{"id":13,"date":"2021-06-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-15T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playpokpok.com\/bbb\/how-kids-process-sensory-input-and-can-find-sensory-balance-a5c663e0f44d\/"},"modified":"2023-07-12T11:44:35","modified_gmt":"2023-07-12T15:44:35","slug":"how-kids-process-sensory-input-and-can-find-sensory-balance-a5c663e0f44d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playpokpok.com\/blog\/how-kids-process-sensory-input-and-can-find-sensory-balance-a5c663e0f44d\/","title":{"rendered":"How kids process sensory input and can find sensory\u00a0balance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When we started designing Pok Pok Playroom, we spent a lot of time crafting toys, sounds and animations that would be gentle and not dysregulate or overstimulate kids. A little while ago we started working with <\/em>Laura Petix<\/em><\/a> to help make sure we were getting this right and to better understand how to make our toys as sensory accessible as possible.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laura is a paediatric occupational therapist with a background in neuropsychology who specializes in sensory processing challenges. We\u2019ve asked her to share some of her work and dive deeper into sensory dysregulation \u2014 a topic that many families face but is seldom talked about.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all have sensory quirks, sensory preferences and sensory needs. Some people need quiet to focus, others need techno music. Some become agitated by the sound of a motorcycle zooming past them loudly, others really don\u2019t mind it at all. Our kids experience all these kinds of things too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raising kids with different sensory needs can sometimes feel like solving a crossword puzzle without all of the clues \u2014 confusing. There are so many things that kids experience in a day, and it\u2019s not always clear what tools, toys and experiences are just right<\/em> for their brains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When things aren\u2019t just right, they can experience what\u2019s called sensory dysregulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is sensory dysregulation?<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a parent, teacher, or anyone who works with kids, chances are, you know what dysregulation looks like \u2014 you just may not know what to call it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sensory dysregulation<\/strong> is when your central nervous system (your brain) is imbalanced due to an excess of sensory input, or not enough sensory input.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some children have a neurologically low threshold<\/strong> for most sensory input, which means they can be hypersensitive to sensory input, like visual, auditory, tactile, etc. My daughter<\/a> falls into this category. These children are more prone to melt downs<\/a> and become dysregulated when their brain believes something is too much to process, such as the sound of a blender or the feeling of paint on their hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children who have a high threshold<\/strong> for sensory input can tolerate more sensory input than the average person. For example, a child with a high threshold for movement can spin in circles repeatedly without feeling dizzy. A child with a high threshold for sound might not realize when their voice is very loud, or may even enjoy really loud sounds and music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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High threshold children can also show signs of dysregulation, but it can look different than children with a low threshold. For example, some kids can\u2019t get enough movement and often seek more and more physical stimulation, they\u2019re often called sensory seekers<\/a>. These movement seekers may run and run, but instead of becoming calmer and more regulated, you may notice shrieking, drooling, and extremely fast and unsafe movements \u2014 a sign that a child may be dysregulated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The signs of sensory dysregulation<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Dysregulation can come in different forms for different kids, but here are some general things to look out for. This is not an exhaustive list\u2014since every child is unique, they may exhibit different signs than the ones below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n