or neurodiversity.
Some people use the term sensory processing disorder (SPD), though this isn’t a specific diagnosis in the UK. Sensory difficulties are usually seen as traits of neurodivergence and can be linked with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and Tourette’s syndrome.
If you are concerned about your child’s sensory needs, you can speak to:
- your GP
- your health visitor if your child is under 5
- the special education needs coordinator (SENCo) at your child’s school or nursery
- any other health professional your child sees
If a professional feels your child needs extra help with their sensory needs, they can ask the local children’s therapy services to get involved. This normally means a referral to an occupational therapist who will work with your child to see how their sensory needs impact them and suggest support strategies for them.
They might refer your child for an autism assessment.
Support at school or nursery
If you think your child needs extra help with their sensory needs in school or childcare, you can talk to:
- their class teacher
- their nursery keyworker or childminder
- the special education needs coordinator (SENCo) at your child’s school or nursery
The school or childcare setting may put some strategies in place, such as offering regular movement breaks or ‘fidget toys’ to help them focus.
The school or childcare should put together a support plan.
How you can support your child
There are ways you can adapt your home and family routine around your child’s sensory needs.
The first step is to recognise your child’s needs. Notice the senses that your child is over-sensitive or under sensitive to, then you can make a plan to manage those needs.
There might be places and situations that you know are challenging for your child. Sometimes your child might want to avoid the situation, for example they might choose not to go to a party where they know there will be loud music. Sometimes they might want to go, or it might be unavoidable. Think about what adjustments can be made. They might want to wear headphones or ear defenders. There could be another room they can go to if the music is too loud or you might be able to ask to turn the volume down a little.
There are products and toys that can help your child. These include, ear defenders chewing or fidget toys and weighted blankets. You can also buy clothes without seams or labels and you can cut labels out of clothes and find textures and materials they like.
Websites like sensory direct sell sensory products. Your GP, health visitor or family hub might have information about grants to help you buy them. If your child has a disability or condition that makes it difficult for you to look after them, you may be able to claim disability living allowance (DLA).
Think about how your child responds to your home environment and what you might change. There might be colours and textures they are drawn to or there might be foods and smells they avoid. Think about creating a calm space for your child. This could be their own room or a space they can go to. This could be a tent, a den or even under a table with a blanket over.
You won’t always know or be able to prepare for your child’s sensory triggers. Sometimes plans change or a new place isn’t what you expected. When their senses are overwhelmed, it can help to know some sensory calming strategies.
You could also try:
It helps if friends, family and others who spend time with your child know about your child’s needs. Share the strategies that you find helpful, so that they can help to support your child too. If you have a plan to support your child with a particular situation, share this with others who will be there. For example, you might make a plan if your child finds Christmas overwhelming.
Page last reviewed: November 2025
Next review due: November 2028
This advice was written by our experienced Parent Talk coaches. Parent Talk is a free online service for parents and carers, provided by the charity Action for Children. For more advice, message our parenting coaches with our online chat.
