Sensory processing differs from person to person, and those differences are frequently misunderstood or dismissed as simple pickiness or overreaction. This TalkTools self-study course, presented by Loren Snow, breaks down what that actually involves and why it matters for regulation, behavior, learning, and daily wellbeing. The course begins with common everyday examples, like loud sounds or clothing textures disrupting sleep and eating, before explaining how the brain filters sensory input differently from person to person. Participants then work through all eight sensory systems, including the five familiar senses alongside the vestibular, proprioceptive, and interoceptive systems that are less commonly taught. Clinicians learn to spot both over-sensitivity and under-sensitivity across these systems and to connect those patterns to sensory overload, fatigue, and their downstream effects on behavior and learning. Practical strategies fill the second half of the course, covering how to normalize self-stimulatory behaviors, build sensory breaks and safe spaces, and use sensory profiles, sensory diets, and environmental audits as professional planning tools. The course closes by reframing sensory processing differences as sources of genuine strength and sensory joy rather than problems to eliminate. Clinicians finish with a clearer, more neurodiversity-affirming understanding of sensory processing they can apply immediately across school, clinic, and home settings. This self-study course is worth 0.15 ASHA continuing education units and includes a downloadable handout, a certificate of completion, and a full year of online access for one learner.
