Sensory Seeking/Craving

Your child may be sensory seeking/craving. This means that he or she may not feel stimulation from the environment with as much intensity as other people do, and the amount of stimulus usually needed to activate a certain response may be perceived by your child as unsatisfactory. A child can be seeking/craving in one sense and display a different pattern in another sense. A child can also be seeking/craving one day and display a different pattern in the same sense another day. For seekers/cravers, Calming Tactile, Proprioception, and Calming Vestibular activities can be very helpful. Follow the links below for more regulating activities to try with your child.

Visual

If your child appears...

distracted by or drawn to visual stimuli; to engage in self-stimulating behavior, such as "flapping"
to prefer environments with a variety of colors, textures, shapes, and sizes
to have trouble "winding down" or struggle to close eyes to rest; to fixate on objects or to look all around without attending to one object or task
to be more focused on objects than people and seemingly distracted by objects others don't see; to rub or press on eyes vigorously to cause visual sensations

Try Calming Visual; Calming Tactile; Proprioception activities

Auditory

If your child appears...

to need to sing, speak, or vocalize loudly or repetitively; fascinated by turning up the volume on or repeatedly activate devices
distracted by ambient noise (TV, radio, multiple conversations)
prefer loud or funny noises; actively seek loud or busy environments

Try Calming Auditory; Calming Tactile; Proprioception activities

Olfactory

If your child appears...

to crave odors, good or bad; distracted by scented items
to frequently bring objects to the nose
to prefer smell seeking over play or social interaction

Try Alerting Gustatory; Proprioception; Calming Vestibular activities

Gustatory

If your child appears...

to interact better if able to explore bold flavored candy or gum
to mouth, lick, or chew on objects beyond what is age appropriate
to show a strong preference for specific tastes (sour, bitter, spicy, bold flavors)

Try Alerting Olfactory; Proprioception; Calming Tactile activities

Tactile

If your child appears...

to demonstrate compulsion to touch or explore textures or temperatures
to prefer certain fabrics, textured clothing, or exposure of bare skin to the elements
to excessively explore or play with food or objects with hands, mouth, or bare skin; to knowingly touch or mouth objects that are too hot or cold
to struggle to understand appropriate touch within privacy circles

Try Calming Tactile, Proprioception, Calming Vestibular activities

Proprioception

If your child appears...

chew with excessive force, grind or clench teeth
to enjoy crashing or bumping into objects or others; to be aggressive, agile, or athletic; to hang off of objects or others
to be destructive, use excessive force, or apply too much pressure to objects; to crave resistance from objects

Try Calming Tactile; Calming Vestibular activities

Vestibular

If your child appears...

to struggle to sit still
to move excessively or zoom from place to place
to enjoy spinning, hanging upside down, or the sensation of being dropped

Try Calming Tactile; Proprioception activities

Interoception

If your child appears...

to be out of touch with the body's signs of hunger and fullness
to push too hard to have a bowel movement
to crave feeling full

Try Proprioception; Calming Vestibular activities

NEXT: Sensory Discrimination Disorder

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