ADHD Strategies: Balancing the Sensory System Managing Sensory Overwhelm Workshop with Nea Clark

Many ADHD clients experience sensory processing differences that can lead to overwhelm, anxiety, fatigue, or inattentiveness. Understanding how clients process sensory input and how their unique sensory economy affects their daily lives is essential for practitioners working with neurodivergent individuals.

This webinar will explore how ADHD impacts sensory regulation, the eight sensory systems, and practical strategies to help clients manage sensory overload and under stimulation. By identifying sensory thresholds and responses, practitioners can better support clients in navigating their environments, improving emotional regulation, and reducing stress.

We will introduce Dr. Lucy Jane Miller’s classification of Sensory Processing Differences, which includes overresponsiveness, underresponsiveness, sensory cravings, and sensory discrimination challenges. We’ll also discuss Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) and Environmental Sensitivity (ES), helping practitioners move beyond diagnostic labels to focus on practical, supportive interventions.

Learning Objective Participants Can Expect From This Event

• Identifying Sensory Overload; Understimulation

Participants will learn to identify the signs of sensory over- and under-responsiveness in ADHD clients. Overstimulated clients may experience anxiety, irritability, or sensory avoidance, while under-stimulated clients may seem disengaged, distracted, or restless. Understanding these patterns is crucial in therapy and coaching, as they influence mood, attention, and emotional regulation. By exploring real-life examples and case studies, practitioners will gain insights into how sensory processing impacts behaviour, relationships, and daily functioning. This knowledge will allow them to adjust their approach, ensuring clients feel comfortable, engaged, and better able to manage their sensory environments.

• Exploring the Eight Sensory Systems; Sensory Processing Sensitivity

This webinar will provide an in-depth look at the eight sensory systems, including tactile, visual, gustatory, olfactory, auditory, vestibular, proprioceptive, and interoceptive processing. Practitioners will explore how ADHD influences sensory perception and how Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) and Environmental Sensitivity (ES) can impact an individual’s ability to regulate emotions and energy levels. Understanding these sensory dimensions helps practitioners recognise patterns of sensory discomfort, identify triggers, and develop interventions to help clients navigate work, school, and social settings with greater ease and confidence.

• Practical Strategies for Managing Sensory Challenges

Practitioners will leave this webinar equipped with practical, client-centred strategies for managing sensory overload and under stimulation. These include environmental modifications, sensory-friendly routines, mindfulness practices, and self-regulation techniques tailored to each client’s needs. Participants will learn how to assess sensory thresholds, implement strategies like sensory breaks, grounding exercises, and sensory toolkits, and support clients in self-advocacy regarding their sensory needs. By applying these techniques, practitioners can help ADHD clients build resilience, reduce stress, and improve focus, ultimately enhancing their ability to engage more fully in their personal and professional lives.

Who is This Workshop Appropriate For?

• Psychotherapist, Counsellors, Coach, Life Coach, Teachers, Tutors, Parents, ADHD Coach.

How May This Workshop Impact Your Practice?

• This webinar provides practitioners with a deeper understanding of sensory processing differences in ADHD and how they impact clients’ emotions, behaviors, and daily interactions. By integrating sensory awareness into therapy and coaching, practitioners can create a more supportive and effective framework for their clients. With these insights, they will be able to identify sensory triggers, guide clients in self-regulation techniques, and tailor interventions to each individual’s needs. This knowledge not only enhances client outcomes but also builds practitioners’ confidence in working with neurodivergent individuals, fostering a more inclusive and empathetic practice.