Social Participation
Social Participation means being a friend, part of a family, and part of a community.
Social Participation means being a friend, part of a family, and part of a community.
Below you will see groups of behaviors that describe specific patterns of sensory processing. As you read through these lists, make note of any that stick out to you or seem to be descriptive of your child. Click on any group for more information about that particular pattern of sensory processing. Children can display different patterns at different times, so make sure to click on all that apply.
My child appears...
- to be distracted by lighting, colors; may seem to see things others don’t, seem to perseverate on specific stimulating objects or become easily overwhelmed
- to shut down in loud environments or shy away from busy community environments, such as the mall, the grocery store, restaurants, or public restrooms; to avoid being in large groups of people or specific people perceived to be loud
- averse to touch of others; to avoid hugs and kisses from relatives or friends or being tickled or touched by others
- to avoid specific individuals with specific scents; may be distracted by smells or "shut down"
- to not want to share snacks or food with others or drink after others
- to be averse to others moving his or her body passively
My child appears...
- to not pick up on subtle visual social cues or take increased time to process
- to have difficulty listening to family or peers; to require extra time for processing auditory information
- to crash or bump into others, touch others excessively, stand too close, or hug family members too hard
- to be "loosey goosey" or tire easily; people may see the child as lazy, squirmy, disrespectful, or defiant
- to be clumsy, accident prone, or klutzy
- dismissive, aloof, or "out of touch" when interacting with others
My child appears...
- to be more focused on objects than people and seemingly distracted by objects others don't see; may rub eyes vigorously to cause visual sensations
- seek out peers and environments with lots of noise and stimulation; may be seen as mischievous or willful by others
- to touch others excessively, enjoy having hair played with, and want to be tickled, hugged, or kissed by family; may struggle to understand appropriate touch within privacy circles
- to be distracted by smells or prefer smells over interaction; may sniff people or objects
- to interact better if able to explore bold flavored candy or gum
- to have difficulty maintaining close friendships as peers may see the child as destructive, aggressive, or "too much"
- precocious, distractable, inattentive, hyperactive
My child appears...
- shy, timid, clumsy, or cognitively delayed; may have trouble identifying faces
- to struggle to understand verbal directions from others; may misunderstand wants and needs of others
- to demonstrate confusion regarding touch of others or may touch others with inappropriate pressure, length of time, frequency, etc.
- to struggle to understand where the body is in space and how the body parts relate to each other; may have poor personal space awareness
- to be seen as uncoordinated, confused, disoriented, clumsy
My child appears...
- lazy or lethargic
- to struggle to maintain position in relationship to others; may lean on or hang on a parent
- to be easily fatigued by everyday tasks and interactions
My child appears...
- unaware of how to plan motor tasks in interactions with others
- uncertain of how to correctly sequence steps (i.e. trip over another person's feet while hugging or passing to the center of a movie theater aisle)
- to struggle to complete steps in order even if he or she demonstrates understanding of the correct order
- cautious, bossy, uncoordinated