02/22/2026
Sensory processing is complex and can be difficult to understand. Our bodies have 8 senses: Visual, Auditory, Tactile, Smell, Taste, Vestibular (balance), Proprioception (body awareness) and Interoception.
Sensory regulation relies on 'balance' between all 8 senses.
To better understand sensory processing, we can use the cup analogy. Each sense has “a cup”. The goal is for EACH of your sensory cups to be “just right”— not too full but not too empty either.
A child with typical sensory processing will have REGULAR sized cups for most, if not all of their senses, and they will automatically ‘fill’ and ’empty’ their cups efficiently. Without conscious thought, a child with typical sensory processing will effectively notice or ignore, process and respond to sensation so that their cup does not overflow or run empty, resulting in the child interacting with their environment appropriately.
A BIG cup requires you to need more input to fill your cup. Large cup=longer to fill
Example: if your child’s VESTIBULAR cup is a BIG cup you would find them to be constantly on the move, finds it hard to sit still, fidgets, takes dangerous risks.
A SMALL cup does not take much input until your cup is overflowing— easily overstimulated by stimuli.
Example: a child with a SMALL cup already has a near full cup. You will find them easily overstimulated, in fight or flight mode or avoidant. Too much TACTILE stimuli may result in avoidance of certain texture/clothing. Too much VISUAL input may make completing school work difficult— sorting through all the information for comprehension, staying on task, or initiating the task may be difficult since the child is ‘overwhelmed’.
Although children with significant sensory processing difficulties (SPD) are just responding to their environment, they are trying to self-regulate to meet their sensory needs. This is often misinterpreted as misbehavior (anger, avoiding, anxious, hyperactive) and can lead to harsh discipline when what is really needed is help and guidance to regulate— learning to effectively fill or empty their cups to be “just right”.
If you think your child might be experiencing sensory processing issues which is significantly impacting their development, learning, play, engagement or participation in daily life, it’s worth seeking professional advice from an Occupational Therapist.
With the right help and support, you can help your child learn how to cope with their unique view of the world and minimize the difficulties that sensory processing can cause.
