🤔Is It Sensory or Behavior? Rethinking How We Understand Our Children

Welcome back to the Koi Wellness blog! I’m Aya Porté, your occupational therapist (OT), dedicated to supporting children and families through compassionate, evidence-based care. One of the most common—and complex—questions I hear from parents, teachers, and even healthcare professionals is:

“Is this sensory or behavior?”

It’s a question that comes up often, sometimes out of genuine curiosity and other times from a need to categorize and solve a problem:

• “We see all these behaviors in our child and wonder if they’re sensory-related.”

• “We need to figure out whether it’s either sensory or behavior.”

For years, I chased this question with a binary mindset. I thought if I could just figure out if something was sensory or behavioral, I could provide families with the perfect solution. But the more I learned, the more I realized this is not a simple either/or situation.

The Binary Trap

The idea that a child’s actions must be either sensory-driven or behavioral creates a false choice. I spent years diving into professional development courses—DIRFloortime, STAR Institute trainings, Vital Links programs—searching for answers. Occasionally, I’d work with a child who had a textbook sensory profile and responded beautifully to sensory-based interventions.

But what about the many children who didn’t fit that mold? The more I expanded my knowledge, the clearer it became: behavior and sensory processing are deeply intertwined.

Moving Beyond “Sensory vs. Behavior”

A child’s behavior is often a reflection of how they perceive, process, and react to the world around them. Here’s what that might look like:

• A child covering their ears or melting down in a noisy classroom isn’t “misbehaving”—they might be overwhelmed by sensory input.

• On the flip side, a child repeatedly touching everything in sight might not need more sensory input but could be responding to emotional needs or learned behaviors.

When we stop viewing sensory and behavioral responses as separate, we can start understanding how they overlap. This shift allows us to see the whole child—not just isolated actions.

Asking Better Questions

Rather than focusing on whether a behavior is sensory or behavioral, let’s ask more meaningful questions:

• What environmental factors might be influencing this response?

Is the classroom too loud or the lights too bright?

• Is the child seeking, avoiding, or struggling to process sensory input?

Do they need more movement breaks, or are they overwhelmed by touch or sound?

• How does this behavior connect to the child’s emotional state and relationships?

Are they anxious, frustrated, or trying to communicate a need they can’t express with words?

These deeper questions help us uncover what’s truly going on and how we can better support the child.

Shifting from Answers to Understanding

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Sometimes it’s sensory. Sometimes it’s behavior. Most often, it’s a complex mix of both.

This realization requires patience and flexibility. It’s about working collaboratively—with parents, teachers, and therapists—to understand and support the child in meaningful ways. Our goal shouldn’t be to label behaviors but to ask:

“What is this behavior teaching us about the child, and how can we support them?”

When we shift from labeling to understanding, we open the door to growth, regulation, and deeper connection.

Conclusion: Supporting Your Child’s Unique Journey

Every child is unique, and their behaviors are clues—not problems to solve. By moving beyond the “sensory or behavior” question, we can create supportive environments where children feel safe, understood, and empowered.

If you’re feeling stuck or unsure about how to interpret your child’s behaviors, I’m here to help. Let’s explore these questions together and find strategies that truly support your child’s needs.

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn, ​Instagram​, and ​Facebook, or schedule a call here to learn more about how I can support your family.

Let’s continue to ask better questions, listen more deeply, and nurture each child’s path to growth.