“Decreased Sensitivity” May Look Like Bad Behavior
When my son was two years old, he slipped and hit his lip on the bathtub. At first I thought he was fine because he didn’t cry much and there wasn’t much blood. However, over the next few days, as his lip began to swell and two black eyes appeared, I realized that he was much more seriously injured than I had initially thought. As it turned out, such a high pain tolerance, combined with his hyperactivity, were one of the first signs of my son’s hyposensitivity.
“The way we process sensory information is really at the core of how we understand the world,” says Stephanie Okada , an occupational therapist at Total Spectrum Counseling, which specializes in treating people with sensory disabilities. In people with hyposensitivity, “their sensory system does not register this information in the same way as most people.” Instead, a higher level of sensory information is often required to register as well as a non-hyposensitive person. Hyposensitivity falls under the category of sensory processing disorder —when a person does not interpret sensory stimuli in the same way as a neurotypical person.
A hyposensitive child is “a tornado child who moves like a bulldozer,” Okada says, a child who is always running, jumping or crashing into things, always putting something in his mouth, or who is always grasping or clutching. All of these behaviors represent attempts by a hyposensitive child to obtain the sensory information he needs , which turns out to be much higher than what his peers need.
Having a hyposensitive child can be a lot of fun, as their creativity is often surpassed only by their enthusiasm. This can also be challenging as meeting their needs while maintaining their integrity can be incredibly difficult.
Seek support
In addition to the five senses known to most people, including touch, taste, sound, sight and hearing, there are three more senses. These include proprioception, which is the body’s awareness of where it is in space; interoception, that is, the body’s awareness of its internal state, such as hunger or drowsiness; and vestibular, that is, awareness of movement by our body.
The confusing part about sensory differences is that hyposensitivity and hypersensitivity can often go hand in hand, in ways that vary from person to person. “You can be hyposensitive or hypersensitive in any of these areas and in any combination,” says Okada. This sensitivity can also wax and wane over time.
If your child is showing signs of hyposensitivity, it is important to seek help from an occupational therapist who is familiar with treating children with sensory disabilities. Depending on their needs, they may also benefit from physical therapy or speech therapy. Hyposensitivity often co-occurs with other conditions such as autism or ADHD .
Change your point of view
Hyposensitivity can lead to a variety of behaviors that, if the parent does not know the underlying cause, can appear as bad behavior. However, in the context of understanding these differences, it can help parents understand that these behaviors are not intentional and actually represent the child’s attempts to get what he needs. “Your child isn’t necessarily misbehaving or doing XYZ on purpose, but rather doing the best they can with the skills they have at the moment,” Okada says.
“Understanding differences can help break down stigma,” says Andrew Kahn , a psychologist at Understood, a nonprofit that supports people with learning differences. “If we’re aware in advance, it makes it much harder for us to get angry or overly punish a child who isn’t actually doing something on purpose.” As Kahn notes, in the absence of this understanding, “they will become angry and more aggressive if they receive negative messages without empathy, and for them it becomes part of a negative cycle.”
Create rituals
Keeping a hyposensitive child safe often requires working with him to make sure he doesn’t rush headlong into dangerous situations. One way to do this is to establish a set of rituals and rules. “Parents with hyposensitive children need to create daily rituals for themselves,” says Kahn. This may include regular checks, including scanning their bodies for bruises, cuts or bumps that may have gone unnoticed.
This may also include creating rules to keep them safe, such as the practice of walking, rather than running, to a new location, or the practice of apologizing after bumping into people, as what feels like a small bump to them may feel like a punch. truck to another person. It can also help establish safety rules, such as the use of protective equipment while playing sports.
Encourage sensory play
Hyposensitive children require more stimulation than their peers. Helping them get what their bodies need often means encouraging sensory play, whether it’s play on the playground where they climb, jump, or crash into as many things as they need; allow them to play with finger paints, clay or sand to gain tactile sensations; or let them play with water. By providing them with this sensory information, you allow them to self-regulate, which will help them be calmer and more focused in other situations.
Build on your strengths
Hyposensitivities can also have many strengths, be it boundless energy, incessant curiosity, or gross motor skills that often develop as a result of their jumping, bumping, and running. Finding ways to encourage these strengths can make a big difference to their happiness and health. This could include finding them a sport they enjoy, helping them discover their interests, or finding them activities they are good at and enjoy.