What is Sensory Processing?

Last Updated: February 19, 2025 8m

Sensory processing is how we take in and interpret information from the world around us through our senses. For individuals with sensory processing difficulties, this process can be challenging, leading to difficulties in everyday life.

In this article, we’ll dive into what sensory processing is, different types of difficulties, and how to provide support to those affected. For a deeper understanding and practical tools to support individuals, explore our Sensory Processing Course at My Learning Cloud.

What Is Sensory Processing?

Sensory processing refers to how our brain receives, interprets, and responds to sensory information from our surroundings. This process allows us to make sense of the world, whether it’s recognising sounds, feeling textures, or gauging the balance needed to walk. For most individuals, sensory processing happens seamlessly, allowing us to react appropriately to different environments and stimuli.

However, for individuals with sensory processing difficulties, this process is far from straightforward. Their brains may struggle to organise and respond to sensory input, leading to hypersensitivity (over-responsiveness) or hyposensitivity (under-responsiveness). This can result in overwhelming reactions to sensory stimuli, such as sounds, textures, or lights, or, conversely, a diminished awareness of sensations that others would typically notice.

Sensory Hypersensitivity vs. Hyposensitivity

People with sensory processing challenges may experience hypersensitivity, where sensory input feels overwhelming and intense, or hyposensitivity, where they have a reduced response to sensory information.

Sensory Hypersensitivity (Over-Responsiveness): Individuals experience heightened reactions to sensory input, finding everyday sensations like loud noises, bright lights, or certain textures overwhelming. They may avoid environments with too much sensory stimulation, such as busy crowds, certain fabrics, or strong smells.
Sensory Hyposensitivity (Under-Responsiveness): Individuals’ brains don’t register sensory input as strongly, which can lead them to seek out more intense experiences. This may include craving physical touch, making loud noises, or engaging in risky behaviours to feel more connected to their environment.

Both hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity can coexist in the same individual, affecting different senses in unique ways. For example, a person might be hypersensitive to sound, finding everyday noises overwhelming, while at the same time, they may be hyposensitive to touch, seeking out deep pressure or firm contact to feel grounded.

The Eight Senses and Sensory Processing Difficulties

Sensory processing relies on eight senses, not just the five we usually think of. For individuals with difficulties, these senses can be either over- or under-responsive, leading to challenges in daily life.

Sight (Vision): Visual processing challenges may cause individuals to be overly sensitive to light or struggle with interpreting visual patterns. Hypersensitivity to light can lead to discomfort in bright environments, while hyposensitivity might result in difficulty noticing subtle visual cues or changes in the environment.
Sound (Auditory): Auditory sensory issues can cause individuals to be easily overwhelmed by loud or repetitive noises, leading to discomfort in noisy environments. Those with auditory hyposensitivity may have trouble recognising sounds like their name being called or seek out louder environments to feel more stimulated.
Smell (Olfactory): Some individuals may experience intense reactions to certain smells, finding common scents like perfumes or foods overpowering. On the other hand, those with reduced sensitivity may have difficulty detecting even strong odours and may be drawn to more pungent or stimulating scents.
Taste (Gustatory): Hypersensitivity to taste may result in strong aversions to certain foods, as they may be perceived as too intense or unpleasant. Conversely, those with hyposensitivity may seek out bold, highly flavoured, or textured foods to engage their diminished sense of taste.
Touch (Tactile): Tactile sensitivity can make physical contact, even light touches, feel overwhelming or uncomfortable. Individuals with hyposensitivity, however, may crave deep pressure or rough textures, engaging in behaviours like pressing, squeezing, or seeking out heavy objects to stimulate their tactile system.
Proprioception (Body Awareness): This sense helps individuals understand where their body is in space. Those with proprioceptive difficulties may find tasks requiring fine motor skills, such as writing or fastening buttons, particularly challenging. In contrast, they might also engage in physical activities like jumping or squeezing to help them feel more grounded and aware of their body’s position.
Vestibular (Balance and Movement): The vestibular system, which regulates balance and movement, may cause hypersensitive individuals to feel dizzy from minimal motion. In contrast, those with hyposensitivity may engage in activities like spinning or constant movement to maintain a sense of balance and stability.
Interoception (Internal Body Signals): This sense relates to recognising internal signals such as hunger, thirst, or the need to use the bathroom. Individuals with interoceptive hyposensitivity may have difficulty identifying these signals, leading to challenges in recognising when they are hungry, tired, or in pain.

Sensory Overload and Its Effects

Sensory overload occurs when an individual’s brain receives too much sensory input at once, making it difficult to process and respond effectively. For people with sensory processing difficulties, everyday stimuli such as bright lights, loud noises, strong smells, or even touch can become overwhelming, triggering feelings of anxiety, distress, and confusion.

In a state of sensory overload, the brain struggles to filter and prioritise sensory information. This can lead to a shutdown or meltdown, where the individual may have difficulty communicating, may become agitated, or may withdraw entirely. Physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and rapid heartbeats are also common during sensory overload.

Sensory overload can vary in intensity depending on the person and the environment. While some may feel overwhelmed in a noisy, crowded space, others might be affected by less obvious factors like certain fabrics, fluctuating temperatures, or too much visual stimuli.

Signs of Sensory Overload

Increased anxiety or agitation: Individuals may become visibly anxious, irritable, or distressed as they struggle to cope with overwhelming sensory input.
Withdrawal or avoidance: A person experiencing overload may withdraw from their surroundings, avoid eye contact, or try to escape the environment causing discomfort.
Physical symptoms: Headaches, nausea, rapid heartbeat, sweating, and shallow breathing are common physical responses during sensory overload.
Fidgeting or repetitive movements: Rocking, hand-flapping, or other repetitive actions may be used as coping mechanisms to self-soothe in response to the overwhelming stimuli.
Verbal shutdown or emotional outbursts: Individuals may find it difficult to communicate, becoming non-verbal, or they may experience emotional meltdowns, crying, or shouting in response to overload.

Supporting Individuals with a Sensory Processing Difficulties

Supporting individuals with sensory processing difficulties requires patience, understanding, and tailored strategies to meet their unique sensory needs. By creating an environment that accommodates these sensory sensitivities, you can help improve their overall well-being.

The support provided should be personalised, focusing on the individual’s specific sensitivities or needs. For some, this might involve reducing sensory input, while others may need more sensory stimulation to feel balanced.

Preventing Sensory Overload

Understand Triggers: Familiarise yourself with the individual’s sensory sensitivities and aim to anticipate potential triggers. For example, if someone is hypersensitive to loud noise, bring noise-cancelling headphones or ear defenders when going to busy or noisy environments.
Provide Soothing Sensory Input: Engage the proprioceptive system by using calming activities that involve deep pressure or heavy work, such as lifting, pushing, or pulling objects. These activities can help regulate the body and offer comfort before or after sensory overload.
Grounding Techniques: Introduce grounding exercises such as square breathing (breathing in for four seconds, holding for four, exhaling for four, and holding for four). Vestibular strategies, like gentle rocking or slow swinging, can also help individuals manage sensory overload effectively.

Engaging with Sensory Stimulation

Regular, controlled sensory stimulation can help reduce the likelihood of sensory overload by allowing individuals to build tolerance to certain stimuli in a safe environment. For those with hypersensitivity, sensory play or Sensory Integration Therapy (offered by some Occupational Therapists) can provide gradual exposure to stimuli, helping individuals become more comfortable and independent over time.

For individuals with hyposensitivity, engaging in sensory-rich activities is essential to meet their sensory needs. Activities such as stimming or sensory play help them regulate and satisfy their need for stimulation, which in turn can reduce anxiety and prevent them from seeking out stimulation in potentially unsafe or disruptive ways.

Final Thoughts

Supporting individuals with sensory processing difficulties means understanding their unique sensory needs and challenges. By recognising hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity, and taking steps to prevent sensory overload, you can create a more inclusive and comfortable environment.

For those in the care sector or anyone looking to deepen their understanding, our Sensory Processing and Sensitivity Course offers valuable insights and practical strategies for providing effective support.

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