This page aims to inform parents and carers of children and young people about Derbyshire's Local Offer to meet the needs of those with sensory processing needs.
What is sensory processing?
Our brain receives information from all 8 of our senses including our sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste, interoception (messages from our internal bodily systems that keep us alive and well), proprioception (using our muscles to understand where our body is in space), and vestibular (the sense of how the body moves against gravity).
Learning how to process information from our senses, can be challenging for all of us at times, but more challenging for some children. Some children may be oversensitive and/or under-responsive to the information they get from their senses.
What difference does it make?
When a child or young person is over and/or under-responsive to the information from their senses, this may affect their behaviour, their learning, their emotional response and social interaction.
Sometimes it helps us to understand why a child behaves, learns or responds by considering their sensory processing. It can help to understand why a child reacts to certain things (e.g. sensitivity to clothing).
These responses are often seen in children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attachment Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, wider ND conditions, and early childhood experiences such as extreme prematurity and trauma.
Is there a name for this?
The American Academy of Paediatrics (2012) does not classify sensory processing difficulties as a distinct medical diagnosis and does not recognise it as a stand-alone disorder. They recommend that the term "Sensory Processing Disorder" should NOT be given as a diagnosis.
Derbyshire Local Area (health, education and social care professionals) accept these recommendations and will use the term "Sensory Processing Needs (SPN)".
How can we support children and young people with SPN in Derbyshire?
There is no specific "treatment/cure" for sensory processing needs. Sensory processing needs can impact upon the daily lives of children and young people in different ways, so it is important to consider 3 things:
- the child/young person,
- he environment and
- the task they are trying to do.
A number of different approaches have been developed by professionals which aim to help children who experience sensory processing difficulties.
In Derbyshire we have developed a graduated approach to support for children and young people, based on best practice and available evidence from health, education and social care professionals.
This includes front line practitioners (early years, nursery and school staff) working with families to identify and address sensory processing needs at home and in the classroom using the "Derbyshire Sensory Processing Needs Toolkit" at an early stage. Additional support can also be drawn from "sensory champions" in specialist services across Education, Health and Social Care services.
Another approach, known as Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy (ASI) is also sometimes quoted, however there is currently limited evidence to show this is effective. The Royal College of Occupational Therapists states that Sensory Integration Therapy "A recent high-quality randomised controlled trial involving UK participants (Randell et al 2022) showed that ASI wasn’t significantly better than other approaches at improving autistic children’s behaviour and everyday functioning." (College of Occupational Therapists, 2026, p.2). This approach is therefore not supported or delivered in Derbyshire.
The graduated approach we take in Derbyshire will be reviewed regularly, as further research and evidence becomes available.
It has been agreed and supported by the Derbyshire SEND Local Area, including:
- Derbyshire Parent Carer Forum (Derbyshire Parent Carer Voice (DPCV))
- NHS Occupational Therapy
- NHS Clinical Psychology
- 0-19yrs Public Health Nurses
- Early Years Specialist Educational Needs (EYSEN) teams
- Inclusion Support Advisory Service (ISAS)
- Educational Psychology
- Autism Services
- Social Care