Is it behavior or something else?

Understanding Our Senses and Their Impact on Behavior   In this episode of Neurodiverse Conversations, the hosts discuss the crucial role of sensory processing and its impacts on behavior and mood, especially in children. They delve into how the eight senses (visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory, tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular, and interoceptive) affect our daily lives. Katie, a sensory-trained occupational therapist, explains the concepts of self-regulation and co-regulation, offering insights and strategies to help children navigate sensory experiences. They also touch on the importance of sensory diets in helping children stay regulated throughout the day. This episode aims to provide parents and caregivers with a better understanding of how sensory inputs influence behavior and stress management.   00:00 Welcome to Neurodiverse Conversations 00:35 Understanding the Connection Between Senses and Behavior 01:49 Introducing Katie and the Eight Senses 02:46 Self-Regulation vs. Co-Regulation 05:23 Breaking Down the Eight Senses 11:56 Sensory Input and Behavior 13:20 A Parent's Perspective on Regulation 15:15 Recap and Final Thoughts

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Hello and welcome to Neurodiverse Conversations, the podcast where we delve into the vast and unique world of neurodiversity.
Today we're talking about senses, and I wanna share my perspective as a parent.
I did not really understand how our senses are related to behavior or mood, but it makes sense, right? How we feel really affects how we project everything.

(00:29):
Emotions, how we handle the world, how we handle stress, everything.
Our senses feed our brain information all about the world, which then shapes our behavior.
This happens because our brain interprets sensory input, compares it to past experiences, makes decisions about how we should react.

(00:51):
This can involve subtle changes in mood or more dramatic actions like running away from danger.
I want you to keep that in mind today as Katie teaches us about all of our senses.
If you have a child that is struggling in different areas, pay attention, are they regulated and how does their body feel? I also wanna say this is for.

(01:22):
Everyone.
This is not just anyone neurodivergent.
This is everyone.
And I believe the more we pay attention to our surroundings, how we feel and how we're taking care of ourselves really does matter.
.5So I'm gonna hand this over to Katie so sit back, relax, and let's learn about our senses. 15 00:01:49,797.5 --> 00:01:59,67.5 Today we're diving into all things senses and learning about our eight senses and how it all relates to behavior. 16 00:01:59,967.5 --> 00:02:05,877.5 And I of course, love this topic because I am a sensory trained occupational therapist. 17 00:02:06,762.5 --> 00:02:29,382.5 And for me, a lot of it comes from helping families understand that there is this foundational need for understanding how the child is processing their internal senses, the external world around them and their memories, and how it all relates back to helping them regulate their nervous system. 18 00:02:29,637.5 --> 00:02:45,657.5 And when they react to something or have that behavior, how can we help them work through it in the best way possible? So I'm gonna go through our eight senses and talk a little bit about them, and then we're gonna talk about a couple strategies at the end. 19 00:02:46,657.5 --> 00:02:54,187.5 So to start off, knowing the difference between self-regulation and co-regulation is really important. 20 00:02:54,997.5 --> 00:03:00,757.5 Because so often in my world as a ot, I see all these goals for self-regulation and. 21 00:03:01,112.5 --> 00:03:19,862.5 Just people wanting the child to regulate themselves so early on in life, and while that's amazing to help the child build that skill, I feel like there's this high expectation for children to be able to figure it out and solve the problem on their own. 22 00:03:19,862.5 --> 00:03:20,762.5 So early in life. 23 00:03:21,612.5 --> 00:03:29,682.5 And sometimes kids can work through things really easy, but it's all about the capacity in that moment and how we can support them through it. 24 00:03:29,742.5 --> 00:03:33,702.5 And when we think about this too, I even look at my own life as an adult. 25 00:03:34,367.5 --> 00:03:45,407.5 And maybe reflect as well too, like we use co-regulation, which is that supportive strategy when you have another person in your life supporting you. 26 00:03:45,797.5 --> 00:03:58,697.5 So if I'm in a tizzy, like cleaning the kitchen or getting my supplies ready for the day, then my husband might look at me and offer a hug or, give me something tangible to squeeze in my hands. 27 00:03:59,237.5 --> 00:04:02,207.5 And I'm not thinking about a strategy in that moment because. 28 00:04:02,382.5 --> 00:04:10,92.5 I'm so escalated thinking about all these other things going on that I'm not necessarily noticing what my body needs in that moment. 29 00:04:10,272.5 --> 00:04:22,92.5 And so when we look at it from a place of capacity and energy, then we can understand that we can be there to notice each other's cues and what we might need and be there to support each other. 30 00:04:22,662.5 --> 00:04:28,302.5 And of course, a lot of it starts with being able to manage that capacity and what we can take on in our daily lives. 31 00:04:28,452.5 --> 00:04:31,812.5 And kids have so many demands placed on them throughout the day. 32 00:04:32,472.5 --> 00:04:46,542.5 From teachers, from Playmates, navigating problem solving, experiencing a brand new world that they've never experienced before, that we cannot expect them to self-regulate a hundred percent of the time when we ourselves also have a hard time with that. 33 00:04:47,292.5 --> 00:04:50,892.5 So self-regulation essentially is independently. 34 00:04:50,952.5 --> 00:04:52,452.5 Being able to regulate yourself. 35 00:04:52,452.5 --> 00:05:08,532.5 Maybe you notice a sensation in your body like you're hungry and you go get a snack, or you notice that you're feeling really sweaty and you need a drink of water, or you notice that sound sounds really loud and so you go grab some headphones for yourself. 36 00:05:08,742.5 --> 00:05:10,122.5 Or turn down the volume. 37 00:05:10,722.5 --> 00:05:18,792.5 But kids don't always have the capacity in that moment or the ability to choose, especially in their, if they're in a loud classroom or different things like that. 38 00:05:18,792.5 --> 00:05:22,962.5 And so being able to help them walk through it is that co-regulation piece. 39 00:05:23,962.5 --> 00:05:27,322.5 So I'm gonna break down our eight senses now and. 40 00:05:27,817.5 --> 00:05:35,677.5 I'm really excited about this because sometimes we don't even realize that so many different senses are at play when we're living our daily lives. 41 00:05:36,457.5 --> 00:05:37,297.5 So visual. 42 00:05:37,717.5 --> 00:05:44,317.5 So when we look at senses, it's not just seeing something, it's how we're processing that incoming information. 43 00:05:44,317.5 --> 00:05:47,827.5 So right now I see a tree in front of me and. 44 00:05:48,152.5 --> 00:05:57,632.5 That tree is so bright green, but someone also might look at that tree and be seeing, oh my gosh, that one leaf is just flittering in the wind. 45 00:05:57,662.5 --> 00:05:59,312.5 And that is so fascinating. 46 00:05:59,372.5 --> 00:06:06,32.5 And so they're processing that information or maybe they see the sunshine coming through and oh, it feels so bright to their eyes. 47 00:06:06,452.5 --> 00:06:14,162.5 So when we're processing that information, is it too much? Is it too little? Do we wanna look away? Do we wanna look more Figuring out how. 48 00:06:14,667.5 --> 00:06:22,887.5 Children and ourselves are processing that visual information, auditory, not just how well we hear, but how we're processing that information again. 49 00:06:22,887.5 --> 00:06:42,107.5 So if we're noticing that sounds again, sound too loud, or maybe we like a certain rhythm of a beat to a sound to a song that we're listening to or we like certain pitches that we hear versus other ones, or maybe that changes from moment to moment based on how our regulation or capacity is in that moment. 50 00:06:42,747.5 --> 00:06:44,637.5 GU tore is our sense of taste. 51 00:06:45,117.5 --> 00:06:52,677.5 So some people like really strong tastes, some people like not much flavor at all, and somewhere in between. 52 00:06:52,977.5 --> 00:07:03,107.5 And so you might have a child or yourself that craves ginger tea because they're lower to register that flavor profile. 53 00:07:03,107.5 --> 00:07:12,547.5 And that is a regulation piece for them is seeking out more flavor for their body to feel regulated and feel like it has the amount of input that they need. 54 00:07:13,57.5 --> 00:07:18,447.5 And spicy things, more peppers, different things like that, and vice versa. 55 00:07:18,447.5 --> 00:07:25,137.5 Sometimes kids don't want a whole lot of seasoning and they want those same consistent foods across the board because that registers in their brain. 56 00:07:25,137.5 --> 00:07:31,557.5 It is the same way every single time, and they're able to process that, register it, and know that their body feels that it's safe. 57 00:07:32,272.5 --> 00:07:34,672.5 Olfactory is that sense of smell. 58 00:07:35,262.5 --> 00:07:36,762.5 And how we're processing that. 59 00:07:37,12.5 --> 00:07:45,82.5 For me, like cigarette smoke, perfume, I am aversive to strong smells and other people might seek them out. 60 00:07:45,82.5 --> 00:07:47,62.5 Oh, let me see this crayon man. 61 00:07:47,62.5 --> 00:07:48,502.5 I love the smell of it. 62 00:07:48,812.5 --> 00:07:50,42.5 And seek it out. 63 00:07:50,72.5 --> 00:07:51,962.5 And there's nothing wrong with it. 64 00:07:51,962.5 --> 00:07:57,642.5 It's making sure that an activity is safe for a child but they might be lower to register that input or. 65 00:07:57,657.5 --> 00:08:04,327.5 Seek it out more to fill that sensory cup that they have and tactiles that sense of touch. 66 00:08:04,387.5 --> 00:08:09,417.5 It's one of the first senses to develop and especially feeling the womb. 67 00:08:09,697.5 --> 00:08:13,897.5 Even while people are pregnant, the baby is feeling so many things inside. 68 00:08:13,897.5 --> 00:08:18,817.5 And of course when they come out, the family rubbing on the child infant massage a. 69 00:08:18,987.5 --> 00:08:20,937.5 Such a crucial thing too. 70 00:08:21,247.5 --> 00:08:26,647.5 It's one of the things I love providing education on early in life and you can do massage even on kids. 71 00:08:26,647.5 --> 00:08:40,217.5 And it just was one of those things that can bring the energy down be soothing, but it's also good to look at are kids more aversive to touch? Do they not where they wanna be touched? They need more space in that sense is more alerting for them. 72 00:08:40,217.5 --> 00:08:43,967.5 And typically light touch is more alerting, whereas deep. 73 00:08:43,972.5 --> 00:08:48,292.5 Pressure is more calming and this is very personalized. 74 00:08:48,292.5 --> 00:08:53,482.5 So again, making sure that you're looking at each child and figuring out what feels good to them. 75 00:08:53,482.5 --> 00:08:57,262.5 And sometimes kids want a big hug and sometimes they want some space. 76 00:08:57,262.5 --> 00:09:07,192.5 So noticing what those things are, if they like things on their hands, getting messy and messy play, or I don't wanna touch that, that seems like it's gonna send my system up a notch. 77 00:09:07,752.5 --> 00:09:09,282.5 As well as noticing around the face. 78 00:09:09,287.5 --> 00:09:11,747.5 There's some kids that love to rub things around their face. 79 00:09:11,747.5 --> 00:09:14,927.5 There's lots of tactile receptors around the mouth as well. 80 00:09:14,927.5 --> 00:09:20,767.5 So not just the taste orally, but how is that feeling and the texture in that area as well. 81 00:09:21,637.5 --> 00:09:30,37.5 And proprioceptive is that sense of awareness of our joints and our muscles and how our body is moving through space. 82 00:09:30,37.5 --> 00:09:37,447.5 It's really related also to the vestibular system, which is the neck system and how our head position is going. 83 00:09:37,712.5 --> 00:10:00,572.5 Up and down or around in circles and noticing, does that make our body feel dizzy or do we crave a lot of it and it helps our body feel more regulated while we're doing it? So noticing if kids like lots of swinging or if they like climbing up on high surfaces and looking down, they might feel how their head feels up a little bit higher versus lower to the ground. 84 00:10:00,932.5 --> 00:10:05,72.5 Noticing if kids are more climbers or if they hesitate and have difficulty. 85 00:10:05,122.5 --> 00:10:08,912.5 Managing a playground equipment or managing their body in a classroom. 86 00:10:08,912.5 --> 00:10:19,172.5 Maybe they trip over things a lot or bump into the walls or other children having that lower sensation of being aware of their body in space. 87 00:10:19,847.5 --> 00:10:38,117.5 And then interoception is the last system, and that is one of my favorites to talk about because that is our internal experiences when it comes to hunger and pain and temperature regulation, and noticing how our body is feeling when we're feeling different emotions. 88 00:10:38,152.5 --> 00:10:50,392.5 And so maybe we are feeling nervous and so our tummy maybe get a little queasy or crampy or we get a little sweaty under the armpits or our hands, or we've got the creative juices flowing. 89 00:10:50,392.5 --> 00:10:58,702.5 And so we're feeling different things, and so noticing different sensations that our body is having during different experiences. 90 00:10:58,702.5 --> 00:11:03,952.5 So sometimes kids need proactive regulation when it comes to this because they may not notice. 91 00:11:03,982.5 --> 00:11:15,682.5 When they're hungry or thirsty, or if we're working on a project on our computer all day long and all of a sudden we realize we never ate lunch because we were so focused on what we were doing in that moment. 92 00:11:16,72.5 --> 00:11:24,562.5 And so being able to be in tune with our body and figure out what proactive strategies we need to set in place and versus noticing our own cues. 93 00:11:24,562.5 --> 00:11:27,382.5 Sometimes kids are very aware of this and if they fall down. 94 00:11:28,7.5 --> 00:11:33,467.5 Get hurt, then they are, everything is so painful. 95 00:11:33,737.5 --> 00:11:40,877.5 But sometimes kids fall down and get hurt and they don't even notice it until later that night when they're more aware of their body and those sensations. 96 00:11:41,127.5 --> 00:11:56,57.5 And are they aware of when they have a fever, noticing the temperature change in their body or temperature change on the water? And so all of those things are really important to understand about our child because we wanna make sure that they're safe and that we're noticing those cues within them. 97 00:11:57,57.5 --> 00:12:04,767.5 So sensory input and the way we process our internal and external world is foundational to all behavior. 98 00:12:05,187.5 --> 00:12:19,707.5 'cause I think sometimes we look at, okay, is this behavior, is this sensory? But sensory is fundamental to everything because it's the way we detect the information coming in from our body or the outside, the way we transmit that information. 99 00:12:19,787.5 --> 00:12:48,37.5 In our brain, integrate it and perceive what is that doing? Is this a scary thing? Is our body going into fight, flight, freeze fawn, figuring out what action we need to take from there, what response we need to take from there? Does this smell remind me of a memory that I did not enjoy and therefore I don't wanna be a part of that? And so it seems like the child is completely avoiding and not following directions, but maybe there is something there that makes that. 100 00:12:48,207.5 --> 00:12:49,917.5 Child feel like it's not safe. 101 00:12:49,977.5 --> 00:12:58,497.5 And so learning to understand where our children are coming from, being a sensory detective and building that rapport with them, building that collaboration. 102 00:12:58,497.5 --> 00:12:59,877.5 Hey, I notice that. 103 00:13:00,542.5 --> 00:13:01,862.5 This is tricky for you. 104 00:13:02,732.5 --> 00:13:20,462.5 What is it about this that feels hard or is there something else? Just really starting to build that relationship so that we're coming from a place of collaboration, empathy, understanding, and that they're on our team and we're on their team, and that we can help them work through this world together. 105 00:13:21,462.5 --> 00:13:26,652.5 Yes, this is all great information, sharing the different senses and how they relate to the world. 106 00:13:26,962.5 --> 00:13:30,502.5 And I wanna say I see this in my own children. 107 00:13:30,752.5 --> 00:13:33,632.5 I know when they're regulated and not regulated. 108 00:13:33,842.5 --> 00:13:36,872.5 But I didn't know up until this point what really that meant. 109 00:13:37,52.5 --> 00:13:46,872.5 And so for anyone who's not quite sure, like what really does regulation mean and what is co-regulation?, I'm not an OT or anything like that, but this is just from a parent's perspective. 110 00:13:47,232.5 --> 00:13:53,262.5 It basically means like you're feeling well within your body and you can handle the tasks that is at hand. 111 00:13:53,592.5 --> 00:14:01,412.5 So a good example is are they ready to sit down and read the book that you would like them to read? And it depends on the child. 112 00:14:01,442.5 --> 00:14:06,62.5 My child really likes to be moving when she's learning, and I've accepted that, and that is okay. 113 00:14:06,282.5 --> 00:14:07,632.5 She learns better that way. 114 00:14:08,632.5 --> 00:14:16,72.5 Meanwhile, my other daughter prefers more of a sensory play clay, Play-Doh and Rice. 115 00:14:16,162.5 --> 00:14:23,792.5 She likes to be doing those kind of things with her hands puzzles that really gets her regulated and ready for the task at hand. 116 00:14:24,102.5 --> 00:14:38,562.5 My children are examples of this and they are doing very well because we have what is called a sensory diet, and that is given to us by our occupational therapist and. 117 00:14:39,267.5 --> 00:14:48,777.5 It provides the kind of input and the kind of output that they need throughout the day to stay regulated and to know what it feels like to be regulated. 118 00:14:49,57.5 --> 00:14:56,287.5 Sometimes when I ask them to do something and they will say they're not ready, we will do something that is regulating and then they will come back and do the task. 119 00:14:56,527.5 --> 00:14:57,457.5 No problem. 120 00:14:57,877.5 --> 00:15:00,427.5 Horse riding is very good. 121 00:15:00,737.5 --> 00:15:08,792.5 For everyone just, just saying but the connection with the animal, but also it's like the rhythmic walking. 122 00:15:09,212.5 --> 00:15:14,762.5 Is huge for your sensory system, but also horses are just beautiful at baseline. 123 00:15:15,762.5 --> 00:15:28,332.5 So to recap a bit on today's episode, we went over the different senses in our bodies to help understand them and then also connect that to how we behave. 124 00:15:29,172.5 --> 00:15:55,42.5 And so this is a start of little clips that Katie and I are wanting to bring to our listeners to help educate and help support families, and understand the importance of knowing your sensory system and knowing how to regulate your body and knowing what all these big, fancy words mean. 125 00:15:55,502.5 --> 00:16:01,382.5 I didn't understand any of it the first year while my child was seeing an occupational therapist. 126 00:16:01,922.5 --> 00:16:06,2.5 I want to break it down to make it easy and digestible. 127 00:16:06,992.5 --> 00:16:10,232.5 Katie is here to be the expert. 128 00:16:10,592.5 --> 00:16:13,292.5 I am here to be the dummy. 129 00:16:13,562.5 --> 00:16:22,232.5 That kind of explains, okay, this is what is happening, but I'm gonna say it like a dummy because. 130 00:16:22,592.5 --> 00:16:24,872.5 I am not this like really smart ot. 131 00:16:25,712.5 --> 00:16:32,492.5 So today's episode was let's start with sensory before we start addressing behavior. 132 00:16:32,972.5 --> 00:16:46,812.5 Often when you are seeing and addressing the sensory piece of it, how your body's feeling, how their body's feeling, it really connects to better. 133 00:16:47,547.5 --> 00:16:51,507.5 Behavior because they feel overall better. 134 00:16:52,507.5 --> 00:16:56,587.5 Thank you for joining us today here on the Neurodiverse Conversations Podcast. 135 00:16:57,587.5 --> 00:17:04,697.5 If you'd like today's episode, please give us a follow, share the episode or subscribe to Neurodiverse Conversations anywhere you listen to your podcast. 136 00:17:05,697.5 --> 00:17:07,167.5 Also a friendly reminder. 137 00:17:07,197.5 --> 00:17:09,477.5 These are just conversations between two friends. 138 00:17:09,687.5 --> 00:17:18,207.5 Even though Katie is an occupational therapist, she is not giving you any kind of diagnosis or medical advice, nor am I. 139 00:17:18,357.5 --> 00:17:25,477.5 So please take everything that we say here as a form of support and friendship. 140 00:17:26,77.5 --> 00:17:27,577.5 And thank you for listening.