If a child is struggling to breathe, is floppy or will not wake, or their skin, lips or tongue look blue or grey: call 999 now. Colour changes are harder to see on brown and black skin, so check the palms, soles, lips and tongue. If you are worried but it is not an emergency, call NHS 111. In Northern Ireland use your GP out-of-hours service.

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Sensory differences

What helps, what the evidence supports, and one important UK correction.

The short version

  • You cannot receive a diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder in the UK. A therapist offering one is a warning sign. Sensory differences are still real.
  • There is very limited evidence for sensory interventions designed to improve sleep. Most rest on clinical experience and trial and error.
  • Over-responsive can mean sensitivity to bedsheets, pyjamas or noise. Under-responsive can mean not feeling stimulated enough by day, so not feeling tired at bedtime.
  • Avoiding a sensation can increase sensitivity to it, for example ear muffs used without real cause. Where there is a real cause, protection is appropriate.
  • GPs are usually the professionals who can refer you for occupational therapy. Privately, check the therapist is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.

The rest of this page explains where this comes from. You do not have to read it tonight.

About 2 minutes to read

Sensory differences

Cerebra's free Sensory Processing: A Guide for Parents (2024) is the best UK source. Around 16% of children have elevated reactions to sensory input, rising to around 66% of autistic children and 32% of children with special educational needs who are not autistic.

An important correction

Cerebra states that "there are no formal diagnostic labels or criteria for sensory processing disorders, meaning you cannot receive a formal diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) in the UK", and that "if a therapist is offering a SPD diagnosis, this should be a warning sign". Sensory differences are real and worth addressing. A paid diagnosis of something not diagnosable here is not.

At bedtime, being over-responsive can mean sensitivity to bedsheets, pyjamas or background noise; being under-responsive can mean "not feeling stimulated enough during the day, and therefore not feeling tired by bedtime"; and interoception differences "can cause errors in our interpretation of bodily signals... e.g. when a child is not able to read body clues that indicate they are tired". Cerebra is honest about the evidence, and we will not smooth it over: "There is a very limited evidence-base for sensory interventions specifically designed to improve sleep." Most rest on clinical experience and trial and error.

Avoiding a sensation can increase sensitivity to it

Cerebra: "the more people avoid sensory input, the more they can become sensitive to that stimulus... a child who is given ear muffs to block out noise without real cause may become more sensitive to sound over time". Those last three words matter. Where there is a real cause, protection is appropriate.

Occupational therapy availability varies by area, and Cerebra notes "GPs are usually the professionals who are able to refer you". If you go privately, check the therapist is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.

Where this comes from

Last checked 1 August 2026. This page is general information, not medical advice. If you are worried about your child, speak to your health visitor or GP.