Sensory Processing Disorder | Sensory System | Sense of Touch

What's up mamas? Welcome back to the sensory system series. Today we're covering our tactile sensory system, which is our sense of touch. I'll cover how it works, how a sensory processing disorder would be affected by this sensory system, and some potential signs or indicators that might show your little one is struggling with their tactile sensory system. And finally, I'll share how an occupational therapist might be able to help your little one with their tactile sensory processing disorder. Speaking of our tactile sensory system, today's video is sponsored by Kia Babies, and they make the softest, just best toddler towels that I've come across. Honestly, this towel is super soft and very gentle on your little one's skin, and it's huge. I mean, it's big enough to wrap my almost three-year-old son completely in. And best of all, this towel is made from 100% organic bamboo, so it's safe and it's quality. For a limited time, Kia Babies is offering a 10% off coupon code for any of their items online. I'll go ahead and leave that coupon code in the description box below if you are interested in learning more. All right mamas, let's get into it. Our sense of touch relies on receptors that are found in our skin that send different important information pieces to our brain about our environment. So these receptors are responsible for detecting things such as vibration, temperature, pain, texture, and pressure. Now let's think about the functional impact of these receptors sending these important information pieces to our brain. Having this sense allows our child to reach into their toy box and grab their favorite toy without even looking. Or it's how we're able to detect that the temperature of water is far too hot and that we are at risk of being burned. So when our tactile sensory system is functioning properly, your little one is organized and secure in their body, and they're able to attend and respond to all the other sensory information that is happening around them. So a kiddo with a well-developed tactile sensory system is able to explore their environment freely and without difficulty. So they're able to engage with their peers, play in the sandbox, and complete activities of daily living such as brushing their teeth, or getting dressed, or eating a meal with little to no difficulty. Your child's really able to explore their environment effortlessly, and they demonstrate a curiosity about their environment through touch. So having that healthy tactile sensory system really allows us to strike a healthy balance between avoiding or being fearful of touch, and then on the other hand, being preoccupied with touch and constantly seeking it. Which brings me to tactile sensory processing disorders. Now unfortunately, some of our kiddos have a difficult time processing the tactile information that they're receiving, and as a result, a child may develop a hypersensitivity to tactile sensation. This tactile hypersensitivity will often cause children to shy away from, or sometimes withdraw completely from certain tactile experiences, such as playing with play dough, or finger painting, or maybe they even avoid certain textured foods. They may hate to get their hands or their face dirty, or maybe you're noticing that they're always having a meltdown or a tantrum when it comes to brushing their teeth, or getting their hair cut, maybe shampooing their hair, getting dressed because certain textured clothing is difficult for them, maybe it's tags or seams on the clothing. To these kiddos, what seems like a simple touch can be experienced by them as unpleasant to even extremely painful. Now on the other hand, some kiddos have the opposite experience where they are seeking out more tactile input to give their body what it needs. These kiddos love to touch and they love to be touched. These kiddos readily explore their environment. They may fidget endlessly with items in their hand, they may crave hugs or being close to another person, and they might even demonstrate difficulty with personal space. Now if you're recognizing some of these behaviors in your child, you may want to consider following up with an occupational therapist. That way they can establish a plan to address your kiddo's needs. So your OT might recommend that your little one play with a sensory bin. A sensory bin is a great way to introduce new or even reintroduce familiar sensations to your little one and gear them up for interacting and eventually touching the textures that they shy away from. There are so many different ways in which you can create a sensory bin, so if you're interested in learning more about it, I'll leave the link to a sensory bin that I've created in the past down in the description box for you. Now an OT might also recommend what's called sensory brushing. Sensory brushing is a very specific protocol that an OT needs to guide you in, but the point of sensory brushing is to help reset the way the brain is interpreting tactile information. That way your little one isn't demonstrating such a hypersensitivity to the various sensations they're experiencing. Another easy recommendation that an OT might make is to modify your child's clothing or to purchase clothing that has sensory processing disorders in mind. So if your little one has a difficult time with their clothing or the textures, you can make some easy adjustments that might help them feel more comfortable in the things they wear every day, such as removing tags or purchasing socks that have no seams, or you might consider purchasing brands that have sensory processing disorders in mind, such as Cat & Jack. I love this brand because all of their t-shirts are made without any tags and they were very intentional in thinking about our kids who have the tactile sensory processing disorder. I'm able to find Cat & Jack clothing at my neighborhood Target, so check them out to see if you can find something for your kiddo there. If you mamas have any other questions or concerns and are interested in speaking directly with an occupational therapist, I will leave a link down below in the description box where you can book a private consultation with me. Alright mamas, that's going to do it for our tactile sensory systems video. Make sure you're subscribed and hit the bell notification that way you don't miss out on our next sensory systems video. Also, please give this video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it and you found it helpful. I'll catch you guys in the next one. Thanks so much for watching. Bye!