Occupational Therapy Support & Interventions for Highly Sensitive Children: A Parent’s Guide
May 03, 2025
Raising a highly sensitive child comes with its unique set of challenges—and gifts! These children often experience the world in vivid detail, feeling sounds, sights, textures, and emotions with remarkable intensity. If your child is highly sensitive and struggling to manage sensory inputs or certain environments, occupational therapy (OT) might be a supportive intervention that could make a big difference in their daily life.
This guide will help you understand how OT works for highly sensitive children, the specific interventions available, and ways you can integrate OT strategies at home.
Understanding Sensory Sensitivity in Highly Sensitive Children
Highly sensitive children tend to have what’s called sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), which means they’re often more attuned to stimuli around them. This trait isn’t a disorder, but when sensory inputs become overwhelming, it can lead to sensory overload. Imagine experiencing bright lights as painfully glaring or certain sounds as unbearably loud—that’s often the reality for a child with SPS.
Occupational therapy offers structured ways to support these children, helping them regulate sensory experiences, build emotional resilience, and feel more in control of their bodies and surroundings. It’s not about “fixing” sensitivity but empowering kids to navigate the world with greater comfort and confidence.
What Does Occupational Therapy for Highly Sensitive Children Look Like?
Occupational therapy for highly sensitive children is typically tailored to the child’s unique sensory profile. OTs often perform a sensory assessment to determine how your child experiences different inputs like touch, sound, movement, and visual stimuli. This personalized approach ensures that interventions meet the child’s specific needs and help them gradually build resilience to sensory inputs.
Here are some of the key components of OT for highly sensitive children:
1. Sensory Integration Therapy
Sensory integration therapy is one of the most common OT approaches for children with sensory sensitivities. This therapy focuses on helping children manage sensory inputs in a controlled, playful setting. The goal is to gradually increase the child’s tolerance for different sensory experiences without overwhelming them. For example, a child who is sensitive to touch might participate in activities that involve handling different textures, starting with something soft and gradually moving to more challenging textures, like sand or putty.
2. Emotional Regulation Support
For highly sensitive children, regulating emotions can be a big challenge, especially if they’re feeling overwhelmed by sensory inputs. OTs can work with children to develop self-soothing strategies that calm their nervous system. For example, teaching “breathing breaks” or using visualizations, like imagining blowing up a balloon with each deep breath, can help children center themselves when they start to feel overwhelmed.
3. Gross and Fine Motor Skills
Sensitivity can impact a child’s movement preferences. For instance, highly sensitive children may avoid certain physical activities due to sensory discomfort. OT interventions can help build confidence in movement and body coordination, making physical activities more comfortable and enjoyable. For example, activities like balancing on a beam, climbing, or playing with small objects help build gross and fine motor skills and give the child more control over their movements.
4. Social Skills Development
Highly sensitive children sometimes struggle with social situations because sensory overload can make interactions overwhelming. OTs can help children develop social skills through structured, low-stress activities that teach them how to read social cues and express themselves in comfortable ways. For example, role-playing games with an OT can prepare a child for real-world social interactions, helping them practice communication in a fun, supportive environment.
Practical OT Strategies to Try at Home
While formal OT sessions are beneficial, there are ways you can use OT techniques at home to support your highly sensitive child. Here are a few ideas:
1. Create a Sensory “Toolkit”
Having sensory items on hand can help your child self-regulate when they’re feeling overstimulated. Consider items like noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys, soft blankets, or calming scents.
• Tip: Let your child pick out some items for their sensory toolkit. This gives them a sense of control and helps them feel more comfortable using these tools.
2. Build a Calming Corner
Set up a cozy corner at home where your child can go when they need a break from sensory input. Include items that are calming, like weighted blankets, pillows, or soft lighting.
• Tip: Encourage your child to use their calming corner proactively, rather than waiting until they feel overwhelmed. This can help them learn self-regulation before emotions escalate.
3. Engage in Heavy Work Activities
Heavy work activities, which involve pushing, pulling, or lifting, can be calming for children with sensory sensitivities. Activities like pushing a shopping cart, carrying groceries, or doing animal crawls at home can give kids the sensory input they crave without overwhelming them.
• Example: Try “wall push-ups” at home—a quick and easy way for your child to release energy in a structured, calming way.
4. Use Visual Schedules and Routines
Highly sensitive children often do better with predictable routines. Creating a visual schedule with pictures or simple symbols can help them know what to expect throughout the day, easing transitions between activities.
• Tip: If a change in routine is necessary, give your child advance notice and let them know what to expect. Visual supports like countdown timers can help them prepare for transitions.
Resources for Parents
If you’re looking for more guidance, here are some excellent resources on sensory sensitivities and occupational therapy:
Books:
• The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz – A classic guide on sensory processing challenges, with helpful activities and insights.
• Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka – Focuses on the temperament of highly sensitive children, with strategies for understanding and supporting them.
• Beyond Behaviors by Dr. Mona Delahooke – Emphasizes the role of sensory processing in children’s behavior, offering a compassionate approach to support.
Websites and Organizations:
• The STAR Institute for Sensory Processing – Provides articles, webinars, and resources for families dealing with sensory sensitivities.
• Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation – Offers resources, support groups, and information on sensory processing disorders.
Final Thoughts: Embracing Your Child’s Sensitivity
Occupational therapy can be a game-changer for highly sensitive children, giving them the skills and confidence to navigate their world with a bit more ease. But even beyond formal interventions, the most powerful support you can provide is understanding, patience, and acceptance. Highly sensitive kids have remarkable strengths: empathy, intuition, and a keen perception of the world around them. By honoring their sensitivity and supporting them with OT strategies, you’re not just helping them manage challenges; you’re nurturing their gifts and building their resilience.
Parenting Alongside You,
Dr. Emma and the Aparently Parenting Team
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