Children’s Services and Adult
Learning Disability Services
Children’s Services and Adult
Discrimination is the ability to tell between one thing and another, for example if something feels bumpy or smooth.
Being able to separate sensory information helps us to understand ourselves and the world around us. For a lot of people, learning how to break down this information comes naturally, but for children with sensory differences effecting their discrimination, this can be very tricky.
A child with sensory discrimination differences might not know how hard to throw a ball, tell you what is in their pocket without looking or mix up words like cap, cat and pack when listening to others.
By engaging in different activities, some children can be supported to start to develop their discrimination skills.
Games such a spot the difference; seeing if they can find all the square items in a room or asking them to spot all the speed limit signs when in the car.
Games like ‘Simon Says’ or ‘Musical Statues’ making and/or holding fun and unusual shapes with their body.
Take it in turns to try and ‘trick’ each other with two words that sound the same. Can they start to tell the difference?
Take turns to close your eyes and reach into a bag of objects. Can they tell you what the items are? Some children may find this a bit scary; you can try showing them the objects first to help reassure them and never use objects they dislike.
Talk to your child about feelings and sensations. Some ideas might be: “I think I’m thirsty, my tongue feels a bit dry” or “I am a bit nervous about [e.g., this ride], my tummy feels like its spinning”.
Difficulties with sensory discrimination can be frustrating, especially as it can make it tricky for someone to understand what they find difficult. Giving children the opportunity to understand different sensory inputs can help them recognise when they need some extra help, before they become overwhelmed.
This service provides post-diagnostic support and on-going management for children and young people with ADHD and their families.
Our Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service supports children and young people aged up to 18 years, who are experiencing significant emotional or mental health difficulties.
The team completes Autism and ADHD assessments for children and young people who are below the age of 18 and have a GP in Hull or the East Riding of Yorkshire.
The Front Door Team is where referrals for Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD) are sent and reviewed.
“Our Senses are the gateway to our world”
