Blog: Exploring the ‘sense-iverse’ in young children

Suzanne Carrington has a PGCE in Early Years, a Post grad qualification in Autism and holds the NASENDCO qualification. She has taught in a range of early years settings (including specialist provision) as a Nursery and Reception teacher/SENCO for 15 years.  She currently works as a Specialist Advisory Teacher for a local authority. Within this blog, Suzanne shares some of her knowledge and experience of supporting children’s sensory needs with practical approaches which can be incorporated into different environments such as home, childcare and school-based settings.

As early years practitioners, we know that children experience the world in unique ways. We also know that sensory experiences can help children understand their environments and support them to feel safe, secure and regulated. Children’s sensory systems pick up information from their surroundings and send information to the nervous system. The nervous system processes this information and generates a response or reaction to what is happening around the child

These little reactions are all part of how their unique `sense -iverse` processes the world. By exploring the senses, seeing how they shape behaviour, and discovering ways to support sensory balance, we can make every child’s learning experiences in the world easier to navigate.

More Than Just Five….

Most of us were taught about five senses- sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.  These five senses are designed to help us process the world around us so we can recognise and respond to the environment, to danger and pleasure. For this to happen , our brains and bodies are working together- a brain – body connection at play. 

However, we now know we have at least three * other additional, internal senses that play equally important roles in children’s development * These are the  Vestibular sense, the Proprioceptive sense and Interoception. The Vestibular sense comes from the inner ear and helps children know which way is up, maintain balance, and coordinate movements. Proprioception comes from muscles and joints, helping children understand where their body is in space. Interoception helps children understand internal signals like hunger, thirst, or the need to use the bathroom. Ultimately, our senses are tied to everything we do

( *research taken from sources such as ‘The Sensory Trust’ which denotes we have 21-33 senses some of which overlap )

             “I like twirling and spinning—it makes me giggle inside.”

How We Feel, Hear, See… and Wiggle!?

For some children, sensory processing does not develop as effectively as it should. As a result, it can be hard to react appropriately to everyday situations and environments. This can interfere with daily activities, learning, and social relationships, and may lead to behaviours that appear confusing or sometimes negative.

Sensory challenges can prevent children from naturally seeking out experiences that help them learn about themselves and the world around them. They may struggle to take in and respond to information from their senses, making it hard to understand what is happening both inside and outside their bodies. Children with sensory processing difficulties may avoid anything that strongly triggers their senses, including light, sound, touch, taste, or smell. Adults may be capable of managing impulse control or uncomfortable sensations but children don’t have this degree of self- regulation and can need extra support and guidance to manage their triggers. 

Their Sensi-verse

Each of these senses can be hyper-sensitive or hypo-sensitive. A child might cover their ears at a vacuum cleaner (auditory sensitivity) or love  sticking their fingers in their mushy peas ! (tactile seeking). When the brain finds it difficult to integrate all this information coming in at the same time and knowing how to respond, children have described this as being like a traffic jam in your head with conflicting signals coming from all directions. This can make it difficult to make sense of it all and can increase the child’s level of anxiety or distress . Recognising these eight senses helps us see that children’s reactions aren’t ` bad behaviour ` they’re communication. ‘ 

Finding Calm in a Busy Brain

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF, 2025) within their research highlight the importance of children developing self-regulation and executive function skills, as these are crucial parts of children’s developmentacross the Early Years Foundation Stage, (DfE, 2025). The Early Years Toolkit (EEF, 2025) has a range of studies around self-regulation which can be implemented with little cost but can impact on children’s development by around 3 months plus. Building on this is sensory regulation and this refers to the ability to manage and respond to sensory input in a way that is appropriate for the situation. Children are constantly regulating themselves, often unconsciously. Some children naturally self-regulate, moving between alert and calm states smoothly. Others may become easily overwhelmed, leading to frustration, withdrawal, or meltdown.

                “Some noises bounce in my head like popcorn, I need them to stop.”

Meet Their Senses: Every Child is One-of-a-Kind

Every child has a sensory profile—a unique pattern of sensory sensitivities and preferences. By observing and  recording responses across the eight senses, we can tailor the learning environment to support each child. Best of all it doesn’t have to be overly complicated – don’t get bogged down by the internet and the huge amount of toolkits out there – start with what you do best and observe the child! Note how they  react to sounds, textures, lights, movements, and smells during daily routines, start to identify patterns for example does the child avoid certain experiences or seek them excessively? Then you can begin to adjust the environment, sharing observations with parents along the way to ensure consistency between home and setting. 

                        Quick Fix Tips to Support the Child’s Sensi-verse

• Develop awareness of all eight sensory systems and how they may impact a child’s behaviour and learning.
• Be a “sensory detective”: Put yourself in their shoes!
• Look at the environment from the child’s perspective : think about light, colour, sound, patterns, textures, surfaces, reflections, and shadows.
• What helps the child feel regulated or in the ` green zone `? What kind of places or experiences make them dysregulated or where do they avoid?
• Can you create a dedicated `cosy corner` that the child can use to regulate in?
• What ` sensory snacks ` can you give the child throughout the day to give them the input they need? Offer choices of different sensory activities throughout the day.
• Use consistent routines and structures to support emotional security.

              Final thoughts – Putting the Sensory Puzzle Pieces Together

Understanding the eight senses, supporting sensory regulation, and creating sensory profiles are more than just theory—they’re practical tools that improve children’s wellbeing, learning and support their unique sensi-verse. By noticing how children experience the world, we can design physical spaces , activities, and routines that meet their sensory needs and support them to thrive.

How to find out more…

If you are interested in finding out more about developing your understanding further, please come along to Suzanne’s online SEND Sensory Support Webinars which will held be on 10.12.25 and 4.2.26 (both 7-8pm). Click here to book your place.

For more approaches related to self- regulation, please see the EEF’s Early Years Evidence store:

Education Endowment Foundation (2024). The Early Years Evidence Store’. Available at:https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store/self-regulation-and-executive-function

Readers might also be interested in Newcastle NHS (2023). The Sensational Thinking Project from Newcastle.’ Available at:  https://www.newcastle-hospitals.nhs.uk/services/childrens-occupational-therapy/the-sensational-thinking-project/