Sensory processing differences in autistic kids
Hyper, hypo, seeking, avoiding — eight sensory systems and how they shape your kid's day. With practical accommodations.
If you’ve ever watched your child cover their ears in a quiet supermarket, refuse a tag in their shirt, or seek out the loudest, spinniest thing in the playground — you’ve watched their sensory system in action.
Most people learn five senses in school. There are at least eight that matter for autistic kids, including the often-overlooked vestibular (balance), proprioceptive (body-in-space), and interoceptive (internal state — hunger, thirst, full bladder, fast heartbeat).
What helps
- Don’t assume what looks like behaviour is behaviour. It’s often regulation.
- Sensory tools at hand. Headphones, fidgets, a chew, a weighted lap pad.
- Reduce demands during dysregulation. This isn’t a teaching moment.
- Body-doubling beats verbal instruction. Co-regulate first, language later.
We work with families to map their kid’s sensory profile and build accommodations into real life — not into a clinic-only space.