What Every Parent Should Know About Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
A Pediatric OT's Plain-Language Guide to Understanding, Recognizing, and Supporting Your Child
A Message for Parents
First, thank you for being here. The fact that you’re reading this tells me something important about you: you care deeply about understanding your child—not just managing their behavior, but truly figuring out what makes them tick.
If your child has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), you may have already spent a lot of time wondering: Why does my child fall apart over things that don’t seem to bother anyone else? Why do getting dressed, going to the grocery store, or sitting through a school day feel like such enormous challenges? Why does my child act out in ways that seem extreme?
The answers often lie in how your child’s nervous system processes the world around them. And once you understand that, everything starts to make more sense.
What Is Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)?
Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD, is a condition in which the brain has difficulty receiving, organizing, and responding to sensory information from the environment. In other words, the nervous system doesn’t process what it sees, hears, feels, tastes, or smells in the same way most people do.
Think of it this way: imagine a busy restaurant where everyone can tune out the background noise and focus on their conversation. Now imagine that your brain couldn’t filter out that noise—every sound felt just as loud and urgent as the person right in front of you. That sensory overload is what many children with SPD experience every single day.
SPD is not a new diagnosis, and it is not a parenting problem. It is a neurological condition that affects how the brain processes sensory input. Research shows that SPD affects approximately 1 in 6 children—meaning it is far more common than most people realize.
📖 Want a deeper dive? Read: Your Child Isn’t ‘Just Sensitive’: Understanding Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
It's Not Just the Five Senses: The 8 Sensory Systems
Most of us grew up learning about five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. But did you know that humans actually have eight sensory systems? The three “hidden” senses are often the ones most affected in children with SPD:
- Proprioception — the sense of where your body is in space. Children who struggle with proprioception may seek heavy input (crashing, jumping, pushing) or seem clumsy and unaware of their own strength.
- Vestibular — the sense of movement and balance, processed in the inner ear. Children with vestibular challenges may be afraid of movement or seek it constantly—spinning, swinging, or rocking without getting dizzy.
- Interoception — the sense of what’s happening inside your body, like hunger, thirst, heartbeat, or the need to use the bathroom. When this system is off, children may not notice they’re hungry until they’re in a full meltdown, or may not recognize when they need a bathroom break.
📖 Learn more: The 8 Sensory Systems
How Does SPD Show Up in Everyday Life?
SPD can look very different from child to child—because every nervous system is unique. But there are two main patterns that many children fall into:
🔴 Oversensitive (Hypersensitive) — "Too Much" • Hates certain clothing textures, tags, or seams • Covers ears in response to sounds others barely notice • Gags easily on food textures or refuses many foods • Dislikes being touched, even lightly, or avoids hugs
🔵 Undersensitive (Hyposensitive) — "Not Enough" • Constantly touching things, bumping into people, or crashing into furniture • Doesn't notice pain or temperature the way others do • Needs to move constantly—can't sit still, rocks, spins, or jumps • Puts objects in their mouth past the age when this is typical • Seems unaware of personal space • Has trouble recognizing hunger or the need to use the bathroom
Many children have a mix of both—oversensitive in some areas and undersensitive in others. This is completely normal with SPD.
Here’s something most people don’t realize: children with SPD often look like they’re “fine” on the outside—especially at school. They may be working incredibly hard to manage their sensory environment, follow rules, and stay regulated. But this takes enormous effort.
By the time they get home, they have used up nearly all of their “sensory reserves.” The explosion that happens in the kitchen after school isn’t defiance—it’s a nervous system that has been running on empty all day finally hitting its limit.
This is sometimes called the “after-school restraint collapse,” and it is one of the most misunderstood aspects of SPD. Your child isn’t saving their worst behavior for you. They are finally in a safe place where they can let go.
Understanding this doesn’t just change how you respond to your child—it changes how you feel about those hard moments. That shift from frustration to compassion makes a world of difference.
The Hidden Cost: What SPD Looks Like From the Inside
Here’s something most people don’t realize: children with SPD often look like they’re “fine” on the outside—especially at school. They may be working incredibly hard to manage their sensory environment, follow rules, and stay regulated. But this takes enormous effort.
By the time they get home, they have used up nearly all of their “sensory reserves.” The explosion that happens in the kitchen after school isn’t defiance—it’s a nervous system that has been running on empty all day finally hitting its limit.
This is sometimes called the “after-school restraint collapse,” and it is one of the most misunderstood aspects of SPD. Your child isn’t saving their worst behavior for you. They are finally in a safe place where they can let go.
Understanding this doesn’t just change how you respond to your child—it changes how you feel about those hard moments. That shift from frustration to compassion makes a world of difference.
Questions to Help You See Your Child's Sensory World
As you think about your child’s sensory experiences, here are some questions worth reflecting on:
- Does your child react strongly to things that don’t seem to bother others—sounds, textures, smells, light?
- Does your child avoid certain foods because of texture rather than taste?
- Does your child seem to need a lot of movement, or do they resist physical activities?
- Does your child struggle with transitions, especially from preferred to non-preferred activities?
- Do you notice that your child holds it together at school but “loses it” at home?
- Does your child seem unaware of their own strength, frequently bumping into things or playing too rough?
Now here’s a reflection exercise that many parents find eye-opening: think back to your own childhood. What were your sensory preferences? Did you love being touched, or did you hate it? Did you crave movement, or did you prefer quiet activities? Were there things you strongly avoided?
Our own sensory histories shape how we interpret our children’s responses. A parent who loved noisy, active play may find it harder to understand a child who is overwhelmed by a crowded birthday party—and vice versa. Neither is wrong. They’re just different nervous systems.
❝ Once children understand how their brain and body work—and have the right tools to cope—sensory processing challenges become something they can manage with confidence, not something that controls them. ❞
When Should You Seek an Occupational Therapy Evaluation?
If you see yourself nodding along to several of the signs above, it may be time to reach out to a pediatric occupational therapist (OT) for a formal evaluation. Here’s what that process typically looks like:
- Caregiver questionnaires: Tools like the Sensory Profile or Sensory Processing Measure ask parents and teachers to describe what they observe in the child’s daily life. These questionnaires are a key part of the evaluation process.
- Standardized assessments: An OT uses structured tests to evaluate how the child processes sensory input across different systems—touch, movement, sound, and more.
- Clinical observations: The OT watches how the child moves, plays, and responds to sensory input in real time.
- A full report and recommendations: After the evaluation, you receive a detailed picture of your child’s sensory profile—their strengths, challenges, and a treatment plan tailored to their needs.
Early identification and intervention make a real difference. The sooner a child gets the right support, the sooner they develop the tools to navigate a sensory-rich world with confidence.
How Occupational Therapy Helps Children with SPD
Occupational therapy for SPD is not about eliminating sensory sensitivity—it’s about helping the nervous system become more flexible and organized so your child can participate fully in everyday life.
A pediatric OT uses a combination of:
- Sensory integration therapy: A play-based approach that provides the “just-right” amount of sensory input to help the brain learn to process it more effectively.
- A sensory diet: A personalized plan of sensory activities built into the daily routine to keep the nervous system regulated throughout the day.
- Environmental modifications: Practical changes to home, school, or other environments that reduce sensory triggers and support regulation.
- Parent and teacher coaching: Helping the important adults in a child’s life understand the child’s sensory needs and respond in supportive ways.
The goal is for children to gain insight into their own sensory needs—and to have a toolkit of strategies they can use to advocate for themselves and manage their responses.
✅ Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a neurological condition in which the brain has difficulty organizing and responding to sensory information. It affects approximately 1 in 6 children.
✅ Children with SPD are not misbehaving. Their nervous systems are working differently—not harder or worse, just differently.
✅ SPD can look like oversensitivity, undersensitivity, or a mix of both. Every child’s sensory profile is unique.
✅ The “after-school restraint collapse” is real: children often hold it together at school and fall apart at home because they’ve spent all their regulation energy getting through the day.
✅ Humans have 8 sensory systems, not 5. The vestibular, proprioceptive, and interoceptive systems are frequently affected in children with SPD.
✅ A pediatric OT can evaluate your child using standardized tools like the Sensory Profile or Sensory Processing Measure and create a personalized plan.
✅ Early support changes outcomes. When children understand their sensory needs and have tools to cope, they gain confidence and independence.
📚 Keep Learning: Related Posts From Play It Forward Therapy
SENSORY PROCESSING
- → Your Child Isn’t Just Sensitive: Understanding Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
- → The 3 Primary Patterns and Subtypes of Sensory Processing Disorder
- → The 8 Sensory Systems
- → Back-to-School Success: Practical Sensory Strategies for Kids with Sensory Processing Challenges
- → Classroom Sensory Strategies
- → Sensory Travel Tips: How to Prevent Meltdowns When You’re on Vacation
Ready to level up your EQ Skills?
You don’t have to figure all of this out on your own.
If you’re ready to move beyond simply managing challenging behaviors and learn practical strategies for building emotional intelligence and regulation skills into your work with children, The EQ Advantage Course was created for you.
Inside the course, you’ll learn concrete, evidence-based strategies you can begin using right away to support children’s emotional development, strengthen co-regulation, and bring an emotionally intelligent approach to your therapy sessions.
Because when we help children understand and manage their emotions, we aren’t taking time away from therapy. You can help to create the conditions that make therapy more successful.
