Sensory Processing

As an occupational therapist, I work with children and young people to explore and support them with their sensory processing needs. Sensory processing refers to how we process and respond to sensory input.

Most of us are familiar with five senses; touch, taste, smell, hearing and vision. But, did you know we also have an additional three? These are vestibular, proprioceptive and interoceptive. Vestibular refers to how our bodies move through space and responds to gravity. Proprioception is our body awareness and refers to the feedback we receive from our joints and muscles. Interoception is our body’s internal cues; for example, when our body tell us we are tired, hungry or thirsty.

Sometimes individuals can have difficulties processing sensory stimuli and it can impact them on a daily basis. For example, they may be more sensitive to noise and find a noisy classroom overwhelming. Or they may be craving proprioceptive input and seek lots of movement!

If you feel your child has sensory processing needs, please email me at info@ealaot.ie

Thanks for reading,

Aoife