Start here: what am I seeing?
If any of these apply, contact your child's doctor promptly
- Your child has lost skills they previously had — words, gestures, play, or self-care
- You've noticed pauses in their breathing during sleep
- Sudden onset of drooling, or drooling on one side only
- Difficulty swallowing, or choking during meals
- You're worried about their safety, or they've talked about not wanting to be here — call or text 988
These need attention now rather than research.
If you've noticed something about your child and don't know where to begin, this page is a starting point. Find what sounds closest to what you're seeing, and it'll point you toward information that fits.
This isn't a quiz and it won't tell you what's going on. Only an assessment can do that. What it can do is help you find the right words for what you're noticing — which makes the conversation with a professional considerably more productive.
Sounds, light, and touch
"Covers their ears" · "Can't cope with the hand dryer" · "Fights every haircut" · "Won't wear certain clothes"
Sensory over-responsivity →Noise sensitivity in autistic children →Sensory processing disorder →
Some children experience ordinary sensory input as far more intense than others do. It's not fussiness, and it's not something they can decide to stop.
Movement and body
"Crashes into everything" · "Never stops moving" · "Chews on everything" · "Doesn't seem to feel pain"
Sensory seeking and craving →Sensory under-responsivity →Interoception →W-sitting →
Some children actively seek intense sensory input. Others don't register signals other children do — including hunger, pain, or needing the bathroom.
Talking and understanding
"Repeats movie lines" · "Isn't talking yet" · "Hard to understand" · "Doesn't respond to their name"
Speech and language development →Gestalt language processing →Delayed speech →Auditory processing →
If your child isn't responding to their name, get their hearing checked first. It's simple, and it's the first thing to rule out.
Meltdowns and shutdowns
"Melts down after school" · "Fine at school, falls apart at home" · "Comes from nowhere" · "Won't do things they want to do"
Sensory overload →Monotropism →Pathological demand avoidance →Interoception →
After-school restraint collapse is common and doesn't mean school is going badly. Often it means the opposite — the effort of holding it together all day has to go somewhere.
Attention and focus
"Can't sit still" · "Doesn't listen" · "Zones out" · "Loses everything"
ADHD in children →ADHD vs sensory processing disorder →Executive function →
Two things worth ruling out first: sleep and hearing. Poor sleep in children looks like hyperactivity and inattention rather than tiredness, and undetected hearing difficulty looks like not listening. See nighttime drooling and mouth breathing.
Moving and coordination
"Trips constantly" · "Can't ride a bike" · "Handwriting is a struggle" · "Tires faster than other kids"
Dyspraxia →Postural difficulties →Crossing the midline →Delayed motor milestones →
Eating
"Eats five foods" · "Gags on textures" · "Mealtimes are a battle"
Sensory processing differences →Find a speech-language pathologist →
Restricted eating in children has several possible causes, including sensory ones, and it's worth a professional conversation rather than a strategy from the internet. Feeding is within SLP scope.
School and learning
"Bright but struggling" · "Reading is hard" · "Fine one-to-one, lost in a group"
Learning differences →Dyslexia →Twice-exceptional →SPD and learning →
What to do next
Write down what you've noticed. When it happens, what came before, how long it lasts, what helps. A week of notes is worth more at an appointment than anything you'll remember on the day.
Talk to your pediatrician. Describe the specifics rather than a label — "he can't tolerate the cafeteria and hasn't eaten lunch in two months" gets further than "I think he has sensory issues."
Ask about hearing and vision. Both should be checked for almost any developmental concern.
Know your routes. Under three: your state's early intervention program, free, and you can refer your own child. Three and over: request a school evaluation in writing.
You don't need to be sure. Seeking an assessment isn't a claim that something is wrong. It's asking someone qualified to look.
Occupational, physical, and speech therapy providers, verified and searchable by city and state.
Browse the DrSensory Therapy Directory →What therapy looks like at your child's age
What a therapist works on — and how much of it is aimed at you rather than your child — changes a lot between the toddler years and the teens.
Babies and toddlers (0–2)
Free early intervention, parent self-referral, and a coaching model aimed at everyday routines.
Preschoolers (3–5)
The handover from early intervention to school services at age three, and what changes.
School age (6–12)
Where difficulty starts to carry a social and academic cost, and what school support looks like.