Raising a child in India is a journey shaped by strong family bonds, deep-rooted traditions, and collective values. When that journey includes a child who thinks, learns, or experiences the world differently, it becomes a path of profound awareness and growth. Neurodiversity invites us to look beyond labels and expectations and instead focus on understanding the unique inner world of our children.
This guide is written for Indian families seeking clarity, reassurance, and practical direction. Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is often misunderstood, misjudged, or dismissed as behavior issues. We aim to reframe the narrative—not as something broken that needs fixing, but as a different neurological experience that needs understanding, accommodation, and advocacy. With the right perspective and tools, families can move from confusion and fear toward confidence, acceptance, and empowerment.
What Is Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)? A Clear Guide for Indian Parents
At the core of our daily experiences are the senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, movement, and body awareness. For most people, the brain processes sensory information automatically and efficiently. For some children, however, this process does not work smoothly.
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a neurological condition in which the brain has difficulty receiving, organizing, and responding appropriately to sensory input. In Hindi, sensory processing can be understood as संवेदक प्रक्रमण (Samvedak Prakraman)—the brain’s system for interpreting signals from the body and environment.
SPD can exist on its own. While it is commonly seen alongside Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, or learning differences, it can also be present in children who are otherwise neurotypical. Recognizing this distinction helps families move away from fear-based assumptions and toward informed understanding.
Understanding Your Child’s Inner World: The Brain as a Traffic Controller
A helpful way to understand SPD is to imagine the brain as a traffic control center. In a typical brain, sensory information flows like well-managed traffic—signals are filtered, prioritized, and directed smoothly. In a child with SPD, this system can become overwhelmed or under-responsive.
Sensory signals may arrive too loudly, too intensely, or not strongly enough. This results in reactions that may seem confusing, extreme, or inappropriate to others. Importantly, these reactions are not choices. They are neurological responses to sensory overload or deprivation.
When we understand this, we stop asking, “Why is my child behaving this way?” and start asking, “What is my child’s nervous system trying to tell me?”
The Two Sides of Sensory Processing: Hypersensitivity and Hyposensitivity
SPD generally presents in two patterns, and many children experience a combination of both across different senses.
Hypersensitivity: When the World Feels Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Much
Children with sensory over-responsivity experience sensory input more intensely than others. Everyday sensations can feel uncomfortable, distressing, or even painful.
In an Indian household and community, hypersensitivity often appears as:
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Aversion to Loud Sounds
The whistle of a pressure cooker, temple bells during aarti, wedding DJs, traffic horns, or crowded markets can feel overwhelming. What seems like normal background noise to us may feel like a sensory assault to the child. -
Picky or Restricted Eating
This is not stubbornness. A child may gag at the slimy texture of bhindi, refuse mixed foods like dal-chawal, or reject foods based on smell rather than taste. -
Avoidance of Touch
Hair oiling, tight festival clothes, bangles, or even affectionate hugs from relatives can feel intrusive or painful. -
Overwhelm at Social Functions
Weddings, birthday parties, and family gatherings combine noise, lights, crowds, and smells. Sensory overload may trigger crying, shutdowns, or meltdowns.
These responses are signs of distress, not misbehaviour.
Hyposensitivity: When the Body Craves More Sensory Input
Children with sensory under-responsivity experience sensory input less intensely and often seek stronger sensations to feel regulated.
Common signs include:
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High Pain Threshold
A child may fall, get hurt, and show little reaction. This is not bravery—it is delayed sensory registration. -
Constant Movement and Crashing
Running into furniture, jumping excessively, or bumping into people provides the deep pressure input their nervous system seeks. -
Oral and Tactile Seeking
Chewing on pencils, shirt collars, or non-food items, and seeking tight hugs or squeezes, helps regulate their body.
These behaviours are self-regulation strategies, not attention-seeking acts.
Beyond “Ziddi” and “Badtameez”: Reframing Behaviour as Communication
In Indian culture, sensory-driven behaviors are often misunderstood. A child who screams in a mall or refuses traditional clothing may be labeled “ziddi” (stubborn) or “badtameez” (ill-mannered). This misunderstanding is deeply harmful.
Sensory meltdowns are not tantrums. They are neurological responses to overwhelming stress. When we punish or scold a child during sensory overload, we intensify their distress and reinforce fear.
Social pressure—“log kya kahenge?”—often forces parents into apologizing, disciplining, or withdrawing from social situations. This creates a cycle of shame, isolation, and burnout.
Breaking this cycle begins with advocacy. Instead of apologizing, parents can explain:
“He isn’t being rude. The noise and crowd are overwhelming for him. We need a quiet space for a few minutes.”
This simple shift reframes the situation from discipline to accommodation and educates others in the process.
A Parent’s Toolkit: Professional Support and Home Strategies
Occupational Therapy and Sensory Integration
The primary professional support for SPD is an Occupational Therapist (OT) trained in sensory integration. Therapy focuses on helping the nervous system process sensory input more efficiently—not changing who the child is.
Sessions are play-based and may include swinging, climbing, tactile play, deep pressure activities, and balance work. Progress is gradual and meaningful.
Creating a Sensory Diet for Daily Regulation
An OT may design a sensory diet, which is a personalized daily plan of activities that provide the sensory input a child needs to stay regulated.
A sensory diet may include:
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Jumping, skipping, or yoga
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Carrying groceries or pushing heavy objects
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Playing with dough, sand, or rice
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Quiet breaks with dim lights or weighted blankets
These activities help prevent meltdowns rather than reacting to them after they occur.
Building a Calm, Supportive Home Environment
At home, small adjustments make a big difference:
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Create a quiet corner for regulation
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Maintain predictable routines
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Offer choices to increase control
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Prepare the child before transitions
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Reduce unnecessary sensory clutter
Consistency and predictability help the nervous system feel safe.
Conclusion: From Awareness to Empowerment
Sensory Processing Disorder is not a limitation—it is a difference. When we understand our child’s sensory world, we replace judgment with empathy and fear with confidence. In the Indian context, where community opinions are powerful, informed parents become powerful advocates.
This journey is not about fixing a child. It is about supporting a nervous system, honoring individuality, and creating environments where neurodivergent children can thrive. With knowledge, professional support, and compassionate parenting, families can move beyond survival toward empowerment, resilience, and hope.