Many neurodivergent children – including those with Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia and other neurodivergent conditions – may experience the world differently through their senses. Understanding sensory processing difficulties can help parents and carers support children, reduce stress, build confidence, and improve everyday wellbeing.  

Sensory processing differences were first described in the 1970s by Dr A. Jean Ayres, an occupational therapist. Her work highlighted that some people’s brains – including many neurodivergent children – process, organise and respond to sensory information differently. This can affect how they experience what they see, hear, touch, taste, smell, and sense within their own bodies. These differences can affect behaviour, learning, attention and emotional regulation. 

For a child or teen with autism, ADHD or another neurodivergent condition, the world can sometimes feel too bright, too loud or too busy. Their brain may become overloaded, almost like a traffic jam with too many signals arriving at once. 

When this happens, they may become overwhelmed, anxious, distracted or shut down. This is not because they are being difficult. Their brain is working overtime trying to process everything around them. 

We all use eight different senses to understand both what’s happening in our body and in the environment around us. While you may have heard of the five external senses, the three internal senses are less well known.

If your child’s brain finds it difficult to process any of these, it can lead to sensory overload – which can result in meltdowns, shutdowns or anxiety. 

The external senses

An external sense gathers information about the world outside the body. 

• Sight (Visual) – This helps us understand what we see. 
• Hearing (Auditory) – This helps us understand sounds and speech. 
• Taste (Gustatory) – This allows us to experience different flavours. 
• Touch (Tactile) – This helps us feel pressure, temperature, pain and textures. 
• Smell (Olfactory) – This allows us to detect smells, scents and odours. 

The internal senses

An internal sense gathers information about the body’s position, movement or internal needs. 

• Body awareness (Proprioception) This tells us where our body parts are and how much force to use. For example, a child who frequently bumps into things may have difficulties with proprioception. They may seek deep pressure, such as bear hugs, to help them feel more aware of their body. 
• Balance and movement (Vestibular) – This can help us understand movement, balance and speed. A child who enjoys spinning, rocking or jumping may be seeking vestibular input. 
• Interoception (Internal Body Awareness) – This helps us recognise what is happening inside our bodies, such as hunger, thirst, pain, tiredness or the need to use the toilet. Interoception is also linked to emotional awareness. Some children may not realise they are hungry, tired or anxious until these feelings become overwhelming. 

Sensory processing differences can take the form of hypersensitivity – where someone is highly sensitive and responsive to their senses – or hyposensitivity, which where someone is under-responsive and needs a lot of sensory input.

Hypersensitivity

Some children experience sensory information more intensely than others. Things that might go unnoticed by others, such as a humming light, a strong smell or the texture of a clothing label, can feel extremely uncomfortable or even painful. A child who is hypersensitive may: 

• Cover their ears when there are loud noises 
• Avoid certain food textures or clothing fabrics 
• Become distressed in crowded or busy environments 
• Be sensitive to bright lights 
• Notice smells that other people barely notice 

These responses are often the child’s way of protecting themselves from sensory input that feels overwhelming. 

Hyposensitivity

Some neurodivergent children may not receive enough sensory input and seek additional stimulation to feel comfortable and regulated. This might indicate that they are hyposensitive (under-responsive). A child who is hyposensitive might: 

• Constantly seek movement 
• Touch objects or people frequently 
• Enjoy jumping, spinning or climbing 
• Turn the volume up very high 
• Chew or mouth objects 
• Struggle to sit still for long periods 

Their brains may be seeking extra sensory input to help them feel balanced, focused and calm. 

Sensory needs vary widely from child to child. A child may be highly sensitive to some sensory experiences, such as noise or touch, while actively seeking others, such as movement or deep pressure. Sensory preferences are unique and may change over time or across different environments. 

Sensory overload occurs when a child receives more sensory information than their brain can comfortably process. When sensory overload happens, a child might feel overwhelmed and struggle to regulate their emotions or behaviour. Early warning signs can include: 

• Irritability 
• Restlessness 
• Tics 
• Increased anxiety 
• Difficulty concentrating 
• Changes in behaviour 

Sometimes the signs are not obvious, particularly if a child has spent the day masking at school or managing other pressures. Having sensory aids or a sensory diet, can help children regulate before they become overwhelmed. This can help them feel calmer, safer and more supported. Because every child is different, it may take trial and error to discover what works best for your child or teen. 

Sensory regulation can help a child’s brain manage the sensory overload they are feeling. It can help a child feel calmer, focus better, handle big feelings and minimise distressed behaviours.  Below are some helpful tips to help you support your child to regulate.   

Create a calm safe space

Designate a quiet area at home where your child can go to if they are feeling overwhelmed. This could be their bedroom or perhaps a quiet corner in the front room. You could include: 

• Soft lighting 
• Cushions, blankets or weighted blankets  
• Noise-cancelling headphones or ear defenders 
• Fidget or spinning toys 

Use predictable routines

Predictable routines can help reduce unexpected sensory overload as the child can predict each part of their day. When possible: 

• Prepare your child for changes in advance 
• Use visual schedules and timetables 
• Use social stories during change and transitions 
• Talk through upcoming appointments or visitors 

Provide sensory aids

Each neurodiverse child will need different sensory items to help them regulate. Common sensory aids include: 

• Noise-cancelling headphones or ear defenders 
• Sunglasses 
• Fidget or spinning toys 
• Chewable sensory aids 

If possible, encourage your child to take some of these items to school or family outings.  There are many affordable sensory items available to buy new or pre-loved. Often value stores sell sensory toys. It is also worth checking whether there is a sensory library in your local area. Sensory libraries allow families to borrow and trial a range of sensory equipment, helping you identify what works best for your child before investing in items for home.

Encourage self-regulation

Practise regulation strategies when your child is calm so they can use them more easily when they are overwhelmed. Helpful strategies may include: 

• Five-finger deep breathing technique and stretching exercise 
• Rolling across the floor 
• Bouncing on a yoga ball 
• Deep pressure activities with a weighted blanket 
• Grounding exercises such as feeling grass or sand beneath their feet 

A sensory diet is a structured plan of activities that provides the sensory input a child needs throughout the day to help them stay regulated. Keeping a diary can help identify which environments, activities and demands help your child feel calm and which may lead to sensory overload. To create a sensory diet, think about the following:  

• What helps prepare my child for specific activities, tasks or routines? 
• Which activities or situations are most challenging? 
• What might trigger a sensory overload for my child? 
• What helps my child calm down when they become overwhelmed? 
• When are their best and most difficult times of day? 

• Pause and observe: Take note of the things that your child might be hypersensitive or hyposensitive to. Identify activities and sensory aids that help them feel calm or energise them in an appropriate way.  
• Self-regulation: Create calming self-regulation activities with your child and use a visual reminder or prompt card to include strategies such as deep-pressure hugs, rolling on a gym ball, slow swinging, stretching and breathing techniques  
• Schedule sensory breaks: Weave in regular short sensory breaks before overstimulating activities such as homework, going to school, mealtimes, etc. Try to keep the sensory breaks predictable as this helps to minimise overwhelm.  
• Adjust the home environment: Making changes to the home environment is important for your child. Reducing bright lighting, loud noises or strong smells can be helpful. Create a safe calm space where they can go to regulate.  
• Provide sensory aids: It can be helpful to provide sensory regulation items throughout the home in different places. It may be things like a fidget or tangle toy or ear defenders which they can take out and about. Some items that may help at home include an LED fish tank, gym balls, blackout tents, weighted blankets, a swivel chair, a galaxy projector or a trampoline.  

Freddy is 14 and has autism and sensory processing difficulties. He is very sensitive to noise, bright lights and some textures, but he also finds comfort in deep pressure and predictable movement. He attends a mainstream secondary school and appears calm in class, but much of his day is spent managing sensory challenges, such as: 

• Loud hallways, lockers and busy classrooms 
• Bright classroom lights 
• Multiple competing voices and sounds in the classroom 
• Social situations like group work and lunchtime conversations 
• Uncomfortable school uniform fabrics and tight shoes 

By the end of the day, Freddy is exhausted and overwhelmed. When he gets home, he often needs time to decompress. His dad helps by making some simple adjustments: 

• Uses a visual timetable so Freddy knows what to expect each day 
• Encourages a warm shower in the morning to help him feel regulated 
• Removes clothing labels that irritate him 
• Gives gentle prompts instead of rushing him 
• Helps him arrive at school early to avoid crowds 
• Makes sure he has noise-cancelling headphones and a fidget toy 
• Works with the school so Freddy can sit near natural light, access a quiet space and take sensory breaks when needed 

After school, Freddy is given time to decompress in a calm environment without being overwhelmed by questions or homework. He often bounces on a gym ball while listening to music, which helps him release stress and regulate his sensory system. Once he feels calmer, he is ready to talk about his day and join family activities. 

By understanding Freddy’s sensory needs and building helpful strategies into his routine, his dad helps him feel calmer, more regulated and better able to cope with everyday life. 

This article was reviewed by Sandra Hiller, Local Services and Business Development Lead. Last reviewed 15 October 2026.