Understanding The 4 Sensory Processing Patterns to Better Support Your Child’s Regulation

As the crisp air rolls in and the trees paint the sky with golden hues, autumn reminds us how beautiful change can be. Every child, like every leaf, experiences the world in their own unique way.

The way we all experience the crunch of leaves, the chill in the wind, or the scent of cinnamon is shaped by how our brains process sensory input.

For children, these sensory differences can influence behavior, attention, and emotional regulation. Understanding them helps us nurture positive coping skills, connection, and confidence.

Dr. Winnie Dunn’s Sensory Processing Framework (1997) gives us a lens to see these differences clearly. She describes four patterns of sensory processing:

Seeking, Avoiding, Sensitivity, and Registration (Bystander).

Each pattern is a beautiful reflection of how a child’s nervous system interacts with their environment — and each one can be supported through evidence-based self-regulation strategies.

1. The Sensory Seeker: A high neurological threshold (misses sensory input) & an active Self-Regulation response (seeks)— the child craves extra sensory input to stay regulated and alert. They may be constantly “on the go”, touch everything, or chew things for sensory input to feel “just right”.

Example:

At the pumpkin patch, this child dives into the leaf pile again and again, carries pumpkins, and wants to feel every texture they encounter.

Evidence-Based Cool Tools:

• Heavy work and proprioceptive input: Encourage tasks like raking leaves, carrying small pumpkins, or pushing a wheelbarrow to help organize and calm the body through joint compression and muscle activation (Watling & Dietz, 2007).

• Structured movement breaks: Build in seasonal-themed actions like jumping in leaves, climbing hay bales, or yoga poses inspired by autumn such as the “Scarecrow Pose” (arms stretched out and swaying in the wind).

• Deep pressure play: Wrap up in a cozy blanket “pumpkin burrito,” use a weighted lap pad, or enjoy firm bear hugs to promote grounding and self-regulation.

✨ Seekers remind us that movement is medicine for the soul — and that energy, when guided, becomes joy in motion.

2. The Sensory Avoider: Low neurological threshold (notices sensory input) & an active self-regulation response (avoids)— children may feel overwhelmed by loud noise, texture, or unpredictability.They often prefer routine, order, and quieter environments.

Example:

During a Halloween parade, this child may feel anxious about noisy music, bright lights, or scratchy costumes.

Evidence-Based Cool Tools:

• Environmental modifications: Create cozy, quiet corners and adjust lighting or noise levels to reduce overstimulation (Case-Smith & O’Brien, 2015).

• Choice and control: Offer opportunities for the child to select comfortable, familiar material to promote autonomy and comfort (Bundy et al., 2020). Read more Cool Tools on how to address clothing sensitivity via our blog post “No Itch, Just Treats: Tips for Clothing Sensitivity.”

• Predictability and routine: Use visual schedules and social stories to prepare for sensory-rich events, helping the child feel safe and confident when transitions or new experiences arise.

✨ Avoiders remind us that peace is powerful — and that calm spaces help little hearts feel safe enough to explore the world at their own pace.

3. The Sensory Sensitive: A low neurological threshold (notices sensory input) & a passive self-regulation response— children appear distractible or cautious due to an increased attention to detail in their environment.

Example:

At a classroom fall party, a sensitive child might cover their ears when others crinkle snack bags, notice every flicker of a jack-o’-lantern light, or comment on the strong scent of cinnamon candles. Their awareness is high, and their emotional responses can rise quickly.

Evidence-Based Cool Tools:

• Sensory modulation techniques: Introduce calming sensory tools like weighted lap pads, fidget tools, or soft tactile objects to help the child maintain regulation and focus (Miller et al., 2007).

• Mindfulness and breathing: Use imagery-based breathing — “Smell the apple pie, blow out the hot cocoa” — to blend grounding with seasonal imagery in a fun, developmentally appropriate way.

• Co-regulation: Model calm tone, slower pacing, and gentle body language. A regulated adult helps the child’s nervous system attune and settle through connection and predictability.

✨ Sensitivity reflects awareness — a heart that feels deeply and notices beauty others might miss.

4. The Bystander (Registration): A high neurological threshold (misses sensory input) & a passive self-regulation response—these children may appear uninterested, be slow to respond, or miss cues others easily notice.

Example:

During a fall nature walk, a bystander might stroll quietly behind the group, missing social cues to join in conversation or walking right past the brightest red leaf. They may seem disconnected, but often they’re simply processing at their own gentle pace.

Evidence-Based Cool Tools:

• Alerting sensory input: Offer crunchy snacks like apple chips or pretzels, take brisk outdoor walks, or play upbeat seasonal music to increase alertness and sensory registration (Dunn, 1997; Miller Kuhaneck et al., 2020).

• Multisensory cues: Combine visual, verbal, and tactile prompts, such as “Let’s find a red leaf together!” to help the child tune into their environment using multiple senses.

• High-contrast or sensory-rich play: Engage them through pumpkin painting, scented playdough, or tactile crafts using leaves and pinecones to encourage attention and participation.

✨ Bystanders remind us that quiet does not mean disengaged — their slower rhythm can reveal a deep, reflective way of experiencing the world.

A Moment of Devotion

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

— Psalm 139:13 (NIV)

Each sensory pattern reveals a unique rhythm within God’s creation. Just as no two leaves fall the same way, no two nervous systems experience the world alike.

God designed each of us — seekers, sensitives, avoiders, and bystanders — with intention. Our role as caregivers, teachers, and therapists is to meet each child with patience, compassion, and tools that help them thrive.

When we begin to see sensory differences as divine design rather than disorder, we open the door for grace — for them and for ourselves.

Dear Lord,

“Thank You for the beauty of Your design in every child You’ve created. Help us to see each child through Your eyes with gentleness, patience, and understanding. Teach us to honor their differences as divine fingerprints of Your boundless creativity. Guide our hearts to offer calm spaces, kind words, and steady hands that nurture peace and belonging.”

Amen.

References

Bundy, A. C., Lane, S. J., & Murray, E. A. (2020). Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice (3rd ed.). F.A. Davis.

Case-Smith, J., & O’Brien, J. C. (2015). Occupational Therapy for Children and Adolescents (7th ed.). Elsevier.

Dunn, W. (1997). The impact of sensory processing abilities on the daily lives of young children and their families: A conceptual model. Infants & Young Children, 9(4), 23–35.

Miller, L. J., Anzalone, M. E., Lane, S. J., Cermak, S. A., & Osten, E. T. (2007). Concept evolution in sensory integration: A proposed nosology for diagnosis. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(2), 135–140.

Miller Kuhaneck, H., Watling, R., Parham, L. D., & Schaaf, R. C. (2020). Occupational therapy practice guidelines for children and youth ages 5–21 years. American Occupational Therapy Association.

Watling, R., & Dietz, J. (2007). Immediate effect of Ayres’s sensory integration-based occupational therapy intervention on children with autism spectrum disorders. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(5), 574–583.