Did you know that there are EIGHT sensory systems?
Is your child constantly in movement and have trouble sitting down? Are they bothered by certain clothes or hate getting their hands dirty? Do they have BIG reactions to what seem like minor issues? If so, you will want to keep reading.
I am sure you are aware of the five senses, but did you know that humans actually have EIGHT senses? We have touch, vision, hearing, smelling, tasting, but we also have vestibular, proprioception, and interoception. For a human to function well in their daily life, generally all of these sensory systems have to work well together. Think about it, you are NEVER using only ONE sensory system. Everything we do involves multiple sensory systems. It is likely that you and/or your child, may be under responsive (need more input to feel it) or over responsive (need less input to feel it) to certain sensory input. That can be OKAY. It only becomes a problem if it is stopping your child (or yourself) from living a comfortable life. If you do think your life is impacted regularly by a struggle with sensory systems, it might be time you consult an occupational therapist (OT). Here is a brief overview of the 8 sensory systems and some signs of over and under responsiveness. Read to the end to get a free PDF of some simple activity ideas for stimulating the senses!
The visual system: Responsible for understanding everything we SEE in our environment. This requires our eyes to work well together, and for our brain to process what we are seeing.
An over responsive visual system might result in being sensitive to bright lights or difficulty finding an item in a crowded drawer.
An under responsive visual system might result in enjoying watching items spin or being scared to go down the stairs.
The auditory system: Responsible for understanding everything we HEAR. This includes knowing where a sound is coming from, as well as filtering out unnecessary background noise.
An over responsive auditory system can be sensitive to loud noises or hear a conversation from across the room.
An under responsive auditory system might cause someone to not respond to their name, or to have trouble focusing when there is a lot of noise around.
The olfactory system: Responsible for understanding everything we SMELL.
An over responsive olfactory system can result in sensitivity to certain odours or refusing to try new foods.
An under responsive olfactory system can result in no reaction to a bad smell or smelling objects frequently.
The gustatory system: Responsible for understanding everything we TASTE.
An over responsive gustatory system may result in picky eating or gagging with toothbrushing.
An under responsive gustatory system can also result in mouthing inedible objects or a preference for stronger flavours like sour or spicy.
The tactile system: Responsible for understanding everything we touch, and not only with the hands! The tactile system is present over our WHOLE body.
An over responsive tactile system may result in avoiding getting messy or sensitivity to tags.
An under responsive tactile system may result in touching everything in sight or not noticing when face or hands are dirty.
The interoceptive system: Responsible for understanding everything we FEEL inside our body. This includes feelings like hunger, fatigue, thirst, pain, and heart rate.
An over responsive interoceptive system might result in feeling bath water is too hot when it really is room temperature, or feeling a scrape is the most painful injury in the world.
An under responsive interoceptive system may result in toileting accidents, long after they are age-appropriate, or having to be told you haven’t eaten all day.
The vestibular system: Responsible for understanding movement, balance, and the relation of our head to gravity.
An over responsive vestibular system might result in disliking swings or getting car sick.
An under responsive vestibular system might result in lots of spinning or constant movement.
The proprioceptive system: Responsible for understanding information about body positioning in space and grading our force when using our muscles and joints.
An over responsive proprioceptive system is rare. When this system is activated, it usually feels good, and you can’t really get too much of it.
An under responsive proprioceptive system might result in leaning on objects/people or squeezing too tight when hugging.
Although you might be able to identify your child (or yourself) in some of the signs of over or under responsivity, it is possible that it is not super clear. It is important to keep in mind that sensory systems are never working all by themselves, they work together, and depending on the day, stress level, and time of life, your child’s sensory systems may respond differently. Also, there is a lot more than just the sensory systems to consider when trying to better understand your child. However, knowing this information can help you better understand why your child might behave in certain ways or do the things they do, and that they are likely not doing it “on purpose”. They are probably trying, in some way, to connect to the world around them. Whether that be connecting to what is going on in their external environment, to their internal environment (in the body) or to you and the people around them. If you do notice signs of under responsivity or over responsivity in your child you can provide them with opportunities to explore that sensory system so you can better understand them, and they can better understand themselves. Keep in mind that if they are over responsive you will want to provide safe, small amounts of the sensory input and let them explore at their own pace.
Check out my resources page for some free ideas of simple activities to stimulate the different sensory systems!
