At the fresh age of 3, Jacob already knew exactly what he wanted out of each day: get as muddy as possible, jump from the tallest tree he could find, be the loudest kid in the room aaannnndddd keep his parents and teachers on their toes—because life would be boring otherwise, right?
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) wasn’t confirmed yet for Jacob, but his parents had a gut feeling that he was working with a differently wired brain. They were open to making any change that might help meet his needs, but nothing seemed to stick. Their biggest concern? His anger and frustration, which often showed up as punching, biting, or hitting teachers, classmates, and even other parents at his co-op preschool.
On the intake form, Jacob’s parents described him this way:
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Loves to get messy
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Climbs trees without fear, loves to jump
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If he doesn’t burn enough energy, bedtime is a struggle
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Loves loud music, especially in the car
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Gets loud and out of control when excited
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Has a high pain tolerance
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Needs extra time to get out the door
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Becomes overwhelmed in big groups (especially at school)
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Hates when water drips down his arm
His parents had tried it all—positive parenting, bribery, punishment, yelling, and even extra supervision at the co-op. None of it made a dent. They were desperate for options and wondering if Jacob needed to be working with a specialist.
My initial thoughts
I could see that Jacob was struggling at home and at school, but school was the bigger priority—his aggression toward peers and adults couldn’t be ignored. The fact that he was in a co-op setting stood out to me. While co-ops can be wonderful for some kids, they can also bring hidden challenges for children with sensory or regulation differences. I wanted to dig deeper into what Jacob’s school day looked like and whether there was room for accommodations.
I also noticed a lot of sensory-seeking behaviors—his high pain tolerance, constant climbing, and love of jumping. Meeting those needs at home is tough without a big yard or special equipment, so it made sense that Jacob was constantly creating his own opportunities for that input. My goal was to help his family find an outlet for those needs, like a structured extracurricular activity designed to meet his sensory thresholds.
Up Next
During our work together, we uncovered the sensory roots of Jacob’s frustration and built a long-term plan to support him. That plan included school-based accommodations and new ways to give Jacob the sensory input his body was craving every single day.
Next week, I’ll zoom in on Jacob’s co-op preschool—exploring the pros and cons of that environment and the strategies we used to prevent his meltdowns from escalating.
PS: If you have a sensory seeker in your life, grab this free guide to help you understand their needs and exactly how to meet them.
Disclaimer: These case studies are inspired by real-life clients I have worked with, with permission from their parents to share. Some aspects of the case are authentic, and other details are added to include more variability for our discussions. None of the strategies and advice here substitutes medical advice, diagnosis or intervention with an Occupational Therapist.
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