As occupational therapy professionals, we see firsthand how tightly woven sensory processing, executive functioning, and emotional regulation are in a child’s daily life. While each of these systems has its own role, they don’t operate in isolation. Instead, they constantly interact, either supporting or interfering with one another depending on the child’s sensory experience and environment.
Here are some helpful resources to support your understanding and practice:
- Emotional Regulation and Executive Function
- Sensory Processing Disorder Checklist
- Lion and Lamb Self-Regulation Activity
When a child struggles with loud noises (sensory processing), it can be harder to focus (executive functioning) and manage frustration (emotions). These systems work together to support self-regulation.
Sensory Processing and the “Traffic Jam” Effect
When a child’s sensory system becomes overwhelmed by input (like loud noises, bright lights, or scratchy clothing) or under-stimulated by an environment that lacks movement or tactile input, it’s like a traffic jam in the brain. The neural pathways are working overtime to manage the incoming data, but there’s no clear flow. As a result, the child may appear distracted, impulsive, emotional, or even shut down entirely.
This reaction isn’t always a behavior like it might seem. It can actually be sensory overload. The brain is busy trying to process sounds, movement, balance, touch, and other inputs, leaving little bandwidth for higher-level thinking or regulation.
How Executive Functioning Is Impacted
Executive functioning refers to the set of mental skills that help us plan, organize, focus, remember, and manage emotions. These skills are crucial for things like following instructions, transitioning between tasks, or problem-solving in social situations.
But when a child is stuck in a sensory jam, their ability to access those executive functioning skills becomes impaired. Imagine trying to solve a puzzle while someone is shining a flashlight in your eyes, playing loud music, and tugging on your shirt. That’s what it can feel like for kids with sensory processing challenges trying to focus in a busy classroom or crowded lunchroom.
Research published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy highlights these relationships, showing that sensory processing behaviors are significantly correlated with executive function and emotional regulation difficulties, especially in children who have underlying developmental concerns. Source: AJOT.
Emotional Regulation and Sensory Needs
When a child doesn’t have the sensory support they need, frustration builds quickly. A small demand can feel insurmountable. This is why we often see sensory dysregulation manifest as big emotions: meltdowns, tears, yelling, or complete withdrawal. These aren’t bad behaviors; they’re signs the child needs support.
When we support a child’s sensory needs, we’re helping their nervous system return to a regulated state. And when the sensory system is regulated, the emotional brain can calm down, and the thinking brain can take over. This is where the real magic happens in occupational therapy.
The limbic system and function is a great resource for this.
OT’s Role in Supporting the Whole Child
Occupational therapy can get a reputation in the school environment as the “handwriting teacher”, but we support the student in a much wider way. We’re supporting the foundation of a child’s ability to learn and grow. Through sensory strategies, routines, movement breaks, environmental adaptations, and regulation tools, we build a bridge from sensory stability to emotional and cognitive growth.
Additional supports we offer as pediatric occupational therapists include:
By recognizing the connection between sensory processing, executive function, and emotions, we can better support children in a compassionate, whole-child-centered way.
What This Looks Like in the Real World
Use real-life classroom or home examples to illustrate how these three areas show up:
- In the classroom: A child distracted by hallway noise may struggle to start tasks and become frustrated quickly.
- At home: A child who can’t tolerate the feeling of clothing tags may resist getting dressed and have emotional outbursts.
- Creating a lifestyle that supports sensory needs will support executive functioning. The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook covers this.
Think about a child you know: Do you notice signs of sensory overload, executive function challenges, or big emotions? What small adjustment could support their self-regulation today?
Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.
