Sensory Processing in Teens

Everybody in the world has one (or more) sensory processing styles; we all process input from the world around us. One theory of thinking of these processing styles uses 4 quadrants to describe them: sensory seekers, sensory avoiders, sensory sensitive, and sensory “missers”. This post assumes you already know those 4 terms, and applies them … Read more

Procesamiento Sensorial (Español)

This is a Spanish language translation of this post, which is in English. Post traducido del original en Ingles.  “Sensorial” es una de esas palabras de moda estos días en los grupos de padres, en Pinterest y en relación con diferentes diagnósticos. He visto gente usarlo para significar casi todo. Cuando hablo de procesamiento sensorial, … Read more

Grown-Up IEP Goals

While I was writing some goals for a student’s IEP, I thought about what it would look like in a world where we had developed the system differently. Instead of writing goals to say how I think I’ll change a child over the course of the year, I could write goals about how we’ll change … Read more

Sensory Mismatch Key: Need Isn’t Behavior

In my last post, I shared the first tool for dealing with sensory mismatch. Today I’ll share another tool. Just like in the last post, some of the things I say in this post may be tricky to understand if you haven’t read any of my past posts about sensory processing or some of the … Read more

Sensory Mismatch Key: Escape

I have had lots of questions from people about “sensory mismatch” lately. Sensory mismatch is my phrase for it when two (or more) people in the same environment (like home, a classroom, etc) have different sensory processing styles, AND those different processing styles are causing a clash of some kind. I recently gave a whole … Read more

Vestibular Input

Most people — not all, but most — find rhythmic vestibular sensory input to be soothing. Rhythmic: regular, repeated, predictable. Vestibular: having to do with your inner ear, your sense of balance and movement. It is based on the motion, or lack of motion, of fluid inside of your inner ears. You can imagine human … Read more

Is it sensory, or is it behavior?

I had the opportunity to speak to a group at one of the schools where I work on the topic of discerning whether kids’ “behavior” could be motivated by sensory processing, or whether it’s just “acting out”. (If you’ve been following this page for any amount of time, you might guess the spoiler alert that … Read more

Sensory Profiles…in Cute Form

This is SUCH a cute way of framing the four sensory profiles — in technical terms, and in order from left to right, top to bottom, they would be “low regulation”, “sensory seeking”, “sensory sensitive”, and “sensory avoidant”. But who doesn’t prefer to visualize those things as adorable mugs?? Everybody falls into one of these … Read more

Sensory Profiles

“Sensory” is one of those buzzwords these days in parenting groups, on Pinterest, and in relation to different diagnoses. I’ve seen people use it to mean pretty much everything. When I talk about sensory processing, I am not talking about kids playing with rice or shaving cream in a bin. 😊 There are a few … Read more