Sensory Processing Difficulties in Children: Support & Next Steps for Kent Parents

A child may find a busy shop difficult because of its lighting, noise, smells or other demands. Similar behaviour can have different causes: record the circumstances and what helps instead of assuming a diagnosis from one example.

If that sounds familiar, you're not alone — and you haven't hit a dead end. You just need to know where to look next.

This guide explains KCHFT’s published sensory processing pathway and questions to ask about occupational therapy. Check the provider’s current eligibility criteria and whether it covers your child’s area.

When your child is overwhelmed: start here

A meltdown can happen when a child is overwhelmed. Quieter distress or withdrawing can also mean they need support. Focus on comfort and safety rather than trying to teach a lesson in the moment.

• Make the surroundings easier. Reduce noise, bright light or people nearby where you can. Offer a familiar quieter place and follow what your child finds comfortable.
• Keep communication light. Reduce questions and explanations. Let your child know you are there, and allow time to recover.
• Plan later, together. When your child is ready, ask or notice what was difficult and what helped. Include their preferences in a plan for next time.

These are general options, not a method that works for every child. Read the NHS explanation of meltdowns and shutdowns.

If distress is new, changing or persistent, speak to your GP or the team supporting your child. Pain, illness, communication difficulties and changes at home or school can also matter; do not assume everything is sensory. NICE explains what professionals should consider. If there is immediate danger or a life-threatening emergency, call 999.

When things are calmer, use the free “what helps my child” paper plan or communication and routine ideas. No purchase is needed to start with these practical changes.

Is "Sensory Processing Disorder" a Real Diagnosis in the UK?

Sensory difficulties can affect daily activities with or without an autism diagnosis. The Royal College of Occupational Therapists advises against using “sensory processing disorder” as a diagnosis: it is not a standalone diagnosis in DSM-5. This does not make a child’s difficulties less important.

Describe what the child finds difficult and its effect on participation. KCHFT’s pathway considers difficulties with everyday activities; a diagnosis alone does not determine eligibility. Read RCOT’s March 2026 guidance.

Signs Your Child May Have Sensory Processing Difficulties

Sensory difficulties aren't always obvious, and they don't always look the way you'd expect. Here's what they can look like in everyday life:

Oversensitivity (the world feels too loud, too bright, too much)

• Covers ears at seemingly normal sounds — the hand dryer in a public toilet, a dog barking, a classroom full of children
• Struggles with certain food textures (gags, refuses whole food groups — not just being fussy)
• Can't bear tags in clothing, seams in socks, or anything tight
• Gets overwhelmed in busy shops, soft play, or school corridors
• Reacts strongly to smells that others barely notice

Undersensitivity (the body doesn't register enough input)

• Constantly bumping into things, falling over, misjudging distances
• Crashing into furniture or other people — not on purpose, just not quite knowing where their body is in space
• Seeking out strong sensory input, such as pushing against objects or active play
• Doesn't register pain, heat, or cold the way other children do
• Seems unaware of personal space

Proprioception difficulties specifically

Proprioception is the sense of body position and movement. Bumping into things or difficulty judging force may be worth discussing with a professional, but these observations alone do not establish their cause.

Meltdowns in busy environments

Noise, crowds or unexpected changes can contribute to overwhelm. A pattern in particular places is worth noting, but does not prove a sensory cause. See the practical steps for supporting an overwhelmed child above.

Difficulty with transitions

Moving from one activity to another can be surprisingly hard for sensory children — particularly if the new environment has different sensory demands.

How to Access Support in Kent

The KCHFT sensory processing pathway has three stages

The current KCHFT pathway asks families to record specific difficulties with everyday activities and what strategies they have tried.

1. Self-help: use the free videos and try strategies for at least three months, recording goals and changes on the family record sheet.
2. Telephone consultation: an education or health professional can refer with the completed family record sheet. If accepted, a 30-minute call with an occupational therapist is for the parent or carer, without the child. The child is discharged after this consultation.
3. Further intervention: after another three months trying the recommendations, a parent or professional can make a new referral with the required records. If accepted, this may include up to four face-to-face sessions involving the child.

KCHFT does not offer sensory integration therapy through this pathway. Difficulties solely about restricted eating are excluded; its page links to separate fussy-eating resources. Ask the service which route fits your child’s needs.

Waiting times and private assessments

We do not have a verified current waiting-time estimate for this pathway. Ask KCHFT about your referral’s status and what support is available while waiting. For private OT, check HCPC registration and get a written quote explaining the assessment, report, follow-up and intended purpose. Paying privately does not establish NHS eligibility or a particular result.

What Will an Occupational Therapist Actually Do?

An occupational therapist considers how difficulties affect daily activities and participation. The assessment may include discussion, observation and questionnaires; its format depends on the child’s needs and the service.

An occupational therapist assessing sensory needs will typically:

Look at the whole picture

They're not just interested in one behaviour in isolation. They want to understand how your child functions at home, at school, in different environments. What does mornings look like? How do they manage in the dining hall? Do they resist PE or seek it out?

Create a sensory profile

A sensory profile describes reported or observed responses in different situations. It helps frame goals and strategies; a questionnaire on its own does not establish a diagnosis or a single neurological cause.

Develop a "sensory diet"

A “sensory diet” means a proposed plan of activities, not a food diet. Ask what daily activity each strategy is intended to help, what evidence supports it, and how its benefit and any distress will be reviewed. It should be adapted or stopped if it is not helping.

Provide strategies for home and school

The OT report should include practical recommendations — not vague advice, but specific strategies. If the school implements them, they need to be in writing; the OT report provides that.

Using OT Evidence to Build an EHCP Case

If sensory difficulties affect education, an OT report can document their impact and proposed support for an EHC needs assessment or plan. Explain specific daily activities, barriers, goals and the support already tried.

Questions to discuss with the assessor include:

If you're at the start of the EHCP journey in Kent, our Kent EHCP application guide walks through the process step by step. And if your child is also autistic, you may find our DLA guide for autistic children useful alongside this.

Kent-Specific Resources

• Information, Advice and Support Kent (IASK): free, impartial SEND information and advice. Visit IASK.
• KCHFT Sensory Processing Pathway: read the three stages, eligibility and required family records before referral.
• NIHR SenITA trial: journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hta/TQGE0020 — UK evidence on sensory integration therapy versus usual care
• IPSEA: ipsea.org.uk — free legal advice on SEND rights

Frequently Asked Questions

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SENDPath provides editorial information, not individual medical or legal advice. For clinical concerns, speak to your child’s healthcare team. Source correction, 22 September 2026: updated the KCHFT pathway to its three published stages and removed unsupported waiting-time, age and outcome claims. A further practical section adds current NHS/NICE-based overload support and replaces the simplistic “circuit breaker” explanation. This is AI-assisted editorial work, not qualified clinical review.