Touch sensitivity, also known as tactile defensiveness, can cause significant discomfort with everyday activities, which can lead to chronic dysregulation. Touch is everywhere! So it’s very important that our tactile system be able to react appropriately to varied tactile inputs, or different touch sensations.
When a child is “hyper-reactive” or hyper-sensitive to touch, these sensations can actually trigger pain perceptions in the brain, despite the actual touch stimulus not being harmful or painful for the typical person. Even minor touch sensitivities build up throughout the day and trigger a “fight/flight/freeze” within the child’s nervous system, leading to dysregulation and discomfort. Oftentimes, frequent seeking of deep pressure is a sign that your child experiences hyper-sensitivity to light touch stimuli.
Here are some signs of touch sensitivity:
- Discomfort with clothing textures, brushing hair/teeth, or washing hands
- Picky eater, particularly when avoiding certain textures
- May seek out deep pressure (e.g., crashing their body, pushing their body roughly into caregivers, wanting heavy objects placed on top of them)
- Discomfort with shoes and/or socks
- Dislikes hugs or affectionate touch, unless initiated by the child
- Avoid messy play and getting their hands dirty
You may see signs like a facial grimace, physical recoil, avoidance of activities or scenarios, and stress responses (e.g., crying, yelling, aggression) when a child’s tactile system is sensitive and triggered by a touch sensation. Many children that are sensitive to touch will seek out deep pressure input through pushing on others, crashing their body into walls or the ground, and/or prefer tight clothing in order to soothe their more sensitive “light touch” pathway in the tactile system.
For more information about the tactile system, visit the Brain Waves resource page What is the Tactile System?
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