Course 2: Individual Learning Differences

Module 5: Regulation and Sensory Processing

Responses to Sensory Information

Everyone is unique and has different responses and tolerances of sensory input. For example, noise level—the same noise level could be interpreted as too loud (over responsive), just right, or too quiet (under responsive).

Sense	Under Responsive Examples	Over Responsive Examples
Smell	Drawn to stronger scents Smells people and things	Headache Not be able to concentrate Sneezing
Vision	Does not notice people, things in their environment Overly focused on bright, reflective, or spinning lights	Uncomfortable in bright sunlight or lighting changes, such as coming in from recess on a sunny day Distracted by visual information such as posters on the wall Difficulty with visual tracking Reading the non-verbal body language of others
Auditory	Enjoy loud noises Don’t respond when their name is called, appearing not to hear	Cover their ears Vocalize to mask the surrounding noise Distracted Difficulty following directions
Tactile	Try to touch other students or objects	Avoid touching certain textures or clothing Dislike tags in clothing or seams in their socks Strong reaction to being touched by others Dislike sports or games that include personal contact Avoid messy play activities, such as finger painting Dislike certain textures of food
Taste	Ingest non-food items Over fill their mouths Seek out strong flavours	Selective about foods they agree to eat Gag easily with certain flavours and textures Prefer specific brands of food Unable to tolerate different foods touching each other on a plate
Vestibular	Fidget, roll, rock or engage in fast and impulsive movements with little safety awareness Unintentionally rough with others Lose attention to the task they are engaged in when seated for prolonged periods	Movement may cause headaches, dizziness, or nausea Uncoordinated and fearful of participating in PE or on the playground Anxious when sitting on a chair or toilet with their feet off the ground and during transfers when their wheelchair is moved or tilted
Proprioceptive	Seek out movement, by bumping or pushing into walls, the floor, or people Grasp objects with too much force Enjoy rough and tumble play Prefer jumping or stamping heavily rather than walking	Fear unexpected touch or movement Appear uncoordinated or clumsy Difficulty holding and using pencils or water bottles Tire easily
Interoceptive	Unable to interpret when their body is hot or cold Decreased awareness to being full, hungry, or thirsty Difficulties with toilet training	Sensitive to internal temperature changes Increased sensitivity to feeling full, hungry, or thirsty Heightened reaction to pain Strong emotional responses