Sensory processing refers to how we take in information through the senses: touch, sound, sight, taste, smell, balance (vestibular), and body awareness (proprioception).

Some people are sensory sensitive (hyper-reactive). Others are sensory seeking (hypo-reactive). Many are a blend of both, depending on the situation.

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Examples include:

• Overreacting to noise, clothing, smells, or crowded places

• Avoiding certain textures, lights, or foods

• Feeling “on edge” in unpredictable environments

• Seeking strong movement (rocking, spinning, bouncing)

• Craving deep pressure or tight hugs

• Seeming clumsy, always crashing into things

• Fatigue or emotional overload after sensory-heavy environments (like school or shopping centres)

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Sensory differences are common in Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia, and Anxiety, but they affect people in many different ways.

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It’s Not Bad Behaviour, It’s a Sensory Mismatch

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Sensory overload isn’t a tantrum. It’s the body saying “this is too much.”

You might see:

• Meltdowns after school

• Avoidance of clothes, shoes, or washing

• Refusal to enter noisy spaces

• Fidgeting, chewing, or constant movement

• Emotional dysregulation after bright lights or crowded places

• Exhaustion from constantly trying to “mask” distress

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And in adults: social burnout, brain fog, irritability, or needing long recovery time after being “on.”

The goal isn’t to “toughen up” or force exposure, it’s to understand and work with the nervous system.