The Eight Senses Explained: What Every Parent Should Know
Most of us grew up learning five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. But your child's body is actually working with eight. The three that rarely get a mention are the vestibular sense (balance and movement), proprioception (body awareness) and interoception (what's happening inside the body). Once you know about all eight, so much of the “why does my child do that?” behaviour starts to make sense. Here's a plain-English guide to each one, what sensory seeking and avoiding can look like, and simple tools that help at home.
Why the couch keeps getting crashed on
- 1Jumping and landing gives the vestibular sense the movement it's looking for
- 2Sinking into memory foam gives proprioception the deep pressure it loves
- 3A soft, squishy surface gives the tactile sense something to explore
The Giant Crash Mat Pillow gives all that big energy a safe place to land.
What are the 8 senses? The five you know, plus three hidden senses that tell us about movement, body position and what's going on inside us. Tap any sense to jump to it.
- 1Sight (visual): light, colour and movement
- 2Hearing (auditory): sound and where it's coming from
- 3Touch (tactile): texture, temperature and pressure
- 4Taste (gustatory): flavour and the feel of food
- 5Smell (olfactory): scents, closely tied to memory
- 6Vestibular: balance and movement
- 7Proprioception: body awareness and force
- 8Interoception: hunger, thirst, toilet and feelings
The dark circles are the three “hidden” senses most of us never learnt about at school.
"When I first learnt about proprioception and interoception, it was a real lightbulb moment, both as a psychology teacher and as a mum. The crashing into the couch, the 'I'm not hungry' right before a meltdown. It wasn't naughtiness. It was a body asking for something."
"You don't need to be an expert in all eight senses. You just need to get curious about what your child is seeking or avoiding, and then give them a safe, simple way to get it."
Sarah James, founder of The Sensory Specialist, former psychology teacher and mum of two
Sensory seeking and sensory avoiding: what it looks like
Every child takes in sensory information a little differently. Some kids need more input from a particular sense to feel settled. That's what we call sensory seeking behaviour: jumping, spinning, chewing, touching everything or turning the volume right up. Other kids find the same input too much, so they avoid it by covering their ears, refusing certain foods or pulling away from touch.
Most kids are a mix of both. Your child might seek movement but avoid loud noise, or love a big bear hug but can't stand the tag in their t-shirt. Sensory seeking and avoiding are common in autistic kids and kids with ADHD, but plenty of children without a diagnosis have strong sensory needs too. There's no right or wrong sensory profile. The goal is to notice what your child needs and give them safe ways to meet it.
The five you learnt at school
1. Sight (the visual sense)
Our visual sense takes in light, colour, movement and detail, and helps us make sense of the space around us.
Staring at spinning objects or lights, flicking fingers in front of their eyes, drawn to bright colours and screens.
Squinting in bright light, overwhelmed by busy or cluttered rooms, prefers dim, quiet spaces.
For kids who find busy, unpredictable days hard, a visual cue can make things feel more manageable. And for kids who are sensitive to light, a darker room can make winding down easier.
Magnetic Countdown Timer
A red disk shrinks as time runs down, so kids can see how much time is left without reading a clock. Handy for screen time, getting ready for school and “five more minutes”.
Shop the timer
EasyNight Blackout Blind
A portable blackout blind that blocks out light at home or while travelling. A darker, simpler room is a great base for rest and quiet time.
Shop blackout blinds2. Hearing (the auditory sense)
Our auditory sense picks up sound, works out where it's coming from and helps us decide which sounds to tune into and which to tune out.
Loves loud music, makes repetitive noises, hums or talks to themselves, bangs and taps objects.
Covers their ears, gets upset by hand dryers, sirens, blenders or crowds, finds noisy places exhausting.
Kids Noise Reducing Earmuffs
For kids who find loud places too much. They soften background noise at the footy, concerts, fireworks, shopping centres and school events, so big outings feel more manageable.
- 28dB noise reduction rating
- Adjustable arms to grow with your child (ages 3 to early teens)
- Folds into a zip-up case that lives in the school bag or car
3. Touch (the tactile sense)
Our skin is packed with receptors that tell us about texture, temperature, pressure and pain. It's one of the first senses to develop, and one of the most powerful.
Touches everything, loves messy play, always fiddling with something, rubs soft fabrics or hair.
Refuses certain fabrics, cuts out clothing tags, hates hair brushing or teeth cleaning, pulls away from unexpected touch.
Touch seekers do best when their hands have something to do. For touch-avoiders, let your child lead and introduce new textures slowly, with no pressure.
Emotional Regulation Fidget Kit
Fourteen different fidgets in one kit, from squishy and mesh stress balls to a bendy monkey, marble fidgets and a rainbow slinky. A great way to find out which textures your child loves.
Shop the fidget kit
The Mooshy Mat™
Soft, cushioned and supportive underfoot and under bodies. Our 35mm memory foam floor mat makes sensory floor play, sitting and lying down more comfortable for the whole family.
Shop the Mooshy Mat4. Taste (the gustatory sense)
Taste works closely with smell, and with the feel of food in the mouth. Many kids who chew everything aren't really after flavour at all. They're looking for the strong feedback that comes from biting and chewing, which is known as oral sensory seeking.
Loves crunchy, sour or spicy food, chews sleeves, collars, pencils and toys.
A short list of “safe” foods, gags at certain textures, won't let foods touch on the plate.
A chew necklace or pencil topper gives chewers something safe that's always within reach. Our sensory chew collection has options from soft to firm. If mealtimes are a battle, our post on making mealtime fun for kids has some easy ideas to try.
Dinosaur Chew Necklace
A medium-strength, food-grade silicone chew from Jellystone Designs. It hangs on a necklace with a breakaway safety clasp, so it's there whenever the urge to chew strikes, instead of a shirt collar.
Shop chew necklace
Silicone Pencil Chew Toppers (3 pack)
For the kids who chew pencils down to the lead. These slip onto the end of a pencil, so homework and classwork come with a safe chew built in.
Shop pencil toppers5. Smell (the olfactory sense)
Smell is closely linked to memory and emotion, which is why the smell of a favourite blanket or grandma's cooking can feel so comforting.
Sniffs food, people or objects, drawn to strong smells, loves smelly markers and scented playdough.
Reacts strongly to perfume, cleaning products or cooking smells, refuses to go into certain rooms or bathrooms.
A gentle, familiar scent can become a lovely cue in your daily routine. A few sprays of Dream Aromatherapy Sleep Spray ($24.95), a blend of lavender, vetiver and roman chamomile, can become part of your bedtime ritual, a signal that the day is winding down. For kids who are sensitive to smell, keep scents very light and let them choose.
The three senses most of us never learnt about
These are the senses that often explain the behaviour that leaves parents scratching their heads. If your child is a “crasher”, a “spinner” or a “sudden meltdown out of nowhere” kid, start here.
6. The vestibular sense (balance and movement)
The vestibular system lives in the inner ear. It tells us which way is up, how fast we're moving and in which direction, and it helps us keep our balance. Every time your child swings, spins, rocks or hangs upside down, they're feeding their vestibular sense.
Constant spinning, rocking, swinging or jumping, tipping back on chairs, never seems to sit still.
Fearful of swings, slides or escalators, gets carsick easily, dislikes having their feet off the ground.
For movement seekers, telling them to “sit still” rarely works. Giving them a way to move while they sit often does. Active seating lets kids wriggle, rock and shift their weight quietly during homework, meals and screen time.
Wobble Sensory Cushion
An air-filled cushion that sits on any dining chair, desk chair or the floor. Kids can wiggle and rock in place without leaving their seat.
Shop wobble cushion
Height-Adjustable Wobble Stool
For the chair-rockers. The curved base rocks and tilts, so kids can move while they stay seated at the desk or kitchen bench. It adjusts as they grow.
Shop wobble stool7. Proprioception (body awareness)
What is proprioception? It's the sense that comes from receptors in our muscles and joints. It tells us where our body is without having to look, and how much force we're using. It's how you can touch your nose with your eyes closed, or crack an egg without crushing it.
Crashes into furniture and people, loves rough play, stomps, hugs too hard, always asks to be squeezed or sat on.
Seems clumsy, bumps into things, presses too hard or too lightly with a pencil, tires quickly with physical tasks.
Proprioceptive seeking is very common in autistic kids and kids with ADHD. The good news is that proprioceptive input is easy to give at home. Deep pressure (big hugs, being wrapped up, sinking into something squishy) and heavy work (pushing, pulling, carrying and jumping) are the go-to activities OTs use for kids who crave this sense. Many families find these become a calming part of the day.
Giant Crash Mat Pillow
Made for the kids who crash, jump and flop on everything. Filled with shredded high-density memory foam, it gives a deep, supportive hold around the body, then doubles as a cosy spot to settle afterwards.
- Huge 110cm × 110cm size, big enough for full-body crashing
- Safe proprioceptive and vestibular input at home
- Saves the couch (and your nerves)
Home crash corner idea, about $439: lay the Mooshy Mat down as a soft, cushioned base for floor play, then put the Giant Crash Mat Pillow on top for crashing. You've got a dedicated space for big bodies that isn't your lounge.
Cosy Cloud Chair
An oversized seat filled with shredded memory foam that moulds around you, like being wrapped in a hug. A favourite retreat for kids (and adults) who love deep pressure.
Shop Cosy Cloud Chair
Sensory Compression Sheet
A stretchy sheet that fits over the mattress and gives a snug, tucked-in feeling of deep pressure. Perfect for kids who kick off blankets or ask to be squeezed at bedtime.
Shop compression sheet8. Interoception (what's happening inside the body)
Interoception is the sense that tells us what's going on inside: hunger, thirst, needing the toilet, feeling hot or cold, tiredness, pain and even emotions. A racing heart, butterflies in the tummy or hot cheeks are all interoceptive signals.
Doesn't notice signals until they're very strong. “I'm not hungry”, then a meltdown. Toilet accidents. Doesn't seem to feel the cold.
Feels signals very intensely, so a small tummy ache, a scratchy throat or a few nerves can feel overwhelming.
Interoception and autism: research suggests many autistic people, and many people with ADHD, experience interoception differently. That can make it harder to notice hunger, thirst or rising feelings early, and easier for everything to arrive at once. It's not a behaviour problem, it's a body signal that's hard to read.
The best place to start is helping kids put body signals into words. Try regular, low-pressure check-ins like “how does your tummy feel?” or “are your hands hot or cold?” and name what you notice in yourself too (“my tummy is rumbling, I think I'm hungry”).
Emotions Magnets (20 piece set)
Twenty illustrated feelings on soft foam magnets. Pop them on the fridge so your child can point to how they feel when the words are hard to find.
Shop emotions magnets
Tip: set body check-in reminders
If your child doesn't notice hunger or the need for the toilet, don't wait for the signal. Build snacks, water and toilet breaks into the routine, and use a visual timer as the reminder.
See the visual timerPutting it all together: where to start
You don't need to tackle all eight senses at once. Start with the moments that are hardest in your house.
Notice the tricky moment. Is it dinner time, the school pick-up, bedtime or the shops?
Ask which sense might be involved. Is the wriggling at dinner a movement need? Is the after-school meltdown about noise, or hunger they didn't notice?
Offer a safe swap. Crashing into the couch becomes crashing onto a crash mat. Chewing a collar becomes chewing a necklace. Covering ears becomes earmuffs.
Get support if you need it. If sensory needs are getting in the way of everyday life, an occupational therapist can assess your child's sensory profile and build a plan that works for your family.
For more on helping kids manage big feelings, read our guide to emotional regulation for kids.
Using NDIS funding? Many of our sensory tools may be claimable depending on your plan, goals and budget. Check with your allied healthcare providers or plan manager for more information. The Sensory Specialist is a registered NDIS provider (Reg. 4-JWHBZTC), and you can find out more on our NDIS support page.
"Our kinder loves it! The Huge Mat is actually huge. And so soft. It's made a great addition to our reading corner at kinder. The kids love it and it helps create a calming atmosphere."
Bentleigh West Kindergarten, on The Mooshy Mat
The 8 senses: frequently asked questions
What are the 8 senses?
The eight senses are sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, vestibular (balance and movement), proprioception (body awareness) and interoception (internal body signals like hunger, thirst, needing the toilet and emotions). The last three are often called the “hidden senses” because most of us never learnt about them at school.
What is proprioception in kids?
Proprioception is the sense that tells your child where their body is and how much force they're using, through receptors in the muscles and joints. Kids who seek proprioceptive input often crash, jump, stomp, hug tightly or love rough play. Deep pressure and heavy work, like pushing, pulling, carrying and jumping, are simple ways to give them that input safely.
What is interoception?
Interoception is the sense of what's happening inside the body, including hunger, thirst, needing the toilet, temperature, tiredness, pain and emotions. Some children don't notice these signals until they're very strong, while others feel them very intensely.
What's the difference between interoception and proprioception?
Proprioception tells us about the outside of the body: where our arms and legs are and how hard we're pushing. Interoception tells us about the inside: hunger, thirst, heart rate, needing the toilet and how we're feeling.
What is sensory seeking behaviour?
Sensory seeking behaviour is when a child looks for extra input from one or more senses, for example spinning, jumping, crashing, chewing, touching everything or making loud noises. It's their body's way of getting the input it needs to feel settled. Most kids seek some senses and avoid others.
Is sensory seeking a sign of autism or ADHD?
Sensory seeking and avoiding are common in autistic children and children with ADHD, but many children without a diagnosis have strong sensory preferences too. Sensory behaviour on its own isn't a diagnosis. If you have concerns, talk to your GP, paediatrician or an occupational therapist.
What is oral sensory seeking?
Oral sensory seeking is when a child looks for strong input through their mouth, such as chewing sleeves, collars, pencils and toys, or preferring crunchy, sour or spicy foods. A chew necklace or pencil chew topper gives them a safe alternative that's always within reach.
Support every one of the 8 senses
Explore our curated range of sensory tools for movement, deep pressure, sound, touch and more, chosen by a mum and former teacher.