Sometimes as people who serve in children’s ministry we might encounter this: Children who are very sensitive to their world.
- Lights are often too bright.
- Sounds are often too loud.
- Even the slightest hints of perfumes or cleaning chemicals or scented candles or even, children’s markers are too smelly.
- Wall art and floor displays and simple touches are too much.
These are children whose world is overwhelming. They have sensory overload 24/7. This makes it hard to focus. Hard to concentrate.
You know when an annoying noise like a car alarm is beeping loudly for a while, or when you are in a dark room and someone suddenly turns on a bright light, or when someone left the garbage open in the hot air too long — those things can make you crazy, can’t they? Well, some children experience every-day normal sights, sounds, smells, and touches just like that. Even just ONE of these things would be enough to put you in a bad mood or make you nervous, right?
Any one of these sensory overloads can cause a child to have difficult behavior. You may see:
- meltdowns,
- major irritations,
- hitting,
- biting,
- hands over the ears,
- complaints about smells, or
- maybe just a lack of focus or cooperation,
and it could all be due to sensory overload.
It is not their fault. They do not want to struggle this way.
So….what can we do?
Try these ideas:
- Dim the lights if possible.
- Keep the visual stimuli to a minimum if possible
- Keep noise reduction headphones available and offer them to a child
- Keep physical touch to a minimum
- Consider asking others to not wear perfume or cologne/aftershave
- Do not burn scented candles or use scented air freshener
The struggle is real. They are not making it up. They need your support and kind consideration and lots and lots of patience.
Tom and Julie Meekins
