Sensitive, big-feeling or hard-to read kid? These six questions help you know where to start.

countP1

After school — they hold it together all day and fall apart at home

In the morning — getting dressed, eating, getting out the door feels impossible

During transitions — stopping one thing to start another is a battle every time

In crowds, loud places, or unexpected situations

Honestly, I don't know. I just know something's off.

I've heard terms like "dysregulation" or "sensory" but I'm not sure how they connect.

We have a formal diagnosis, and I'm trying to figure out what it actually means day to day

I have a pretty good sense of the pieces — I'm just missing how they fit together

I have more than one kid and this applies to multiple of them

Like they don't feel hungry or thirsty until they're in a full meltdown

Like they're unbothered by pain that would bother most kids

Like they don't know a bathroom break is needed until it's urgent

Like they don't realize they're cold/hot/tired until they're already overwhelmed

Not really — they notice everything (maybe too much)

Big explosion — crying, hitting, screaming — comes out of nowhere

Shutdown — goes quiet, withdraws, refuses to engage

Fine at school, completely different at home

Intense reaction to things that seem small (a tag, a food texture, a change in plan)

Understanding why my kid does what they do. I need the explanation before anything else.

Knowing what to do in the hard moments — the practical stuff

Both — I want the science and the tools

Figuring out how to talk to my kid's school about what I'm seeing