Sensory Processing: What Can Help?

By Sharon Alcock, OT

Understanding sensory processing, what it looks like, and ways to help.

Have you ever noticed how some children love spinning on a merry-go-round at the park, and others cover their ears at the sound of a hand dryer? Or how one child might crash into everything like a little bull while another screams or becomes distressed if their hands get messy or they have tags in their clothes?

These are all clues about a child’s sensory system, the part of the brain and body that allows us to notice, understand, and respond to what’s happening around us. Sensory processing impacts how we feel safe, calm, focused, and ready to learn.

As an occupational therapist and a neurodivergent mom to a neurodivergent child, I’ve seen firsthand how sensory processing difficulties can shape the whole family’s day, for better or for worse.