Supporting Sensory Needs: Olfactory Sensory Needs

The olfactory system (smell) is the system responsible for detecting and identifying odors. Some children may seek olfactory input as a way to process and identify what they smell, while others avoid and are overstimulated by smells.

Olfactory seekers  will enjoy interacting with scented items. Things like:

• Scented markers
• Scented stickers
• Flowers
• Essential oils
• Fragrance sprays
• Scented lip balms
• Scented lotions and soaps
• Strongly scented foods

Discussing the smells of different foods at mealtimes is also a way to engage their sense of smell and encourage language. Nature is a great place to explore fragrances as well!

Olfactory avoiders  will often notice smells others do not notice and become distracted by smells in the classroom and other settings. They may avoid places with strong smells, such as:

• Restrooms
• Cafeterias
• Restaurants
• Zoos and Aquariums

In more extreme cases, they may even feel nauseous and irritated by smells. When working with olfactory avoiders, make the environment as fragrance-free as possible. Use fragrance-free cleaning products and toiletries and seat the student away from trash bins and other areas that may have strong odors (diffusers, air fresheners). When using scented products, keep the room well-ventilated.

Olfactory avoiders can be taught appropriate coping strategies such as covering their nose with a tissue, informing an adult that a smell is unpleasant (through their individual means of communication), and providing them with a scent they prefer to mask unpleasant smells.