Tactile Defensiveness... So THAT'S Why He Acts That Way!

bare feet touching grass or sand

Many children with tactile defensiveness will only use their fingertips (if they even DO touch certain things) when playing with sand, glue, paint, play-doh, food, glitter etc. Consequently, their play is limited and so is their ability to engage in learning experiences.

Children may become fearful, avoid activities, withdraw, or act out as their body responds with a "fight-or-flight" response.

Why does this happen? It's all about the way in which one's nervous system interprets touch sensations and stimulation. I suspect you too would react with a "fight back" or "flee" response if any of the above listed items to YOU felt like sandpaper rubbing against your skin or 10 spiders crawling up your arm that you can't get off.

It is not their fault! It is absolutely 100% about the WAY in which their nervous system interprets a tactile stimulus! Please don't blame them or punish them... be proactive and help them get the treatment and accommodations they need!

(Note: It is not uncommon for a child with tactile defensiveness to become aggressive towards other children if they are touched or bumped into at school. Be aware of this type of reaction and be proactive by putting them in the front or end of a line, for example).

To date, the best two treatments available to help decrease tactile defensiveness are The Wilbarger Brushing Protocol and the use of deep pressure/weighted products (links to both are provided below).

A child with tactile defensiveness needs to be in OT! They need to have the underlying sensory defensiveness addressed in order to achieve the proper developmental milestones and social interactions necessary. It will not go away on it's own! If you need "proof", read Karen's Story. (By the way, Karen just started OT including the brushing protocol; her defensiveness is finally beginning to subside!)

Coupled with OT, a good sensory diet and home program will help. You will find some ideas for activities/games/products to use and "how" to use them below.

It is our goal to introduce tactile experiences slowly and gradually as the child is ready to experience them, so this defensive/aversive reaction is avoided!

A child with tactile defensiveness should never be forced to touch anything they do not want to, as this will cause further apprehension and avoidance.

It is up to us to encourage, explain, understand and communicate with the child as we attempt to introduce touch sensations to them in a safe and non-threatening way.

Suggestions For Tactile Experiences & Input (or accommodations):

"Glop"... which is homemade with cornstarch and water

Check Out A Huge List Of Play Doh Recipes; A Fun Way To "Treat" Tactile Defensiveness!

After he begins to feel safe, slowly encourage him to try other fun ways which you model... splatting it, poking, pulling, rolling etc. Eventually encourage the use of the whole hand (including palm).

Recommended Products For "Messy Play"

(Simply click on any of the products to find out more)

Squish it, mold it, shape it!! The texture is unique. Great for kids you are trying to get to tolerate the feel of different play items and explore different textures. Never dries out. Cleans up easily does not stick or stain. Floats in water!

Squish it, shape it, save it, or smoosh it and start all over again! You've got hours of creative fun on your hands! Unlike others, this lightweight, colorful foam sculpting material won't crumble, and it won't stick to skin or surfaces. And it never dries out, so you can use it over and over and over again! This set include 6 PlayFoam bricks in six vibrant colors and an idea sheet.

Make your own slime! This fun and entertaining kit includes powder to make red, green, blue, yellow, orange and clear-colored slime in any thickness. Just add water to create the most ooey, gooey slime imaginable. GobbledyGoop is safe and non-toxic -- it's the only slime that doesn't require Borax or other additional chemicals.

Pick your colors - they are endless! This Play-Doh Case of Colors includes 10 cans of Play-Doh and has limitless possibilities for creative, colorful fun. Includes ten 2 oz. cans of modeling compound.

Need fun games and toys that provide good tactile input? 
Search for them here! 

Have Any Insights About Tactile Defensiveness?

Do you have a story or experience about dealing with tactile issues you would like to share with the readers of Sensory-Processing-Disorder.com?

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Tactile hypersensitivity 
I have a 20 month old son who has always "over-reacted" to things. Recently however, bath time has become a nightmare! He used to love taking baths, but ...

Grandaughter, age 8 - HELP 
My granddaughter started showing signs of tactile defensiveness as a toddler, especially the socks issue. But we didn't know what we were dealing with....

Mother 
My daughter is 10 and we have been battling severe clothing issues for years now,This year she wears Lands Ends Adult swim suit cover up with a tee shirt ...

Waking my "Tactile Defensiveness" child 
My daughter has trouble waking up in the morning. She does not want to wake up. I've read it takes these SI kiddos longer to get all their senses in ...

Sudden onset of clothing aversion 
My five-year-old son has always shown some subtle signs of SPD, such as a very high energy level & craving for hard sensory input (pouncing on the sofa,...

Grown Up Now!!!! 
My daughter was born with this disorder. It did not affect her brain at all. She is a great college student but socially it has its drawbacks. She went ...

Tactile dysfunction 
My son is 5 years old and does not like to wear underwear, only wears jogging pants that are cut on both sides and won't wear socks. Help!!! We don't ...

Help for Sloberers and Lickers 
I work with special ed children in a Life Skill classroom. We have a young lady in our class who is both deaf and legally blind. She has seem to get out ...

Tactile defensiveness in adults 
For years I have had an extreme sensitivity to certain carpets, upholstered furniture, and certain cloth material. I become, for lack of a better description,...

Tactile Defensiveness 
I feel like my 6 yr old son may have tactile defensiveness. I have been dealing with this for over a year and it is very frustrating for both my son and ...

Getting dressed a little easier. 
I have found one technique that tends to help my little 5 year old get dressed in the morning.

Nothing feels right to him, socks, tags, pants, especially ...

OCD and Tactile Sensory Disorder 
My 9 year old dislikes all clothing but will wear dresses. I recently read articles about Strep infections and possible links to inflammation of the brain ...

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My 7 year old son has always fought putting on socks, shoes, and clothes that have tags or are too tight, especially underwear, which we discovered recently ...

Getting A Haircut If Tactile Defensive 
I have a family asking for any suggestions to help them trim/cut their 4 y/o son's hair without having to physically hold him down and have him get so ...

Getting My Tactile Defensive Daughter To Wear Long Sleeves 
Hello,
My 2.5-year-old daughter was recently diagnosed with SPD, and seems to mainly be oversensitive to touch and sound. We live in the Chicago area ...

Can't Stand The Feeling Of Paper While Writing (Or Dry Materials) 
I am working with a child who is so sensitive to the feel of paper or anything like it with a "dry feel", he says. He uses a transparency paper to put ...

Comfortable underwear 
Any suggestions? My son cannot tolerate the elastic in his underwear.

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Often, our SPD kiddos can ...

Untreated  Not rated yet
I was diagnosed with Tactile Defensiveness as a baby, but my mother never sought treatment. As a child I was very tidy with my things, strategically taking ...

Tactile Defensiveness In a Young Adult  Not rated yet
I am a 19 year old male with (what I believe to be) Tactile Defensiveness. I never even knew there was something wrong until my early teens, and never ...

Mrs Jooste  Not rated yet
Hi, I only found out in the last week that what I have been dredding my entire life is called Tactile Defensiveness. I am a 32 year old and I can still ...

my story  Not rated yet
Well, ever since I was little I have been tactile defensive. Im 14 now and still, some things bother me. Others I've had to learn to deal with, but some ...

Daughter, 6, a month of OT so far, but going great!  Not rated yet
She is afraid of anything "messy" and is extremely picky about foods - she wants "perfect" food - no little dark pieces, no small spice showing on cheese ...

What clothing is best for a 4 yr old that has Tactile Defensiveness?  Not rated yet
My 4 yr old son was just diagnosed with APD and refuses to wear clothing once he gets home from school. We normally indulge this when we don't have company ...

rachael's story ( Adult )  Not rated yet
Touch is threatening to me and it hurts unless it's deep pressure only. Adhd as well in childhood with Petimal epilepsy. Still spd today. Prefers no shoes ...

Tactile defensiveness  Not rated yet
Hi,

My Son does not like to wear shoes at all. He is in 1st grade. He wears sock inside out because he does not like to feel the seams of the sock....

Bath tub nightmare  Not rated yet
My son around the age of three, started showing signs of tactile defensiveness, when I placed him in the bath, he would scream as if I was stabbing him....

OT @ 39  Not rated yet
My tactile issues are opposite of those with tactile-defensivness. My skin is unresponsive to touch unless it is deep pressure. I do not feel when the ...

Adult with Tactile Defensiveness  Not rated yet
How can one modify the Wilbarger Protocol so an adult can do this themselves? I have had two college students seeking information on how they can work ...

"Dry Feel"  Not rated yet
How do you desensitize "Dry Feel"?

I wrote to you earlier asking about this! I am a Behavior Analyst working with him. How can I find him an OT who ...

Is This Tactile Defensiveness? How Do We Help Her?  Not rated yet
I'm very, very new to this whole SPD thing. But looking over the checklist (which I haven't finished yet), my 7 year old daughter is described perfectly!...

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