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Sensory
Explore explanations, everyday questions and next steps connected with sensory.
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Signs & concerns
What to observe about tactile processing on a home visit
During a home visit, observe how a child responds to everyday touch — clothing textures, messy play, bathing, food and hugs. Note whether the child is over-reactive (distressed by ordinary touch), under-reactive (barely notices touch or pain), or touch-seeking (craves pressure and textures). These are observations to note and share, not to diagnose at home. Refer for a developmental screen when touch responses persist across settings and disrupt eating, dressing, sleep, play or family routines.
Read the answer AnswerObserving vestibular processing during a home visit
On a home visit, observe how a child responds to movement and body position — swinging, spinning, climbing, being lifted, steps and uneven ground. Watch for strong movement-avoidance (fear, clinging, easy dizziness or car-sickness) or constant movement-craving (endless spinning, jumping, never dizzy), plus balance and posture for age. These are observations to note and share, not to diagnose at home; refer for a developmental and hearing check when the pattern is strong, frequent and disrupts daily play or walking.
Read the answer AnswerSigns of hearing loss in a 9–12-month-old
By 9–12 months babies turn to their name, babble, and respond to sound. Hearing loss is easy to miss but highly treatable when caught early. If your baby doesn't react to sound, has reduced babble, or ignores her name, arrange a hearing test now.
Read the answer AnswerHow a Health Worker Can Spot Auditory Processing Difficulties Early
Suspect Auditory Processing Difficulties when a child with normal basic hearing repeatedly mishears, needs repetition, can't follow spoken instructions in noise, or listens inconsistently. Rule out ear infection and hearing loss first, then refer for speech-language and audiological assessment — formal testing matures from around age 7.
Read the answer AnswerHow a frontline health worker can spot Hearing Impairment early
A frontline worker spots possible hearing impairment by watching responses to sound and voice and the growth of speech: no startle to loud sounds, no head-turn to voice, absent or fading babble, stalled speech, repeated ear discharge, or a failed newborn screen. Caregiver concern and risk factors (NICU, meningitis, family history) always warrant referral. Refer promptly — never wait and see.
Read the answer AnswerHow can a frontline health worker spot Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity early?
Spot possible Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity when a child's accepted foods are few and shrinking, when textures, smells or colours trigger strong distress, and when mealtimes are a daily battle affecting growth or family life. Refer promptly for any unsafe-swallowing signs or weight faltering; only a clinician can confirm.
Read the answer AnswerSpotting Sensory Processing Differences early
Frontline workers can spot possible Sensory Processing Differences when a child consistently over-reacts (distress at sounds, textures, touch), under-reacts (slow to feel pain, name, heat) or seeks intense input (constant movement, crashing) to a degree that disrupts feeding, dressing, play or settling across settings. Rule out hearing and vision first, weigh real-life impact, and refer for a developmental check rather than waiting.
Read the answer AnswerHow a Frontline Health Worker Can Spot Possible Visual Impairment Early
Frontline workers can spot possible visual impairment by checking whether a baby fixes on and follows a face or light, whether the eyes look and align normally, and whether reaching and play match age. Refer urgently for a white or cloudy pupil, persistent squint, eyes not steady by 3 months, or any sudden loss of vision — a medical pathway, not therapy-first.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to escalate auditory memory concerns
Auditory memory develops gradually, so occasional forgetting is normal. A frontline worker should escalate when difficulty holding and recalling spoken information is consistent across settings, the child cannot follow age-expected simple instructions, or it travels with delays in talking, attention or possible hearing loss. Rule out hearing first. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child struggles with auditory processing, when should a frontline health worker escalate?
A frontline worker should escalate when a child hears but consistently struggles to understand, follow or respond to spoken language at the expected age. The first, essential step is a hearing test and ENT review to rule out hearing loss or ear infection — auditory processing (ICF b156) is only considered once hearing is confirmed clear. Escalate promptly when difficulties persist across settings, do not improve over weeks, or come with speech-language delay. This is a referral decision, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should a frontline health worker escalate sensory regulation concerns?
For frontline health workers: mild sensory fussiness is common in young children, but escalate to a medical officer or developmental check when sensory difficulties are persistent and intense, disrupt feeding, sleep, play or family life, cause self-injury, or travel with delays in talking, social connection or movement. This is a reason to assess early — not a diagnosis — because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerOral sensory processing: when a frontline worker should escalate
Frontline workers should escalate a child's oral sensory difficulties to a developmental check when there is persistent refusal of most food textures, gagging or distress with feeding, excessive or absent mouthing well beyond the expected age, or when feeding difficulty travels with poor weight gain, swallow-safety signs or speech delay. Choking, coughing during feeds or faltering growth need same-week referral. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should a frontline worker escalate proprioceptive processing concerns?
Proprioceptive processing lets a child sense body position, movement and force. A frontline worker should escalate when a child is consistently clumsy, floppy or stiff, uses too much or too little force, strongly seeks or avoids rough movement, or when these signs come with delays in walking, talking or self-care. Sudden loss of a movement skill or new one-sided weakness needs same-day medical referral. This guides early review, not diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to escalate sensory concerns in a child
Sensory aspects (ICF b156) cover how a child takes in sound, sight, touch, taste, smell and movement. A frontline worker should escalate when a child consistently does not respond to sounds or their name, does not fix or follow with the eyes, shows extreme distress or no reaction to touch and pain, or when these differences come with delays in talking, play or social connection. Any regression or sudden change needs prompt medical review. This is not a diagnosis but a reason to arrange a developmental check early.
Read the answer AnswerSensory avoidance: when a frontline worker should escalate
Some sensory avoidance of loud sounds, bright lights or textures is normal and protective in young children. A frontline health worker should escalate to a developmental check when the avoidance is intense, persistent, disrupts feeding, sleep, play or routines most days, causes daily distress, or travels with delays in talking, social connection or movement. This is a reason to refer early, not a diagnosis — early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhen should a frontline worker escalate sensory integration concerns?
Sensory integration develops gradually. A frontline worker should escalate to a developmental check when a child shows strong, persistent over- or under-reactions to everyday sensations that disrupt play, feeding, sleep or learning — especially if these travel with delays in talking, moving or connecting. Escalate promptly when distress causes self-injury, feeding affects growth, or several flags appear together. This is a reason to refer early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to escalate sensory regulation concerns
Frontline health workers should escalate when a child's sensory regulation difficulties are persistent, intense, disrupt daily routines like feeding and sleep, cause distress or self-injury, or travel alongside speech, social or motor delays. Mild variation that settles with comfort is normal. Escalation means routing to a Medical Officer or developmental check — a referral signal, not a diagnosis — because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to escalate sensory seeking concerns
Sensory seeking — spinning, splashing, climbing, squeezing — is a normal part of early play, not a skill that is simply "absent". A frontline health worker should escalate when seeking causes safety risk or self-harm, cannot be redirected into play, crowds out development, or travels with delays in speech, social connection or motor skills. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerSensory Tolerance: Escalation Guidance for Frontline Workers
Sensory tolerance develops differently in every child, and mild fussiness with textures, noise or touch is common. A frontline health worker should escalate when sensory reactions disrupt feeding, sleep, play or routines, persist across settings, cause distress or self-injury, or come with delays in talking, social connection or movement. Document triggers and refer to the PHC medical officer or developmental clinician — this is reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to escalate tactile processing concerns
Tactile processing — how a child makes sense of touch — varies widely in early childhood, so one observation is rarely the full picture. A frontline health worker should escalate to a developmental check when touch differences are persistent and distressing, interfere with feeding, dressing, play or learning, or come with delays in talking, movement or social connection. This is not a diagnosis but a reason to assess early, because timely support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhen to escalate vestibular processing concerns
Vestibular processing — balance and movement sense — develops gradually, so there is no single pass-or-fail age. A frontline health worker should escalate to a developmental check when balance or movement difficulties persist beyond the expected age and interfere with play, walking or safety, especially alongside motor, speech or social delays. Sudden unsteadiness, head tilt or dizziness with vomiting needs prompt medical review. This guides early assessment, never diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIf my child is behind in Sensory, what does that mean?
A sensory developmental age that is "behind" means your child is currently processing sensations — sights, sounds, touch, movement — a little differently from the typical age pattern. It is a snapshot to guide support, not a diagnosis or a fixed label. Because sensory regulation responds so well to play-based practice, noticing it early is an advantage, and a clinician's full review turns the number into a clear, strengths-based plan.
Read the answer AnswerIs auditory memory difficulty a developmental referral red flag?
Difficulty with auditory memory (ICF b156) is not a diagnosis but is a legitimate referral trigger when persistent, disproportionate to age and functionally impairing across settings. It commonly co-occurs with DLD, ADHD, specific learning disability and hearing loss, so referral value is differential. Exclude peripheral hearing loss with audiometry first, then characterise the profile with a structured developmental–language assessment.
Read the answer AnswerIs Auditory Processing Difficulty a Developmental Red Flag?
Yes — persistent difficulty with auditory processing (ICF b156), once peripheral hearing loss is excluded, warrants developmental and audiological referral. Red flags include trouble following speech in noise despite normal hearing, weak phonemic discrimination, poor auditory sequencing and memory, and disproportionate emerging literacy struggle. What makes it referable is a persistent, cross-setting, functionally limiting pattern. First-line is audiological clearance; formal diagnosis is typically deferred to ~7 years, but monitoring and support should not wait.
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