05/10/2026
Your child may not fit into just one sensory category.
Many parents hear about the 4 sensory quadrants and think their child has to be only one thing:
Low Registration
Sensory Seeking
Sensory Sensitivity
Sensory Avoiding
But in real life, sensory processing is often mixed.
A child may seek movement but avoid sound.
They may crave deep pressure but become distressed by light touch.
They may miss body cues but become overwhelmed by bright lights, crowded rooms, or unexpected transitions.
This is especially common in children with ADHD, Autism, anxiety, trauma histories, and mood regulation challenges.
A child with ADHD may constantly seek movement, crash into furniture, talk loudly, or struggle to sit still, while also becoming easily distracted by background noise or visual input.
A child with Autism may seek predictable sensory input like spinning, rocking, or deep pressure, while avoiding unpredictable sounds, food textures, clothing, grooming, or crowded environments.
A child with anxiety or mood disorders may appear “on high alert,” sensitive to small changes, easily overwhelmed, avoidant of new experiences, or shut down when the sensory demand becomes too much.
This is why the Sensory Profile Assessment is so helpful.
It does not label the child.
It helps us understand the nervous system pattern behind the behavior.
Because the real question is not:
“What is wrong with this child?”
The better question is:
“What is their nervous system trying to protect, seek, avoid, or regulate?”
At Sensory Therapy Place in Brewer, Maine, we help families understand sensory processing patterns in children with ADHD, Autism, emotional regulation challenges, developmental delays, and sensory processing differences.
Your child can be a seeker, avoider, sensitive responder, and low registration child all at the same time depending on the sensory system, environment, stress level, and daily routine.
That is why support needs to be individualized.
