11/08/2020
Sometimes, who have issues self-regulating— or who regularly fall off their chairs— or who are in constant motion— or who have uncommon troubles with toilet training— may be having difficulties that need to be compassionately recognised and addressed.
We’ve all heard of the 5 senses. Yet there are actually 8 main senses that are part of the sensory system of the body. Some would say there are even more, depending on how they define the word “senses” (main, basic, primary, etc). Unfortunately, even just considering the main 8 senses, 3 of them are virtually unheard of, not just because they are hard to explain and pronounce, but also because they only come up when there’s a problem.
Another reason many have not heard of sensory processing or integration issues confined to the additional 3 senses is because of a debate that continues to unfurl in the wider clinical community. It is occupational therapists (OTs) who first theorised that sensory processing and sensory integration issues are a source of distress for many children and their families. Many issues still progress unrecognised by other specialists as they are sometimes not diagnosed under neurodevelopmental disorders or sensory processing issues. Yet it is indisputable across the disciplines that identifying sensory issues and working with an OT helps many children become calmer and better regulated.
All parents and educators who wish to optimise children's physical development should have a recognition of a child's 8 developing senses, and not just limit and learning opportunities to the realms of , , , and .
The other 3 senses– and how to recognise problems with them– are explored below
🐙 SYSTEM
The vestibular system includes the parts of the inner ear and brain that help control balance, eye movement and spatial orientation. It helps keep you stable and upright. It is the leading system informing us about movement and position of head relative to gravity. A body's movements include two positions rotations and linear directionality, all of which need development. The vestibular system sends signals primarily to the neural parts of the that control our eye movements and that keep us balanced and upright.
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The proprioceptive system senses the position, location, orientation, and movement of the body muscles and joints. Proprioception provides us with the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body and effort used to move body parts. Proprioception is activated by input to a proprioceptor in the periphery of the body. The proprioceptive sense combines sensory information from neurons in the inner ear (detecting motion and orientation) and stretch receptors in the muscles and the joint-supporting ligaments for stance. Because of proprioception, if you raise your hand, you know that your arm is over your head. You don't have to think about it or look in a mirror.
–Kids who have trouble with the vestibular sense or proprioception could struggle with motor skills in a number of ways. They may seem awkward and clumsy. An activity like running or even going up and down stairs may be hard for kids who have difficulty knowing how their body is oriented and whether it's stable. They may move slowly or avoid activities that are too challenging. They may not know their own strength and use more muscles than they need for simple tasks, breaking pencil tips, ripping pages or giving overenthusiastic hugs. They may not like physical activities that other kids find fun. For example, they may not feel safe on the swings because they're not getting the sensory input that tells them they're securely seated.
–They may be in constant motion, bump into things or seem out of control. When kids don't get enough feedback from the sensory system, they may exaggerate their movements to get the information they need from the environment. When they walk down a hallway, they may knock into the wall to feel more anchored. They may kick their legs under their desk for the same reason. They may love physical activity like doing flips off the diving board or just jumping up and down.
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Interoception refers to sensations related to the physiological/physical condition of the body. Interoceptors are internal sensors that provide a sense of what our internal organs are feeling. Hunger and thirst are examples of interoception. It detects responses that guide regulation, including hunger, heart rate, respiration and elimination. The stimulation is detected through nerve endings lining the respiratory and digestive mucous membranes, and it works alongside the vestibular and proprioceptive senses to determine how a person perceives their own body. Well-modulated interoception helps the person detect sensations normally. For example, if a person feels their heart pounding, while it is not comfortable, trauma from the stimulation is not likely; nor will the stimulation be craved. The same is true for hunger and thirst, as well as the feeling of the need to urinate or have a bowel movement.
–Kids who struggle with the interoceptive sense may have trouble knowing when they feel hungry, full, hot, cold or thirsty. Having trouble with this sense can also make self-regulation a challenge. Most of us know if we're hungry, full, hot, cold, thirsty, nauseated, itchy or ticklish. For kids with sensory processing issues, the brain may have trouble making sense of that information. They may not be able to tell when they're feeling pain or when their bladder is full. An itch may feel like pain or pain may feel ticklish. Kids who struggle with the interoceptive sense can also have trouble “feeling” their emotions. They may not be as tuned in to the body cues that help interpret emotion. Without being able to feel and interpret those body sensations, it's harder to clearly identify the emotion. For instance, a child may not “feel” fear because they don't recognise that their muscles are tense, their breathing is shallow and their heart is racing.
–Kids who are under-responsive to interoceptive sensory input may not feel or respond to sensations when they should. They may take longer than other kids to learn to use the toilet or have more frequent accidents. They may not eat as often as others because they may not feel hunger or thirst.
🐙WHAT CAN YOU DO?
If you suspect your child has sensory processing issues, consider having them evaluated by an occupational therapist (OT) who specialises in sensory integration. Follow the instructions from your therapist and spend some quality time together having fun. With vestibular sense or proprioception, you may find yourself helping your child complete activities that give them opportunities to use their arms and legs at the same time.
Encourage your child to spend time in free play. Make a home obstacle course, show them how to do a push-up, or just have them help rake leaves and carry groceries.
With interoception, you may find that a therapist directs your child more towards mindfulness activities like meditation, which can help kids be more aware of interoceptive sensations in their bodies. Heavy work (activity that pushes or pulls against the body) or a sensory diet may be helpful as well.
The point is to give your child the sensory input that they need to feel in control of their body. When they get this information, it will help them feel more stable and focused. One of the reasons that children so naturally want to fidget, jump, balance, climb, and run around with each other is because of their natural instincts to develop all of their 8 senses as they grow. Over time, most kids will figure out their own strategies to work around their weaknesses and play to their strengths.
https://childmind.org/article/the-debate-over-sensory-processing
https://www.misophoniainternational.com/you-have-8-senses-not-5
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/sensory-processing-issues/interoception-and-sensory-processing-issues-what-you-need-to-know
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/sensory-processing-issues/how-sensory-processing-issues-can-affect-motor-skills
