Understanding the Sensory System

The sensory system is the network that allows our bodies to receive, process, and respond to information from the environment.  It’s like a complex messaging system that helps people understand and navigate the world around them. This system includes not only the traditional five senses but also two lesser-known senses: the proprioceptive sense (awareness of body position) and the vestibular sense (balance and movement).

Here’s a quick breakdown:

1. Sight – Helps people see their environment and understand shapes, colors, and depth.
2. Hearing – Allows them to process sounds and understand language.
3. Taste and Smell – Work together to identify food, scents, and environmental factors.
4. Touch – Vital for feeling textures, temperature, and even emotional connections (like a hug!).
5. Proprioception – Helps people know where their body is in space, which is key for coordination.
6. Vestibular Sense – Crucial for balance and understanding how movement feels, from running to spinning.

Why does this matter? A well-functioning sensory system supports a child’s learning, emotional regulation, motor skills, and social interactions. Children who experience sensory processing challenges may find everyday activities overwhelming or hard to navigate. When children have sensory processing difficulties, their brains have trouble receiving, organizing, or responding to sensory input in a typical way. This can lead to sensory overload (feeling overwhelmed by sounds, lights, or textures) or sensory under-responsiveness (not noticing or responding to stimuli like pain, temperature, or even a loud noise).

By nurturing a child’s sensory experiences, we help them build confidence, self-regulation, and a deeper understanding of the world around them.