Less sensory issues (for example, sensitivity to noise or sound)

Your child may be "wired" to over react to certain sensations, such as touch- jumping from human touch and not tolerating tags in clothes or certain socks, or sounds such putting hands over his/her ears when the door bell rings or when someone flushes the toilet. These issues can cause upset for your child and make it hard to participate in usual activities. There are a number of strategies to help you child cope better:
1. avoidance - such as getting clothes without tags and smooth socks and use of sound cancelling earphones in some environments.

2. "desensitization" is the main therapy that consists of exposure to gradual amounts of the challenging sensation with rewards for increasing tolerance. For example, touching briefly someplace less sensitive such as sides of arms or legs with small pieces of smoother cloth or a lower volume recording of the sound.

3. Make the sensory dosing a playful game.

4. If difficulties persist an Occupational therapist with training in sensorimotor integration issues will be very valuable. There is some controversy over whether sensori-reactivity like this is a disorder in itself. The American Academy of Pediatrics has taken the position that these things are symptoms that may be found in some typical children but frequently occur in children with other developmental challenges like ADHD, Autism, and often co-occur with anxiety.

5. In some cases medication such as that used for anxiety may be helpful but it is usually not needed if sensory issues are the only problem.