Sensory

CAHS North Derbyshire describes sensory processing as how we 'understand the world around us. We process information through our senses and decide on how to respond to the things we are experiencing. Sensory systems that absorb information about the world around us are: 

• Sight

• Taste (gustatory)

• Smell (olfactory)

• Hearing (auditory)

• Touch (tactile)

• Proprioception (using our muscles to understand where our body is in space)

• Vestibular (the sense of how the body moves against gravity)

The last 3 sensory systems – touch, proprioception and vestibular – help us to feel in tune with our world and to feel grounded as a person. 

Learning how to process sensory-based information as it is received can be challenging for all of us at times, but more challenging for a child with a learning disability. We have to filter out what things are important and what things to ignore. For instance, if we hear our name being called, we respond to this, even though there may be other sounds in the room that could distract us. Some children have difficulty with this filtering process.'