Sensory Processing Disorder in Teens: Signs and Support

What does sensory processing disorder look like in teens?

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is the name used for difficulty detecting, modulating, interpreting or responding to sensory experiences, strongly enough to get in the way of daily life.⁠^1,20 In teens, as in younger children, it shows up as one or more of three patterns: over-responsiveness, under-responsiveness and craving, or seeking, sensory input.⁠¹

Most teens do not fit one box. The same teen can be over-responsive to sound and seek movement, and the pattern can differ from one sense to another, which is why questionnaires for this age score each sense and each pattern separately.⁠^1,13

• Over-responsive

  Responding “too much, for too long, or to stimuli of weak intensity.”⁠² A teen may cover their ears at loud sounds, refuse clothing with certain textures, or avoid some food smells and textures, examples ICD-11 and the autism criteria give.⁠^4,8

• Under-responsive

  Responding “too little,” or needing extremely strong input to notice it.⁠² Under-responsive young people can show low arousal, seem uninterested or daydreamy, and tire quickly.⁠¹

• Sensory seeking

  An “intense searching for more or stronger stimulation.”⁠² It can look like constant touching or moving, little awareness of personal space, and reduced awareness of safety, which matters more as a teen gains independence.⁠¹

• Everyday clues

  The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile, a questionnaire for ages 11 and older, asks about taste and smell, movement, vision, touch, activity level and hearing, the areas where these patterns usually show.⁠¹³

Do sensory issues look different in older teens?

Often they look quieter. By the later teen years many young people have learned to hide a reaction, so the signs show up less as visible distress and more as avoidance, exhaustion or irritability after a long day. Autistic adults who camouflage their differences describe exhaustion as one of its costs, and ICD-11 notes that sustained effort to compensate can harm mental health.⁠^8,9

In older teens it is worth watching for a pattern rather than a single event: avoiding social situations, a narrowing range of foods, or a teen who says noise at school leaves them tired, as one autistic student aged 12 to 17 put it in a classroom study.⁠^1,21,22

What are the other types of sensory processing disorder?

The over-, under- and seeking patterns make up the first of three categories in a typology developed by experts in the field in 2007, sensory modulation disorder. The other two are sensory discrimination disorder, difficulty interpreting the details of a sensation, and sensory-based motor disorder, which covers postural problems with balance and core stability and dyspraxia, difficulty planning and sequencing movements.⁠^2,20 There is more on each in sensory modulation disorder, sensory discrimination disorder and sensory-based motor disorder.

Is sensory processing disorder a real diagnosis?

The difficulties are real, but SPD is not recognized as a diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR or ICD-11; in those manuals sensory differences appear only as part of the criteria for autism.⁠³ One classification does list it: DC:0–5, a manual for mental health and developmental disorders of infancy and early childhood.⁠²⁰

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advised in 2012 that, “because there is no universally accepted framework for diagnosis, sensory processing disorder generally should not be diagnosed,” and that other developmental and behavioral conditions must always be considered. It noted that sensory difficulties can be part of autism, ADHD, developmental coordination disorder and childhood anxiety disorders.⁠⁶

Researchers still disagree about whether SPD is its own condition or a feature of others, and some young people have sensory difficulties without autism or ADHD.⁠^1,20 For a teen, the practical point is that support at school rests on how much the difficulty limits learning or daily life, not on the label: under Section 504, a diagnosis does not by itself qualify a student, and a substantial limitation does.⁠¹⁷ The sensory processing disorder guide covers the debate in more depth.

Do sensory issues get better or worse in the teen years?

For many young people the most visible sensory reactions ease with age, though ICD-11 describes sensory sensitivity in autism as lifelong, and the teen years can make it harder to live with.⁠⁸ In 104 autistic people aged 3 to 56, abnormal sensory processing was lower at older ages, except sensitivity to touch, which did not improve significantly.⁠⁷ A meta-analysis of 14 studies found the gap between autistic and non-autistic children was largest at ages 6 to 9.⁠²³

At the same time, demands rise. ICD-11 describes adolescence as the point at which the ability to cope with more complex friendships and harder schoolwork “is often overwhelmed” for autistic young people.⁠⁸ In 231 adults who looked back on their childhood, high sensory symptoms in childhood went with high symptoms in adulthood, and with a higher chance of an anxiety disorder.⁠²⁴

So a calmer-looking teen is not always a teen with fewer sensory difficulties. Some have learned to hide them, and effort spent compensating can take a toll on mental health.⁠^8,9

Why does my teen seem fine at school and fall apart at home?

Because holding it together all day is work. Autistic adults describe camouflaging as effortful, with exhaustion among its consequences, and teens in a classroom study said the noise of a mainstream classroom made them tired.⁠^9,22 A teen may spend that effort where it is expected and have little left at home; autistic adults describe burnout as building from a cumulative load with no way to get relief from it.⁠²⁵

If the exhaustion builds over weeks, with a loss of skills a teen used to manage and less tolerance for sound, light or touch, autistic adults describe that combination as autistic burnout; autistic burnout has its own guide.⁠²⁵

How does puberty affect sensory sensitivities?

Puberty brings new sensations and new routines. Sweating and stronger body odor are normal changes, and many girls start wanting to shower or wash their hair more often, which means new routines, new products and new smells.⁠²⁶ Early in puberty most boys notice tenderness around the nipples, and body proportions change quickly during the growth spurt.⁠²⁷

A fast-changing body can also feel less predictable. In one study, adolescents aged 14 to 15 relied more on vision than adults did to keep their balance, and the authors concluded that postural control is still maturing during adolescence.⁠²⁸

Periods can amplify sensory differences. In an online survey, autistic respondents described their pre-existing sensitivities becoming “extra sensitive” during their period, including to noise, touch and visual stimuli.⁠²⁹ The average first period in the United States comes at about age 12, so planning products, clothing and routines before then helps.⁠²⁶ Helping a teen with sensory needs through puberty covers the practical side.

How do sensory issues affect teens at school?

Mainly by eating into concentration. In a study of 16 autistic students aged 12 to 17 in mainstream schools, 88% said hearing caused them problems in class, 75% touch, 50% vision and 38% smell, and the most consistent effect on learning they described was reduced concentration.⁠²² Some also described the anxiety of waiting for an unexpected noise.⁠²²

A review of the occupational therapy research found that children and adolescents with difficulty processing sensory information have functional difficulties across daily life, including education, social participation, rest and sleep, and work.⁠¹⁸ The researchers in the classroom study concluded that schools should build a sensory profile for each student, because the same input affects each one differently.⁠²²

How do sensory issues affect friendships and social life?

Sensory difficulties can limit where a teen can comfortably spend time with friends. Over-responsive young people may avoid social situations, and the reviews describe difficulties with social participation alongside the sensory ones.⁠^1,18 For autistic teens, ICD-11 notes that social difficulties may first be noticed in adolescence, when they lead to isolation from peers.⁠⁸

Practical planning can help: choosing quieter places to meet, agreeing on a way to leave early, and letting a teen decide which events are worth the effort. One student in the classroom study counted knowing what bothers you as a positive.⁠²² The guide to sensory processing and learning goes further into the classroom.

Can sensory sensitivity affect a teen’s sleep?

It can, and teens can least afford to lose sleep: CDC recommends 8 to 10 hours a day for ages 13 to 17, and the body clock shifts up to two hours later at the start of puberty.⁠^12,30

Several studies link sensory over-responsiveness to poorer sleep. In 1,347 autistic children and adolescents, over-responsiveness was correlated with every type of sleep problem measured, and young people with both anxiety and over-responsiveness seemed most at risk.⁠¹¹ In 56 schoolchildren, sensitivity to touch predicted sleep problems, and in 185 adults, sensory hypersensitivity went with poorer sleep quality.⁠^31,32 These studies show links, not proof that one causes the other.⁠^11,32

The AAP’s sleep advice fits a sensory-sensitive teen well: keep screens out of the bedroom, dim the lights before bed and control the temperature, and keep to a regular daily routine.⁠³⁰ Because touch sensitivity predicted sleep problems in one study, bedding a teen chooses for its feel is worth adding.⁠³¹ More is in sensory processing and sleep problems.

Can sensory issues affect driving and getting a job?

Can teens with sensory issues learn to drive?

Yes, and the research on autistic teens is reassuring. About one-third of autistic people get a driver’s license by 21, and in a study of newly licensed New Jersey teens, autistic drivers had similar to lower rates of crashes, traffic violations and suspensions than other drivers.⁠³³ Their crashes were more often due to failing to yield or to left turns and U-turns, which is where practice can focus.⁠³³

Teens with ADHD face a higher risk: in a New Jersey study, once licensed, their risk of a first crash was 1.36 times that of other drivers.⁠³⁴ One sensory questionnaire for this age, the SPM-2 for ages 12 to 21, includes a driving self-report form and a driving form for another person to fill in.⁠¹⁴

What job accommodations help with sensory sensitivity?

A first job can be the first place a teen has to manage sensory demands without a parent or teacher nearby. The Job Accommodation Network lists accommodations for noise sensitivity such as a quiet or private workspace, noise-canceling headsets or white noise, and telework.⁠³⁵ For a teen with an IEP, the transition plan required from age 16 includes employment goals, which is a good place to think through which jobs suit their sensory profile.⁠³⁶

Is it sensory processing or anxiety in teens?

Often it is both. In 1,012 adolescent twins, sensory over-responsiveness was correlated with symptoms of internalizing disorders.⁠³⁷ In 213 young people aged 7 to 18, those with anxiety disorders or OCD reported more sensory difficulties than young people without a psychiatric disorder, and most were classified as having sensory difficulties; neurodevelopmental conditions did not explain the difference.⁠¹⁰

Sensory over-responsiveness may also come first. In the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study of 11,210 children aged 9 to 12, children with over-responsiveness made up 18% of the sample but more than half of those with clinical-range emotional or behavioral scores, and over-responsiveness predicted more anxiety a year later.⁠³⁸ Researchers still do not know whether sensory difficulties come before anxiety, follow it, or feed it.⁠¹⁰

One useful question is what the teen is reacting to: the sensation itself, or the worry that it will happen. Teens in the classroom study described both, the noise and the anxiety of anticipating it.⁠²² Because the two travel together, an evaluation that looks at both is more useful than deciding which one it is. If anxiety is part of the picture, NIMH describes cognitive behavioral therapy as well studied and the “gold standard” psychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder.⁠^10,39 Two guides go further: sensory over-responsivity or anxiety and when sensory challenges trigger anxiety.

What is misophonia?

Misophonia is a disorder of decreased tolerance to specific sounds, often sounds people make with their mouths or noses, such as chewing, slurping, swallowing, throat clearing and breathing.⁠⁴⁰ Its symptoms typically first appear in childhood or early adolescence, and it can occur alongside anxiety disorders, autism and ADHD.⁠⁴⁰ A teen who leaves the dinner table because of how someone chews may be describing it.⁠⁴⁰

How do sensory differences show up in autistic teens?

Sensory differences are part of autism itself. The DSM-5-TR lists sensory hypersensitivity among autism’s restricted and repetitive behaviors, and the criterion covers hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in it.⁠^4,41 ICD-11 describes lifelong hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to sounds, light, textures, especially clothing and food, odors, tastes, heat, cold or pain.⁠⁸ Atypical sensory experiences are thought to occur in up to 90% of autistic people.⁠¹

Adolescence brings its own pattern. ICD-11 notes that repetitive sensorimotor behaviors tend to lessen in the school years and adolescence, while social demands outpace coping, and that depression is often what brings an autistic teen to a clinician.⁠⁸ For some, social difficulties are not noticed until adolescence.⁠⁸ Sensory processing and autism covers this in detail.

What are masking and autistic burnout?

Masking, or camouflaging, means hiding autistic traits to fit in. Autistic adults say they do it to fit in and connect, and that its consequences include exhaustion and threats to how they see themselves.⁠⁹ ICD-11 adds that this sustained effort may be more typical of autistic girls and women, and can harm mental health.⁠⁸

Autistic burnout, as autistic adults define it, is chronic exhaustion, loss of skills and reduced tolerance to stimulation. They described serious harm, including suicidal behavior, and recovery through acceptance and support, time off or lower expectations, and unmasking.⁠²⁵ For a teen, that means recovery time is part of the plan, not an extra.⁠²⁵

Do teens with ADHD have sensory issues?

Many do. A systematic review found sensory processing problems more common in children with ADHD than in other children, and more severe when oppositional defiant disorder or anxiety was also present.⁠⁴² Estimates suggest atypical sensory experiences in 50% to 64% of children with ADHD.⁠¹

The two can be confused, and they can occur together: in one screening study, 40% of children with symptoms of either had symptoms of both.⁠² When researchers compared the groups, inattention was greater in ADHD, while children with sensory modulation difficulties had more sensory issues, physical complaints, anxiety and difficulty adapting.⁠²⁰

In the teen years ADHD brings its own concerns, including a higher crash risk once a teen starts driving.⁠³⁴ The guides to ADHD in teens, ADHD in teen girls and ADHD vs sensory processing disorder go further, and when ADHD therapy isn’t enough covers when to ask for a psychiatric evaluation.

How do you get a teen evaluated for sensory processing issues?

Start with your teen’s doctor. The AAP’s advice is that other developmental and behavioral conditions must always be considered and a thorough evaluation completed, so a doctor visit is the place to check for other explanations first.⁠⁶ At this age the doctor will also spend part of the visit alone with your teen, which is a chance for them to describe what they notice.⁠⁴³

For the sensory part, occupational therapists play a key role in assessing sensory processing and in therapy to support daily living, education, leisure and social activities.⁠⁵ In one research study, SPD was identified from experienced occupational therapists’ overall clinical impression after a comprehensive evaluation, and no single tool measures every SPD type.⁠²⁰

What a teen gets at the end is a description of their own sensory pattern and a plan, not a diagnosis code, since SPD is not in the DSM-5-TR or ICD-11.⁠^3,5 Schools can evaluate too, and occupational therapy is one of the related services an IEP can include.⁠⁴⁵ Occupational therapy for teenagers explains what sessions look like, and the occupational therapist directory lists clinics by state.

What helps teens with sensory processing issues?

The research on sensory therapies is honest about its limits: the AAP describes the evidence for sensory integration therapy as “limited and inconclusive.”⁠⁶

The sensory integration trials were in children aged 12 and under, so for a teen the goal is a short list of supports they choose and use, reviewed as they grow.⁠^15,46

Do noise-canceling headphones help teens with sound sensitivity?

They can, though the studies are small. In 21 autistic children aged 4 to 16, earmuffs improved goals related to reacting to sound, but 4 refused to wear either earmuffs or headphones.⁠⁴⁹ In six children aged 8 to 16, noise-attenuating headphones lowered a physical stress measure.⁠⁵⁰ In 13 children aged 6 to 13, noise-canceling earbuds improved auditory attention and classroom listening.⁠¹⁶

That last study made a point that matters for teens: earbuds may carry less stigma than traditional devices.⁠¹⁶ A teen who refuses headphones may be weighing the social cost, and a less visible option, such as earbuds, may be easier to use.⁠^16,49

How can a teen learn to advocate for their sensory needs?

The aim at this age is a teen who can explain their own profile and ask for what helps, because most of the day happens away from parents. The AAP notes that teens need to start taking responsibility for their own health care, which is why pediatricians spend time alone with them.⁠⁴³ The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile is built for the same purpose, to develop a person’s own awareness and strategies.⁠¹³

1. Name the pattern. Go through the assessment results with your teen, sense by sense, in their words.⁠^13,22
2. Spot early signs. Help them notice what overload feels like before it peaks; teens in one study described tiredness and losing concentration.⁠²²
3. Choose the tools. Let them pick supports they will use in front of peers, including saying no to some.⁠^16,49
4. Plan recovery. Build downtime into the week; autistic adults link recovery from burnout to time off and lower expectations.⁠²⁵
5. Practice asking. Have them make one request themselves, to a teacher or at a checkup, and build from there.⁠^43,51

Parents are not handing over all at once: for a teen with a neurodevelopmental difference, the AAP suggests talking with the pediatrician about how to build independence while keeping them safe and supported.⁠⁴³ More ideas are in living with sensory processing disorder and preparing a sensory-sensitive teen for a therapy appointment.⁠⁴³

What school support can a teen with sensory needs get?

Through a 504 plan or an IEP, depending on need. Section 504 covers a student whose impairment substantially limits a major life activity, and those include learning, reading, concentrating and even sleeping and eating.⁠¹⁷ A diagnosis alone does not qualify a student, and a substantial limitation does.⁠¹⁷

An IEP under IDEA is for a student in one of its disability categories who needs special education. SPD is not one of the categories; autism, other health impairment, emotional disturbance and specific learning disability are among those that are.⁠⁵² Occupational therapy can be part of an IEP as a related service.⁠⁴⁵

What is transition planning at 16?

From the first IEP in effect when a student turns 16, the IEP must include goals for training, education, employment and, where needed, independent living, and the school must invite the student to the meeting where those goals are discussed.⁠^36,51 A year before the age of majority, the student must be told which rights will transfer to them.⁠³⁶

Can a teen get sensory accommodations in college?

Yes, but the student has to ask. Colleges must not discriminate, but they do not have to provide special education, and the student must tell the school about the disability and the adjustment they need.⁠⁵³ A high school IEP or 504 plan is generally not enough documentation on its own, which is a reason to plan an updated evaluation before graduation.⁠⁵³ See IEP vs 504 plan for how to request each.

When should a teen with sensory issues get professional help?

When sensory difficulties start to shrink a teen’s life: missing school, avoiding friends, sleeping too little, or eating too narrow a range of foods. Those are the areas where research finds sensory difficulties affect function, and they are also what a 504 plan looks at.⁠^17,18

When is picky eating more than picky eating?

When it harms health or daily life. In 158 children and teens aged 8 to 17, sensory sensitivity explained the link between anxiety and picky eating.⁠²¹ Avoiding foods because of their smell, taste, texture, color or temperature can be part of avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), which ICD-11 diagnoses when the restriction causes significant weight loss or nutritional deficiency, or significant problems at home, at school or socially, and is not about weight or shape.⁠⁵⁴ Autistic teens may restrict foods for sensory reasons too, and when that restriction harms health or function, ARFID can be diagnosed alongside autism.⁠⁸

Related on DrSensory

• Sensory processing disorder

  The eight senses, the patterns, and what helps.

• Sensory processing in children

  Signs by age and what a sensory assessment involves.

• Sensory processing in adults

  What lifelong sensory differences look like after the teen years.

• Over-responsivity or anxiety?

  How to tell them apart, and why they often come together.

• Autistic burnout

  Exhaustion, loss of skills and lower sensory tolerance, and recovery.

• ADHD in teens

  What changes in the teen years and what helps.

• Teen development (13 to 17)

  Puberty, sleep, mental health and school in the teen years.

• Occupational therapy for teenagers

  What an OT works on with teens, and how to find one.

• Puberty and sensory needs

  Practical help with the body changes of puberty.

Sources

1. Passarello N, Tarantino V, Chirico A, et al. Sensory Processing Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Taking Stock of Assessment and Novel Therapeutic Tools. Brain Sciences. 2022;12(11):1478. doi:10.3390/brainsci12111478 (PMID 36358404; PMC9688399). Narrative review. Checked October 22, 2026.
   Show the passageHide the passage

   SPDs “involving difficulty detecting, modulating, interpreting and/or responding to sensory experiences”; responses “can be categorized in three different patterns: sensory over-responsiveness, sensory under-responsiveness, or craving for sensory input”; under-responsive children “show low arousal, seem uninterested, and daydream, and they often have low endurance”; children with sensory craving “constantly touch, move, crash into objects, and have little to no awareness of personal space or boundaries” and “may also demonstrate decreased safety awareness”; over-responsive children “may react negatively to certain food groups, and they avoid social situations”; “Atypical sensory experiences are believed to occur in up to 90% of individuals with ASD” and “in 50-64% of children with ADHD”; “Children can also experience sensory processing dysfunction outside the clinical conditions of ASD or ADHD”. The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile is “a 60-item self-report questionnaire assessing levels of sensory processing in everyday life”.
2. Miller LJ, Nielsen DM, Schoen SA, Brett-Green BA. Perspectives on sensory processing disorder: a call for translational research. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. 2009;3:22. doi:10.3389/neuro.07.022.2009 (PMID 19826493; PMC2759332). Checked October 22, 2026.
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   “The new nosology proposes three main categories within SPD: sensory modulation disorder (SMD), sensory discrimination disorder and sensory-based motor disorder”; over-responsive “(responds too much, for too long, or to stimuli of weak intensity)”; under-responsive “(responds too little, or needs extremely strong stimulation to become aware of the stimulus)”; seeking/craving “(responds with intense searching for more or stronger stimulation)”; sensory discrimination disorder “refers to difficulty interpreting the specific characteristics of sensory stimuli”; “Postural disorder, which reflects problems in balance and core stability, and dyspraxia, which encompasses difficulties in motor planning and sequencing movements”. Of children screened for ADHD or sensory over-responsivity symptoms, “40% had symptoms of both”.
3. Valencia M, D’Ocon A, Plata R, Simó S, Cantero MJ. Internalizing/Externalizing Problems and Sensory Processing Alteration in Children Referred to Child Mental Health Centers. Children (Basel). 2025;12(6):664. doi:10.3390/children12060664 (PMID 40564622; PMC12191171). Checked October 22, 2026.
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   “SPD is not recognized in diagnostic classification systems such as the DSM-5-TR or ICD-11”; “SP alteration is only included as one of the criteria for restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities in the diagnosis of ASD (DSM-5-TR)”.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clinical Testing and Diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Checked October 22, 2026.
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   DSM-5 criterion B4: “Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g. apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement)”.
5. Marozza A, Hay K, Frakking T. Use of sensory processing information in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children at an Australian community hospital. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. 2025;72(2):e70007. doi:10.1111/1440-1630.70007 (PMID 40083066; PMC11906904). Checked October 22, 2026.
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   “Occupational therapists play a key role in the assessment of sensory processing disorder in children and provide intervention to support children's engagement and participation in activities of daily living, education, leisure and play, and social activities”; sensory processing assessment “is a recommended part of the diagnostic workup for neurodiversity as outlined in the Australian guidelines”.
6. Zimmer M, Desch L; Section on Complementary and Integrative Medicine; Council on Children with Disabilities; American Academy of Pediatrics. Sensory integration therapies for children with developmental and behavioral disorders. Pediatrics. 2012;129(6):1186–1189. doi:10.1542/peds.2012-0876 (PMID 22641765). Policy statement. Checked October 22, 2026.
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   “Because there is no universally accepted framework for diagnosis, sensory processing disorder generally should not be diagnosed”; “Other developmental and behavioral disorders must always be considered, and a thorough evaluation should be completed”; difficulty with sensory information “may be seen in many developmental behavioral disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, developmental coordination disorders, and childhood anxiety disorders”; “parents should be informed that the amount of research regarding the effectiveness of sensory integration therapy is limited and inconclusive”.
7. Kern JK, Trivedi MH, Garver CR, et al. The pattern of sensory processing abnormalities in autism. Autism. 2006;10(5):480–494. doi:10.1177/1362361306066564 (PMID 16940314). Checked October 22, 2026.
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   104 autistic people aged 3 to 56: “At later ages for the group with autism, lower levels of abnormal sensory processing were found, except for low threshold touch, which did not improve significantly”; sensory abnormalities “have the potential to improve with age”.
8. World Health Organization. 6A02 Autism spectrum disorder. ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, release 2026-01, with diagnostic requirements. Checked October 22, 2026.
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   “Lifelong excessive and persistent hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to sensory stimuli or unusual interest in a sensory stimulus, which may include actual or anticipated sounds, light, textures (especially clothing and food), odors and tastes, heat, cold, or pain”; “During the school age years and adolescence, these repetitive sensorimotor behaviours begin to lessen in intensity and number”; “By adolescence, the capacity to cope with increasing social complexity in peer relationships at a time of increasingly demanding academic expectations is often overwhelmed”; “Depressive symptoms are often a presenting feature”; “social adjustment difficulties outside the home may not be detected until school entry or adolescence when social communication problems lead to social isolation from peers”; “Some individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder are capable of functioning adequately by making an exceptional effort to compensate for their symptoms during childhood, adolescence or adulthood. Such sustained effort, which may be more typical of affected females, can have a deleterious impact on mental health and well-being”; “Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder may also restrict intake of certain foods because of their sensory characteristics or because of inflexible adherence to particular routines”; “If a pattern of restricted eating in an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder has caused significant weight loss or other health consequences or is specifically associated with significant functional impairment, an additional diagnosis of Avoidant-Restrictive Food Intake Disorder may be assigned”.
9. Hull L, Petrides KV, Allison C, et al. “Putting on My Best Normal”: Social Camouflaging in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2017;47(8):2519–2534. doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3166-5 (PMID 28527095; PMC5509825). Checked October 22, 2026.
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   92 autistic adults: motivations “included fitting in and increasing connections with others”; “short- and long-term consequences of camouflaging included exhaustion, challenging stereotypes, and threats to self-perception”.
10. Cervin M. Sensory Processing Difficulties in Children and Adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive and Anxiety Disorders. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. 2023;51(2):223–232. doi:10.1007/s10802-022-00962-w (PMID 36149521; PMC9867656). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    213 youth aged 7 to 18, using the adolescent version of the Sensory Profile: “Youth with OCD and ADs reported statistically significantly more sensory difficulties than youth without psychiatric disorders”; “Altered sensory processing in the clinical groups was not explained by the presence of neurodevelopmental disorders”; “Most youth in the clinical groups were classified as having difficulties with sensory processing”; “More research is needed to identify whether sensory processing difficulties precede, follow, or mutually reinforce the development of OCD and ADs in youth”.
11. Mazurek MO, Petroski GF. Sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder: examining the contributions of sensory over-responsivity and anxiety. Sleep Medicine. 2015;16(2):270–279. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2014.11.006 (PMID 25600781). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    1,347 children and adolescents with autism: “Sensory over-responsivity (SOR) was correlated with all sleep problems in bivariate analyses”; “Children with ASD who have anxiety and SOR may be particularly predisposed to sleep problems”.
12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Sleep. Recommended daily sleep for a teen, 13–17 years: “8–10 hours”. Checked October 22, 2026.
13. Pearson Assessments. Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile. By Brown and Dunn, 2002. Age range: “11 years and older”; “The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile includes 60 items (15 items for each quadrant)”; “Gather critical sensory information related to home, school, and work”; “Identify and develop a client’s awareness and strategies to optimize the desired sensory environment”. Checked October 22, 2026.
14. Western Psychological Services. Sensory Processing Measure, Second Edition (SPM-2). By Parham, Ecker, Kuhaneck, Henry and Glennon, 2021. Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Ages: “4 months to 87 years”; “Rating scales completed by various raters in examinee’s life”; the adolescent kit “Includes Print Manual; 25 Adolescent Home Print Forms; 25 Adolescent School Print Forms; 25 Adolescent Self-Report Print Forms; Unlimited digital downloads of the Adolescent Driving Self-Report Form and Driving Rater Report Form”; “SPM-2 Adolescent Home Form, Ages 12-21 Years”.
15. Acuña C, Gallegos-Berrios S, Barfoot J, Meredith P, Hill J. Ayres Sensory Integration® With Children Ages 0 to 12: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2025;79(3):7903205180. doi:10.5014/ajot.2025.051023 (PMID 40193295). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    “Nine RCTs (N = 344 participants), six with autistic children and three with other child populations, were included”; “Strong evidence from five RCTs (four Level 1b) indicates that ASI supports autistic children in meeting their individualized goals”; “Moderate evidence from three RCTs (two Level 1b) indicates no benefits of ASI for behaviors of concern, such as noncompliance or irritability”; “Bias concerns persist among included studies”.
16. Zanin J, Tomlin D, Rance G. Effectiveness of Noise Cancelling Earbuds in Reducing Hearing and Auditory Attention Deficits in Children with Autism. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2024;13(16):4786. doi:10.3390/jcm13164786 (PMID 39200929; PMC11355770). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    “Thirteen children aged 6-13 years diagnosed with ASD participated”; “Auditory attention, however, significantly improved when the children were using the earbuds”; the earbuds could offer classroom benefits, “potentially minimising the stigma associated with traditional assistive listening devices”.
17. U.S. Department of Education. Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities. Office for Civil Rights. Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Section 504 covers students “who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities”; major life activities include “learning” and, added by Congress, “eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, bending, reading, concentrating, thinking, and communicating”; “A medical diagnosis of an illness does not automatically mean a student can receive services under Section 504”.
18. Koenig KP, Rudney SG. Performance challenges for children and adolescents with difficulty processing and integrating sensory information: a systematic review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2010;64(3):430–442. doi:10.5014/ajot.2010.09073 (PMID 20608274). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    AOTA Evidence-Based Literature Review Project, covering “play and leisure, social participation, activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, rest and sleep, education, and work”: “children and adolescents with difficulty processing and integrating sensory information do exhibit functional performance difficulties in key areas of occupation”.
19. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. “The 988 Lifeline is available 24/7/365. Your conversations are free and confidential”; “Call, text, or chat with a 988 Lifeline counselor”. Checked October 22, 2026.
20. Mulligan S, Douglas S, Armstrong C. Characteristics of Idiopathic Sensory Processing Disorder in Young Children. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. 2021;15:647928. doi:10.3389/fnint.2021.647928 (PMID 33994966; PMC8113623). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    “A typology developed in a seminal paper by experts in the field characterized SPD as having three main types”; SPD “has been recognized as its own diagnostic entity in the most recent version of the diagnostic classification of mental and developmental disorders of infancy and early childhood-revised (DC: 0–5, zero to three)”; “the question of whether deficits in sensory processing represent symptomology of another disorder such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or developmental coordination disorder (DCD), or SPD is its own distinct condition remains”; in a study cited there, SPD “was identified based upon the global clinical impression of experienced occupational therapists following a comprehensive evaluation”; there is “no tool available for specifically identifying and measuring the SPD types as described in the typology by Miller et al. (2007)”; comparing children with ADHD and with sensory modulation disorder, “inattention was greater in children with ADHD compared to SMD, and children with SMD had more sensory issues, somatic complaints, anxiety/depression, and difficulty adapting than those with ADHD”.
21. Zickgraf HF, Elkins A. Sensory sensitivity mediates the relationship between anxiety and picky eating in children/adolescents ages 8-17, and in college undergraduates: A replication and age-upward extension. Appetite. 2018;128:333–339. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2018.06.023 (PMID 29928938; PMC8056743). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    158 children aged 8 to 17 and 813 college students: “the relationship between anxiety and picky eating appears to be mediated by sensory sensitivity”; “the cross-sectional nature of this study means that we cannot address whether it is an etiological or maintaining mechanism, or both”.
22. Howe FE, Stagg SD. How Sensory Experiences Affect Adolescents with an Autistic Spectrum Condition within the Classroom. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2016;46(5):1656–1668. doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2693-1 (PMID 26791372; PMC4826419). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Sixteen autistic students “aged between 12 and 17 (mean age of 14.4 years)” in mainstream schools: “88 % of the participants were affected by issues relating to hearing, 75 % by touch, 50 % by vision and 38 % smell”; “the most consistent theme across all four senses is a reduction in concentration”; one student: “when I am in mainstream classrooms I can hear lots of conversation/noise and it makes me feel tired”; comments described “the anxiety that is caused by anticipating an unexpected adverse input”; a comment coded as positive: “you know what bothers you”; “schools need to create sensory profiles for each individual with ASC”.
23. Ben-Sasson A, Hen L, Fluss R, Cermak SA, Engel-Yeger B, Gal E. A meta-analysis of sensory modulation symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2009;39(1):1–11. doi:10.1007/s10803-008-0593-3 (PMID 18512135). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    14 studies: “Sensory differences were highest for studies of children ages 6-9 years”; the greatest difference was in under-responsivity, “followed by over-responsivity and sensation seeking”.
24. McMahon K, Anand D, Morris-Jones M, Rosenthal MZ. A Path From Childhood Sensory Processing Disorder to Anxiety Disorders: The Mediating Role of Emotion Dysregulation and Adult Sensory Processing Disorder Symptoms. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. 2019;13:22. doi:10.3389/fnint.2019.00022 (PMID 31338029; PMC6629761). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    231 adults with emotion regulation difficulties, reporting childhood symptoms in retrospect: “childhood SPD symptoms were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of a lifetime anxiety disorder diagnosis”; “high symptoms of SPD in childhood may lead to high SPD symptoms in adulthood”.
25. Raymaker DM, Teo AR, Steckler NA, et al. “Having All of Your Internal Resources Exhausted Beyond Measure and Being Left with No Clean-Up Crew”: Defining Autistic Burnout. Autism in Adulthood. 2020;2(2):132–143. doi:10.1089/aut.2019.0079 (PMID 32851204; PMC7313636). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Autistic adults described “the primary characteristics of autistic burnout as chronic exhaustion, loss of skills, and reduced tolerance to stimulus”; “They described burnout as happening because of life stressors that added to the cumulative load they experienced, and barriers to support that created an inability to obtain relief from the load”; negative impacts “including suicidal behavior”; recovery was associated with “acceptance and social support, time off/reduced expectations, and doing things in an autistic way/unmasking”.
26. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Physical Development in Girls: What to Expect During Puberty. Checked October 22, 2026.
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    “Sweating under the armpits and increased body odor are also normal changes”; “girls this age may start wanting to shower or shampoo their hair more often”; “The average age for girls to get their first period in the United States is around age 12”.
27. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Physical Development in Boys: What to Expect. “Body proportions change during this spurt”; “Boys continue to fill out with muscle mass long after girls do”; “Early in puberty, most boys experience soreness or tenderness around their nipples”. Checked October 22, 2026.
28. Viel S, Vaugoyeau M, Assaiante C. Adolescence: a transient period of proprioceptive neglect in sensory integration of postural control. Motor Control. 2009;13(1):25–42. doi:10.1123/mcj.13.1.25 (PMID 19246776). Adolescents aged 14 to 15: “vision plays a predominant role in adolescents' control of orientation and body stabilization”; “the mechanisms underlying postural control are still maturing during adolescence”. Checked October 22, 2026.
29. Steward R, Crane L, Mairi Roy E, Remington A, Pellicano E. “Life is Much More Difficult to Manage During Periods”: Autistic Experiences of Menstruation. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2018;48(12):4287–4292. doi:10.1007/s10803-018-3664-0 (PMID 29982893; PMC6223765). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Online survey of post-menarcheal autistic (n = 123) and non-autistic (n = 114) respondents: autistic respondents described “a cyclical amplification of autistic-related challenges, including sensory differences”; “pre-existing hypersensitivities becoming “extra sensitive during my period””; “being “more sensitive and reactive to noise, touch and visual stimuli””.
30. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need?. Checked October 22, 2026.
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    “sleep-wake cycles begin to shift up to two hours later at the start of puberty”; “The AAP recommends keeping all screens” out of children’s bedrooms; “Dim the lights prior to bedtime and control the temperature in the home”; “Keep to a regular daily routine”.
31. Shochat T, Tzischinsky O, Engel-Yeger B. Sensory hypersensitivity as a contributing factor in the relation between sleep and behavioral disorders in normal schoolchildren. Behavioral Sleep Medicine. 2009;7(1):53–62. doi:10.1080/15402000802577777 (PMID 19116801). Parents of 56 schoolchildren: “tactile sensitivity was a significant predictor for sleep, accounting for 25% of the variance”. Checked October 22, 2026.
32. Engel-Yeger B, Shochat T. The relationship between sensory processing patterns and sleep quality in healthy adults. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2012;79(3):134–141. doi:10.2182/cjot.2012.79.3.2 (PMID 22822690). 185 adults aged 21 to 60 completing the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile: “Sleep quality significantly correlated with sensory-processing patterns characterized by hypersensitivity”. Checked October 22, 2026.
33. Curry AE, Metzger KB, Carey ME, Sartin EB, Huang P, Yerys BE. Comparison of Motor Vehicle Crashes, Traffic Violations, and License Suspensions Between Autistic and Non-Autistic Adolescent and Young Adult Drivers. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2021;60(7):913–923. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2021.01.001 (PMID 33453361; PMC8918049). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    “One-third of autistic individuals obtain a driver’s license by age 21”; “Newly licensed autistic adolescent drivers have similar to lower estimated rates of adverse driving outcomes”; autistic drivers were substantially more likely to crash through “their failure to yield to a vehicle/pedestrian” and while making left turns or U-turns.
34. Curry AE, Metzger KB, Pfeiffer MR, Elliott MR, Winston FK, Power TJ. Motor Vehicle Crash Risk Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. JAMA Pediatrics. 2017;171(8):756–763. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.0910 (PMID 28604931; PMC5710634). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    “The adjusted risk for first crash among licensed drivers with ADHD was 1.36 times higher than for those without ADHD”; “Adolescents with ADHD get licensed less often and at an older age”.
35. Job Accommodation Network. Noise Sensitivity. “People with noise sensitivity have difficulty tolerating noise”; accommodation ideas: “Provide a quiet or private workspace”, “Provide noise cancelation technology, such as headsets, white noise machines, and/or noise abatement paneling”, “Allow telework”. Checked October 22, 2026.
36. U.S. Department of Education, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regulations (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations). 34 CFR § 300.320 Definition of individualized education program. Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Transition services: “Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns 16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP Team”, the IEP must include “Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills”; rights transfer: “Beginning not later than one year before the child reaches the age of majority under State law”.
37. Van Hulle CA, Lemery-Chalfant K, Goldsmith HH. Parent-Offspring Transmission of Internalizing and Sensory Over-Responsivity Symptoms in Adolescence. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 2018;46(3):557–567. doi:10.1007/s10802-017-0300-y (PMID 28393325; PMC5634909). 1,012 adolescent twins from 506 families: “Adolescent sensory over-responsivity symptoms were correlated with internalizing disorder symptoms”. Checked October 22, 2026.
38. Schwarzlose RF, Tillman R, Hoyniak CP, Luby JL, Barch DM. Sensory Over-responsivity: A Feature of Childhood Psychiatric Illness Associated With Altered Functional Connectivity of Sensory Networks. Biological Psychiatry. 2023;93(1):92–101. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.09.004 (PMID 36357217; PMC10308431). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, children aged 9 to 12 (N = 11,210): “Children with SOR constituted 18% of the overall sample but comprised more than half of” children “with internalizing or externalizing scores in the clinical range”; “SOR predicted increased anxiety”, ADHD and “prodromal psychosis symptoms” a year later.
39. National Institute of Mental Health. Generalized Anxiety Disorder: When Worry Gets Out of Control. “Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a research-supported type of psychotherapy, is commonly used to treat GAD”; “CBT has been well studied and is the “gold standard” choice for psychotherapy”. Checked October 22, 2026.
40. Swedo SE, Baguley DM, Denys D, et al. Consensus Definition of Misophonia: A Delphi Study. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2022;16:841816. doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.841816 (PMID 35368272; PMC8969743). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    “Misophonia is a disorder of decreased tolerance to specific sounds or stimuli associated with such sounds”; “Misophonia symptoms are typically first observed in childhood or early adolescence”; common triggers include “chewing, eating, smacking lips, slurping, coughing, throat clearing, and swallowing”; “Nasal sounds, such as breathing and sniffing, often serve as triggers as well”; it “can also occur with neurological or psychiatric conditions or disorders including but not limited to: anxiety disorders” and others, among them “autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder”.
41. American Psychiatric Association. What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?. Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors, per the DSM-5-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2022), may include “Sensory hypersensitivity, e.g., aversion to loud noises”. Checked October 22, 2026.
42. Ghanizadeh A. Sensory processing problems in children with ADHD, a systematic review. Psychiatry Investigation. 2011;8(2):89–94. doi:10.4306/pi.2011.8.2.89 (PMID 21852983; PMC3149116). 11 studies: “Sensory processing problems in children with ADHD are more common than in typically developing children”; “co-morbidity with oppositional defiant disorder and anxiety are predictors of more severe sensory processing problems in children with ADHD”. Checked October 22, 2026.
43. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. One-on-One Time With the Pediatrician. “Before the physical examination, the doctor will ask the parent to allow some time alone with the adolescent”; “teens need to begin to embrace and accept responsibility for their own health care”; for a child with a “neurodevelopmental difference”, “this dynamic may be different”. Checked October 22, 2026.
44. Pearson Assessments. Sensory Profile 2. By Winnie Dunn, 2014. Age range: “Birth–14:11”; “Child Record Forms for ages 3:0-14:11”. Checked October 22, 2026.
45. U.S. Department of Education, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regulations (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations). 34 CFR § 300.34 Related services. Related services include “physical and occupational therapy”; occupational therapy “Means services provided by a qualified occupational therapist” and includes “Improving ability to perform tasks for independent functioning if functions are impaired or lost”. Checked October 22, 2026.
46. Randell E, Wright M, Milosevic S, et al. Sensory integration therapy for children with autism and sensory processing difficulties: the SenITA RCT. Health Technology Assessment. 2022;26(29):1–140. doi:10.3310/tqge0020 (PMID 35766242). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Children in mainstream primary education in Wales and England; “A total of 138 participants were randomised”; “There were no significant main effects of the intervention at 6 or 12 months”; “The intervention did not demonstrate clinical benefit above standard care”; “The intervention is likely to be effective for individualised performance goals, although it is unclear whether effects were in addition to standard care or were maintained”.
47. Piller A, McHugh Conlin J, Glennon TJ, et al. Systematic review of sensory-based interventions for children and youth (2015–2024). Frontiers in Pediatrics. 2025;13:1720179. doi:10.3389/fped.2025.1720179 (PMID 41321460; PMC12658592). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Participants “aged 0-21 years with sensory integration/processing challenges”; “Twenty-one studies were included”; “Strong strength of evidence supported use of deep pressure tactile input and caregiver training on the use of sensory strategies”; “Moderate strength of evidence supported that alternative seating did not improve attention”; “There is a lack of evidence on the impact of sensory environmental modifications”.
48. Polatajko HJ, Cantin N. Exploring the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions, other than the sensory integration approach, with children and adolescents experiencing difficulty processing and integrating sensory information. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2010;64(3):415–429. doi:10.5014/ajot.2010.09072 (PMID 20608273). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Twenty articles: children “can benefit from intervention”; “the great variability that characterizes this literature in terms of populations, interventions, and study quality precludes the formation of any firm conclusions regarding specific approaches”.
49. Ikuta N, Iwanaga R, Tokunaga A, Nakane H, Tanaka K, Tanaka G. Effectiveness of Earmuffs and Noise-cancelling Headphones for Coping with Hyper-reactivity to Auditory Stimuli in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Preliminary Study. Hong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2016;28(1):24–32. doi:10.1016/j.hkjot.2016.09.001 (PMID 30186064; PMC6091992). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    “Twenty-one children with ASD aged 4-16 years”; “Four participants refused to wear either the earmuffs or the NC headphones”; Goal Attainment Scaling scores were “significantly higher during the earmuff period than that in the baseline period”.
50. Pfeiffer B, Stein Duker L, Murphy A, Shui C. Effectiveness of Noise-Attenuating Headphones on Physiological Responses for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. 2019;13:65. doi:10.3389/fnint.2019.00065 (PMID 31798424; PMC6863142). Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Single-subject design, “six children, aged 8-16 years”: “noise attenuating headphones led to a significance difference in both skin conductance levels (SCL) and frequency of non-specific conductance responses (NS-SCRs) between the baseline measurement and subsequent phases”.
51. U.S. Department of Education, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regulations (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations). 34 CFR § 300.321 IEP Team. “the public agency must invite a child with a disability to attend the child's IEP Team meeting if a purpose of the meeting will be the consideration of the postsecondary goals for the child”. Checked October 22, 2026.
52. U.S. Department of Education, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regulations (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations). 34 CFR § 300.8 Child with a disability. Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Child with a disability means a child with “an intellectual disability, a hearing impairment (including deafness), a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment (including blindness), a serious emotional disturbance (referred to in this part as “emotional disturbance”), an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, an other health impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities”, “who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services”.
53. U.S. Department of Education. Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities. Office for Civil Rights. “your postsecondary school is not required to provide FAPE”; “You must inform the school that you have a disability and need an academic adjustment”; an IEP or Section 504 plan “is generally not sufficient documentation”. Checked October 22, 2026.
54. World Health Organization. 6B83 Avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder. ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, release 2026-01. Checked October 22, 2026.
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    Reasons for restriction include “avoidance of foods with certain sensory characteristics (e.g., smell, taste, appearance, texture, colour, temperature)”; it requires either an intake that “has resulted in significant weight loss, clinically significant nutritional deficiencies” or otherwise harmed physical health, or “significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning (e.g., due to avoidance or distress related to participating in social experiences involving eating)”; “The pattern of eating behaviour is not motivated by preoccupation with body weight or shape”.

Medical disclaimer. This page is for general educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your child. If you are worried about immediate safety, call or text 988 (US). If your child has lost skills they previously had, contact their doctor promptly.