If you had to lose one of your senses, which one would it be? Tough question — most of us would probably choose to keep our sight. Or perhaps our hearing. But what about our smell, touch and taste? Are they really that important? "Definitely," says sensory expert Sheena Reynolds. Reynolds is the director of learning development and joint owner of St Andrew's International, also known as the British Institute of Learning Development (BILD).
According to Reynolds, if you can imagine being underwater, unable to move, with your eyes closed, you can start to get an idea of what it would be like to be senseless. She says, "This is called sensory deprivation because it literally removes all the sensory input to the brain. This methodology is often used for relaxation, where you remove one or more of the senses with a blindfold or floating in water — but it is also used for torturing and brainwashing people. Total sensory deprivation can turn people psychotic and eventually cause people to die."
This sounds dramatic, but when you think about how your senses feed information about your surroundings into your brain, you realise that without them we would be amoebae — existing, but with no notion as to whether we were sitting on a chair, standing on hot coals, or floating in space.
In addition to the commonly known senses — touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight — there are two others: vestibular, our inner spirit level or compass which tells us whether we are upright, sideways or upside down; and our proprioception, which tells the brain how our body is moving and enables us to move without conscious thought. (Imagine having to think about every muscle movement - just touching your nose would be a massive brain strain!)
Another interesting, although obvious, point is that when it comes to senses, not all humans are created equal. Some of us have a heightened sense of smell and can smell an old orange lingering at the back of the kitchen cupboard from the front door. Others excel at taste — think of wine tasters and tea testers who can pick out the subtlest of flavours. Some of us are very touchy feely, and will go to the ends of the earth to find the softest cashmere or the woolliest cushions.
We are all more sensitive to some senses than others (sensory sensitive), not affected by a particular sense as much as others (low registration), excited by a sense more than others (sensation seeking) or point blank disturbed by a sense more than others (sensation avoiding). Reynolds says, "We've all got something — some sense that we are sensitive to, or a particular type of sensory information that we crave, like bright colours. Before I got into this field, I would have described these individual preferences as quirks. Now I know that they mean a lot more than that."
These little ‘quirks' do not only make us unique, they also dictate how we lead our lives — our hobbies and interests, the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the careers we strive towards. As a result, this also dictates who we choose to spend our time with. After all, if you are very sensitive to sound, you are unlikely to hang out with someone who has lots of noisy dogs, or someone who has a loud, high-pitched voice. In fact, you would probably try very hard to avoid them.
So, what happens when this noise-seeking, loud-talking person is a member of your family? You can't avoid them. You just have to find a way to live together. By working out the sensory types of yourself and your family members, you can get a better idea about what makes them tick, what stresses them out, what calms them down and what they will never grow to like, no matter how much you try to force them. Once you know this, family relationships and home life can make a lot more sense.
Case Study: The Barefoot Family
A family of four living in Dubai filled out a sensory profile questionnaire. Here is Reynolds’ assessment
"There are lots of different sensory preferences and dislikes with this family. Mr and Mrs Barefoot both like spicy food, like walking around barefoot and don't like people invading their personal space. However, they differ in that Mr Barefoot seeks out noisy, crowded places and action-packed activities, whereas his wife is sensitive to touch, noise and vestibular movement. These contrasts might play a part when they are making decisions — for example, where to go for dinner. Mr Barefoot might prefer a big, bustling venue, whereas Mrs Barefoot would probably prefer a small, cosy restaurant. Similarly, while Mr Barefoot would probably enjoy an action-packed holiday where he can explore and go trekking or diving, Mrs Barefoot would probably prefer a relaxing beach holiday. By being aware of their fundamental sensory differences, they can become more accommodating to each other and find it easier to compromise without sacrificing either person's enjoyment.
"Their children, Boy (ten) and Girl (eight) also like walking barefoot. However, they too have different sensory preferences and types. Boy is similar to his mother in that he is a little sensitive to noise and he avoids vestibular movement, meaning he probably dislikes moving playground equipment, avoids activities that involve him hanging upside down or having his feet off the ground. He seeks out sensory input through taste and smell so likes strong, spicy food. However, Girl has a high threshold to vestibular movement and will actively seek it out through games and activities — even though she is younger, she is more likely to want to go on fast fairground rides, drop slides and other daring activities. She is very sensitive to touch and, as the inside of the mouth is also made of skin, she is sensitive to tastes, too. Girl is the only member of the family who is sensitive to taste — the others seem to seek it out — which means meal times might be difficult if she dislikes the food the rest of the family enjoy. Like her brother and mother, Girl is sensitive to noise, which means that while the father is sound seeking and probably likes loud music and busy, noisy places, the rest of his family are probably agitated by it." >> Get your sensory type assessed at BILD in Jumeirah. Visit www.british-ild.com.
1. Taste/smell
Seeker: The foodie
A taste/smell seeker likes trying different foods, is experimental in their eating habits and enjoys strong flavours like toothpaste, pickles, sweet and sour, and spices. This could be because her taste sensors don't pick up on subtle flavours and so has to go for powerful tastes to satisfy her taste cravings. She will enjoy scented candles, flowers, perfumes and cosmetics, and probably isn't as offended by bad smells as others. If you have a taste/smell seeker child, take extra care to keep cleaning detergents and poisonous substances out of reach. Scented candles, lotions, soaps (and scented stickers for a child) will help you relax, as will cooking.
Sensitive: The fussy eater
This person will prefer bland food and will be particular about what she eats. She will probably avoid spicy food and sauce-based dishes, will pick bits out of her food and may prefer to have all the individual parts of her meal separately on the plate. She will also be sensitive to smells, and may hold her nose when nobody else can smell anything. A taste/smell sensitive child may smell items and objects - this is her way of discovering new things. Certain smells may upset her and may cause her to avoid places, people or situations. Opt for scent-free washing powders and mild toothpaste.
2. Sight
Seeker: The artist
A sight seeker may hold things close to his face when looking at them and may shake their head a little when writing, drawing, sewing or any other careful activity that involves using their hands. They will probably like games that involve hand-eye coordination. Their house will be cluttered and crowded and may even be messy, with lots of colours, artwork and shiny, reflective items on the wall. They will like lots of bright lights too and love being in the sunshine.
Sensitive: The tidy home person
A sight sensitive person will opt for neutral colours in their living space, and will be distracted by mess and clutter. He or she will probably be an avid sunglass wearer, as they cannot stand direct, bright sunlight. They will pay attention to detail, be very particular about their things, avoid ball games, and prefer houses where the living areas are separated rather than open-plan. Being sight sensitive appears to be linked to being good at architecture.
3. Vestibular
Seeker: The dare devil
Vestibular seekers will enjoy the sensation of being upside down, and moving through the air. They will like swings, fairground rides, roller-coasters and often extreme sports — many so-called adrenaline junkies are actually just vestibular junkies. They are often very active and may appear reckless or accident-prone. As a child, they will be the one spinning round and round just for the fun of feeling dizzy.
Sensitive: The dry land man
Vestibular sensitive types will dislike being upside down and will prefer to watch rather than take part in activities that involve having their feet off the floor, such as rock climbing, waterslides and horse riding. They may also suffer from motion sickness, may dislike sitting backwards in a train and may dislike falling or leaning backwards. It is likely that they aren't very good at balancing activities, such as snowboarding. Jumping on a trampoline can help them become less sensitive, as can games which involve using both hands. If your child is sensitive to their vestibular sense, encourage them to move slowly when standing up or sitting down to avoid dizziness.
4. Sound
Seeker: The raver
This person will love loud music, parties and concerts and the sound of running water. They may speak very loudly and may not hear sounds that other people hear, such as their name being called or someone talking behind them. They'll feel happy in crowded places and busy restaurants. To calm down, they'll put loud music on.
Sensitive: The reserved
A person who is sensitive to sound will often cover their ears to block out sounds, will be overly upset by alarms and sirens, and will probably dislike ticking clocks, the sound of people eating, the sound of beeping phones, hoovers, fireworks and loud voices. They'll prefer small, quiet restaurants, social gatherings and shops, and will be calmed by silence or calm, soothing music.
5. Touch
Seeker: The touchy feely type
A touch seeker will want to feel things to be able to understand their nature. They may also be very tactile with people. They enjoy activities which involve getting their hands dirty such as painting, gardening or clay work. They may not notice when they are messy, and they may tend to overfill their mouths when eating. Even though they seek touch, they may not be good at dealing with small objects and a touch seeking child may take a long time to learn how to dress herself. Touch seekers should always have objects around to fiddle with, like paperclips or blue-tack, as these will help calm them and help them concentrate. As a child they might become attached to a particular blanket or toy. They will also like massages.
Sensitive: The particular one
Touch sensitive people like their personal space and will move away if people come too close. They are likely to be fussy about textures, choosing clothes more because of their feel than the style. They will be irritated by labels inside clothes and may avoid wearing socks. A touch sensitive person may dislike brushing their hair and could be a fussy eater as they avoid certain food textures. When stressed, they enjoy taking a bath. To calm a touch sensitive child, hug them tightly or lie them down with some soft pillows and heavy blankets.
6. Proprioception
Seeker: The bull in the china shop
A movement seeker could be heavy-handed or a bit clumsy. They probably break things and drop things often, and may not be aware when something is hurting them, that they're sitting on something, or that the spoon in their hand is hot. As a child, they enjoy jumping, falling, hanging by the arms on a climbing frame and rough play. A repetitive back and forth movement is probably very calming for this person, like being on a swing or in a rocking chair. Other calmers include stress balls and other items that require pressure rather than pure fiddling, and hard, crunchy or chewy snacks like liquorice, chewing gum, toffees and raw carrots. Activities that involve pressure on the joints are relaxing, such as running and climbing.
Sensitive: The no-Gym brigade
A movement sensitive person could be very sensitive to deep pressure in their joints and may actually find activities like running painful. They may tire easily, and be unable to open jars due to having a weak grip in the hands. They may trip over and bump into things regularly and have trouble with coordination - not a good hurdler!
