“Seeker” describes a person who enjoys certain sensory input and will go out of their way to find it. Hence the word seeker. For us, Ryley seeks tactile input. She loves all soft and squishy textures. Some people seek certain sounds, food, textures, visual input and so much more.

Now when I say avoider, I mean a person who will go out of the way to avoid certain sensory things. Have you ever seen the cute facebook videos of babies being put on grass for the first time and they do everything to avoid it? Being an avoider is very much like that. They will do whatever it takes to stay away from the offending input.

There is always some form of sensory input, such as sights, smells, sounds, tastes and textures. Unfortunately some are more overwhelming than others and they cannot be avoided. Are you aware of those loud hand dryers and flushing sound in the public restroom? Eventually, Ryley and I will go in and use a sticky note to cover the toilet sensor. When she would walk out of the stall, I would pull it off and toss it. Then, she would wash her hands and run away from the hand dryers.

Now people always ask, “Can you be a seeker and an avoider at the same time?” My answer is yes. Ryley seeks deep pressure but avoids smells and loud noises. It is actually very common to have a child who is both a seeker and an avoider.