Understanding the Eight Senses: A Guide for Parents and Teachers

 


Most of us grow up learning about the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. But did you know that the human body actually has eight senses?

For many children especially neurodivergent ones, such as those with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing challenges these lesser-known senses play a huge role in how they experience and respond to the world.

Understanding all eight senses can help parents, teachers, and caregivers better support children’s development, learning, and emotional regulation.

🧠 The 8 Senses Explained

1. Sight (Visual)

This is the ability to see and interpret visual information like colour, shape, movement, and spatial relationships. Children who are visually sensitive may squint, avoid bright lights, or become overwhelmed in busy environments.

2. Hearing (Auditory)

Auditory processing involves detecting sounds and understanding them. Some children may be highly sensitive to noise (e.g., loud classrooms or buzzing lights), while others may seek out loud sounds or not respond to verbal instructions.

3. Smell (Olfactory)

This is the sense of detecting scents and odours. Some children may be extremely bothered by smells others don’t notice, while others may smell objects or people out of curiosity or comfort.

4. Taste (Gustatory)

Taste processing helps us detect flavours. Picky eating, gagging, or strong preferences for certain tastes (spicy, salty, sweet) may reflect heightened or lowered sensitivity in this sense.

5. Touch (Tactile)

This sense helps us feel textures, temperatures, pain, and pressure. Children may avoid certain fabrics, dislike being touched, or be overly sensitive to water or sand. Others might seek out rough play or deep pressure.

💡 The Hidden Senses (Often Overlooked)

6. Vestibular (Balance and Movement)

Located in the inner ear, the vestibular system helps us with balance, posture, and movement. A child with vestibular challenges may:

  • Get dizzy easily or dislike swings/slides.

  • Struggle with coordination or appear clumsy.

  • Constantly move or seek spinning/jumping.

7. Proprioception (Body Awareness)

This sense tells us where our body parts are in space without looking. It helps with activities like writing, walking, or catching a ball. A child with poor proprioception might:

  • Bump into things or people.

  • Use too much or too little force (slamming doors, breaking pencils).

  • Crave deep pressure, hugs, or rough play.

8. Interoception (Internal Body Signals)

This is the sense of internal body awareness—hunger, thirst, the need to go to the toilet, pain, temperature, or emotions. Children with interoceptive difficulties may:

  • Not know when they’re hungry or full.

  • Struggle with toilet training.

  • Find it hard to identify emotions (like sadness or excitement).

👀 Why This Matters

When a child is overwhelmed or “acting out,” it’s often not about bad behaviour—it’s about sensory overload.

Children aren’t being difficult on purpose. They may be:

  • Avoiding sensory input that feels painful or overwhelming.

  • Seeking sensory input to regulate or stimulate their system.

Once we understand this, we can respond with compassion instead of correction.

🛠️ How to Support Sensory Needs

Here are a few ways to help:

  • Observe, don’t assume. Watch your child for patterns what calms them? What triggers them?

  • Offer choices. Sensory-friendly alternatives (quiet spaces, chewable items, noise-cancelling headphones) empower kids to self-regulate.

  • Use movement breaks. Short breaks for jumping, stretching, or walking can help with focus and regulation.

  • Communicate openly. Help children describe what they feel in their body with visual aids or emotion charts.

  • Work with professionals. An occupational therapist can help identify and support sensory needs.

❤️ Final Thought

Children don’t need to fit into the environment we can adapt the environment to fit them.

Understanding the eight senses allows us to see the full picture. When we create sensory-aware homes and classrooms, we’re not just supporting learning we’re nurturing trust, dignity, and inclusion.

Let’s raise and teach children who are not just surviving but thriving.

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