What Is Sensory Mismatch?
Every person processes sensory information differently. What feels calming to one person can feel overwhelming to another.
Sensory mismatch happens when two people sharing the same space need opposite things from their environment: one child needs to move, another needs stillness. One needs the lights on, another needs them off. One needs to make noise to focus, another needs silence to think.
These situations come up constantly in classrooms, therapy rooms, and homes, and they're one of the most common challenges that parents, educators, and therapists face when supporting neurodivergent children.
Why Sensory Mismatch Is So Hard to Navigate
You've probably been here before. Two kids are sharing a space, and one needs something the other can't tolerate. One child is humming to focus and the other can't think through the noise. You can see the conflict, but you're not sure what to do next.
Often the easiest move is to go with whatever matches your own sensory preference, or to ask one child to push through it. But that leaves one person's needs unmet, and over time it can lead to increased dysregulation, damaged trust, and fewer opportunities for real problem-solving.
This course walks you through how to identify sensory mismatches, understand what's driving each person's needs, and build strategies that honor both sides of the conflict.
Big Talks, Little Talks
Understanding How Kids Think, Feel, and Behave — One Talk at a Time
Sensory Processing & Sensory Mismatch is one of eight modules in Big Talks, Little Talks, a video course series by Kelsie Mick Olds covering key topics in neurodiversity and child development. Modules can be purchased individually or as a complete bundle.
Every module in the series includes two videos:
The professional development component. Kelsie walks through the topic in depth, giving you the knowledge and language to understand what's happening and how to respond. Big Talks run approximately one hour and qualify for continuing education credit.
A kid-friendly video that gives children accessible language to understand what's going on in their own bodies and brains. You can show it directly to a child, break it into shorter chunks across multiple sessions, or watch it yourself to pick up language you can use in your own conversations.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is designed for therapists, parents, caregivers, educators, early childhood educators, and anyone who works with or lives with children who have different sensory needs.
Whether you're managing a classroom where one student hums to focus and another can't tolerate the sound, or you're at home with two kids who want opposite things from the same room, this course gives you practical tools you can use right away.