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If you’ve ever watched your child cover their ears at a birthday party, melt down after putting on socks, or refuse foods with certain textures, you may have asked yourself: Is this normal? Or is something deeper going on?

These may be signs of sensory processing difficulties—a common but often misunderstood experience in both neurodivergent and neurotypical children. For families of children with Autism, ADHD, or developmental differences, these sensory challenges can significantly impact daily life.

In this post, we’ll explore:

• What sensory processing difficulties are

• How they relate to Autism

• What sensory processing disorder (SPD) feels and looks like

• What causes it, how it’s diagnosed, and what you can do to help

Let’s dive in.

🌈 What Are Sensory Processing Difficulties?

Sensory processing difficulties occur when the brain has trouble receiving, organizing, or responding to information from the senses. This includes the five traditional senses—sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch—as well as two additional senses:

• Proprioception: Awareness of body position

• Vestibular: Balance and movement

When a child struggles to process sensory input effectively, they may overreact, underreact, or seek out specific sensations to feel regulated. These challenges can affect behavior, learning, motor skills, emotions, and social interactions.

🧩 Sensory Processing Difficulties and Autism

You may be wondering: What is sensory processing disorder in Autism? While SPD is not exclusive to Autism, sensory processing difficulties are extremely common in autistic children.

In fact, over 90% of autistic individuals experience some level of sensory sensitivity.

That means behaviors like avoiding bright lights, being bothered by clothing textures, or struggling with loud environments aren’t “bad behavior”—they’re sensory coping strategies.

This overlap leads many professionals to assess sensory challenges as part of an Autism evaluation. However, SPD can also exist in children without Autism.

🔍 What Causes Sensory Processing Disorder?

Research into the causes of sensory processing disorder is ongoing. While SPD is not officially classified as a stand-alone diagnosis in the DSM-5, it is widely recognized by occupational therapists, neurologists, and developmental specialists.

Potential contributing factors include:

• Genetic predisposition (family history of neurodivergence)

• Prenatal or birth complications

• Early brain development differences

• Co-occurring conditions like ADHD, learning disabilities, or anxiety

It’s important to remember: SPD is not caused by poor parenting, trauma, or behavioral issues. It’s a neurological difference in how the brain interprets the sensory world.

⚠️ What Are Signs of Sensory Processing Disorder?

So, what are the signs of sensory processing disorder in children?

Here are some common red flags across different senses:

🔊 Auditory (Hearing)

• Covers ears at everyday sounds (toilets flushing, vacuum, hand dryers)

• Overreacts to loud environments like parties or assemblies

• Doesn’t seem to notice name being called

👕 Tactile (Touch)

• Avoids tags, seams, or certain fabrics

• Doesn’t like hair brushing, nail trimming, or face washing

• Seeks out messy play excessively

🍽️ Oral (Taste/Smell)

• Extremely picky eating

• Refuses foods with certain textures

• Strong reactions to smells (even mild ones)

🏃 Proprioceptive/Vestibular

• Crashes into things, jumps or spins constantly

• Avoids swings, stairs, or climbing

• Appears clumsy or uncoordinated

😩 Emotional/Behavioral

• Meltdowns after overstimulation

• Difficulty with transitions

• Trouble focusing due to sensory overload

If your child shows several of these signs across settings, they may be experiencing difficulties with sensory processing disorder.

👀 What Does Sensory Processing Disorder Look Like?

So what does sensory processing disorder look like in real life?

Imagine a child walking into a classroom:

• The lights are fluorescent and buzzing

• A peer is tapping their pencil nearby

• The teacher’s voice is echoing from a speaker

• Their socks feel “wrong” and their waistband is itchy

To a child with SPD, this can feel unbearable. They might:

• Hide under a desk

• Scream or run away

• Lash out at others

• Shut down completely

From the outside, it may look like a tantrum or defiance. But from the inside, it’s sensory overload.

🧠 What Does Sensory Processing Disorder Feel Like?

Parents often ask: What does sensory processing disorder feel like for a child?

Here are common descriptions from kids and adults with SPD:

• “It feels like fireworks in my head when it gets too loud.”

• “My skin feels like it’s on fire when I wear jeans.”

• “It’s like my brain is itchy and I can’t scratch it.”

• “I can’t focus because everything is happening too much at once.”

In short, it can be exhausting, overwhelming, and even painful.

🔄 What Are the Different Sensory Processing Disorders?

There are three general types of sensory processing disorder (according to occupational therapy models):

1. Sensory Modulation Disorder

• Over-responsiveness (hypersensitivity)

• Under-responsiveness (hyposensitivity)

• Sensory seeking (craving movement or touch)

2. Sensory-Based Motor Disorder

• Difficulty with balance, posture, or coordination

• May appear clumsy or uncoordinated

3. Sensory Discrimination Disorder

• Trouble interpreting differences between sensory input

• For example: not recognizing objects by feel, or misunderstanding spatial boundaries

Most children don’t fit neatly into one box. They may be sensory seekers in some areas and avoiders in others.

🧒 What Age Can Sensory Processing Disorder Be Diagnosed?

So, what age can sensory processing disorder be diagnosed?

Occupational therapists can begin assessing sensory processing challenges as early as 18 months to 2 years old, especially if the child shows:

• Intense reactions to sensory input

• Delays in motor development

• Feeding challenges

• Persistent tantrums around grooming or clothing

Early intervention can begin even before a formal diagnosis, especially if your pediatrician refers you to OT services or an early childhood intervention program.

👶 Sensory Processing Difficulties in Children

It’s important to know that sensory processing difficulties in children are not rare—and they’re not always a sign of a disorder.

Many toddlers and preschoolers go through sensory phases. But if it’s:

• Consistent

• Impacting daily life

• Creating distress

Then it's worth discussing with a provider.

A comprehensive evaluation may include:

• Parent interview

• Sensory profile or checklist

• Direct observation in play or daily routines

• Collaboration with speech therapists or psychologists

🛠️ How to Support a Child with Sensory Processing Difficulties

If your child has SPD or sensory differences, here are practical ways to help:

✅ 1. Occupational Therapy

Work with an OT trained in sensory integration. They’ll develop a personalized plan with activities that support regulation.

✅ 2. Create a Sensory Toolkit

Include:

• Noise-canceling headphones

• Fidgets

• Chewelry

• Weighted lap pads

• Visual schedules

✅ 3. Modify the Environment

• Reduce noise and clutter

• Offer sensory breaks throughout the day

• Use natural light when possible

✅ 4. Respect Their Boundaries

Honor clothing preferences, give choices, and provide transition warnings. Your child is not being "picky"—they’re communicating a need.

💛 Final Thoughts: Understanding Is Everything

Whether your child is Autistic, highly sensitive, or simply wired differently, understanding sensory processing difficulties can help you show up with more empathy, patience, and tools that work.

Knowing what sensory processing disorder feels like, what it looks like, and how to support it will not only improve your child’s daily life—it will strengthen your relationship, build trust, and give them the confidence to thrive.

📥 Want More Support?

Download our free Sensory Needs Cheat Sheet and check out our printable sensory routines, calm-down charts, and visual tools in the Pop Sugar Cafe shop!

👉 Visit Pop Sugar Cafe