Keeping Hands to Self Challenges

Why does my child have trouble keeping hands to self? A sensory explanation.

Difficulty with keeping hands to self can be due to proprioception challenges.

Proprioception is the sensation in the joints that provides body awareness. Pressure between our joints tells us how much force to use for tasks. 

Challenges in the proprioceptive system can lead to a lack of understanding regarding how much pressure is being used when touching others as well as how much pressure is felt when touched by others. This can lead to social difficulties with peers. 

Challenges in the proprioceptive system can lead to excessive jumping, crashing, and pushing, hitting, hugging etc. in an effort to increase input to reach the threshold needed to feel “just right”. 

When functioning well, the proprioceptive system allows for touching others with appropriate force. There is no excessive need to jump, crash or bump into things or hit people to increase body awareness. 

The function of this system can be improved with sensory integration therapies.

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