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Sensory Red Flags
All people may display degrees of these behaviors, however it is when the behavior starts affecting our functioning that it becomes a concern.
People can be over- or under-responsive to different types of sensory stimulation to different degrees, which may cause them to seek out or avoid different sensations.
If you have any sensory concerns for your child it is important to get an assessment from a licensed Occupational Therapist. Sensory processing issues are often difficult to fully identify unless you are trained to do so, and they can impact a child’s ability to participate in their social and academic environment.
The following are examples of different red flags that suggest possible sensory processing difficulties.
Touch:
avoids messy play like painting and sand play
can be overly controlling, particularly about how group activities are done and what other children are doing
seems not to notice when hands get dirty or when there is food around their mouth
seeks out all sorts of messy play and often gets stuck on this type of play
obsesses about their clothing or has very particular clothing choices
has trouble keeping hands to themselves
has difficulty in close group situations
Movement and Balance:
craves movement, has difficulty staying in their seat, and may frequently ask to leave the classroom
loves swings, slides, trampolines, and rough and tumble play- finding it difficult move onto other play
dislikes movement play- avoids swings and climbing up onto apparatus or playground and appears afraid of heights and of feet leaving the floor making their overly anxious
has poor balance and seems unaware of falling, often failing to catch themselves, and appears clumsy
often complains of feeling dizzy or ill after playing on swings
never seems to become dizzy despite seeking out spinning movement
often slumps over the desk or props themselves up on arms to support sitting at the table
Body Position and Force:
frequently clumsily knocks into things and other people
appears uncoordinated for age
applies too much or too little force
breaks toys easily
plays roughly with peers
appears to tire easily, be passive, or even lethargic
Auditory/Language Processing:
covers ears or become distressed when there are loud noises or shouts
has good hearing but often seems to miss what is being said or has “selective hearing”
craves loud noise – turning up music, shouting instead of talking, banging toys to make percussion sounds, etc.
appears to have difficulty understanding instructions
tends to repeat instructions to themselves
Visual Processing:
struggles to focus when there is too much to look at, peering around and getting distracted or struggling to find items on their desk
may seem particularly light sensitive, often covers eyes, or complains of bright lights
appears not to see things, walks into objects in their path, does not notice approaching objects, has difficulty with hand-eye coordination games, or seems to stare a lot before responding
becomes fixated on visually stimulating objects, like fans, flickering lights, or screens
Emotional Regulation:
does not accept changes in routine easily
becomes easily frustrated
acts out behaviorally and has difficulty getting along with others
displays marked mood variations
displays frequent outbursts or tantrums
tries to control others, activities, or different settings
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