Summary: For young survivors of the October 7, 2023, attacks, the trauma of war has moved beyond the mind and into the nervous system. A new study reveals that nearly half of the children studied now suffer from atypical sensory processing.
Ten months after being displaced, these children no longer perceive the world as neutral; instead, everyday sights and sounds—like a distant lawnmower—are interpreted by their brains as direct physical assaults, leading to chronic anxiety and social withdrawal.
Key Facts
- The “Sensory Siege”: 48% of the 37 children studied from the Gaza envelope displayed atypical sensory patterns, shifting between extreme sensitivity and active sensory avoidance.
- The Neural “High Alert”: The study found that trauma “re-wires” the nervous system to remain in a state of constant vigilance, where the brain can no longer filter out background noise or minor stimuli.
- Emotional Link: There was a direct correlation between sensory dysfunction and behavioral issues; children with the most atypical sensory responses also showed the highest levels of anxiety and “acting-out” behaviors.
- Developmental Hurdle: Because these children are in a constant state of sensory overwhelm, their ability to participate in school and social activities is severely hindered during a critical window of brain growth.
- Call for Integrated Care: Researchers are advocating for the inclusion of occupational therapists in trauma response teams to provide “sensory first aid” and help families create safe environments for affected children.
Source: Hebrew University of Jerusalem
As air-raid sirens in Israel have become a frequent feature of life, a new study offers a sobering look at how the physical senses of young children are being fundamentally altered by the trauma of war.
The research, published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, provides a window into the lives of children who survived the October 7, 2023, attacks and suggests that for many, the world has become a place of overwhelming sensory stimulus.
The research was led by Lihi Liberman, a postdoctoral fellow under the guidance of Prof. Yafit Gilboa from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s School of Occupational Therapy and in collaboration with Efrat Harel, an occupational therapist at Reichman University’s Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology.
Together, they studied the sensory lives of 37 children from the Gaza envelope who were directly exposed to the violence and subsequently displaced from their homes.
For these children, the consequence of the trauma did not end when they reached safety. Ten months after the initial events, the researchers found that nearly half of the participants displayed atypical sensory processing patterns.
This means their nervous systems were no longer interpreting everyday information like a soft touch or a distant lawnmower as neutral. Instead, these children were frequently in a state of sensory sensitivity or avoidance, where the ordinary world felt like an assault on their senses.
The researchers observed that this heightened state of alert is directly tied to emotional distress. The study found that the more a child’s sensory responses differed from the norm, the more likely they were to experience intense anxiety, fearfulness, and acting-out behaviors.
Against the backdrop of ongoing conflict, the study provides a map of the invisible toll taken on the young survivors of 2023. What might be a distant hum of activity for an adult can be an overwhelming sensory assault for a child with heightened sensitivity. These triggers do more than cause temporary fear. They create a persistent hurdle to the learning and social participation that are critical during this window of rapid brain growth.
The researchers emphasized that these findings are a call to action for the medical community. They argue that occupational therapists should be integrated into trauma care teams to help children navigate their environments.
By identifying these sensory needs early, practitioners can provide families with the tools to help children feel safe in their own bodies again. As the region remains on edge, the study serves as a reminder that the scars of war are often invisible, hidden within the very way a child hears the world.
Key Questions Answered:
A: After experiencing air-raid sirens and violence, the brain’s “threat detection” system (the amygdala) becomes hyper-sensitized. It loses the ability to distinguish between a low-frequency hum (a lawnmower) and a high-frequency threat (a siren or drone). To the child’s nervous system, any unexpected noise is treated as an incoming attack.
A: Unfortunately, without intervention, the opposite often happens. This study shows that 10 months after the events, the sensitivity remained. Without occupational therapy to help “re-train” the nervous system to feel safe, the brain remains locked in a state of hyper-vigilance that can lead to long-term developmental delays.
A: While psychologists work on the emotional memory of the trauma, occupational therapists work on the physical experience of it. They provide “sensory diets”—specific activities and environment adjustments (like noise-canceling headphones or weighted blankets)—that help the child’s body learn to regulate its response to the world again.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- Journal paper reviewed in full.
- Additional context added by our staff.
About this trauma and sensory processing research news
Author: Yarden Mills
Source: Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Contact: Yarden Mills – Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Closed access.
“Sensory Processing Disorders and Emotional Distress Among Young Children Exposed to Traumatic Events” by Lihi Liberman, Efrat Harel, and Yafit Gilboa. American Journal of Occupational Therapy
DOI:10.5014/ajot.2026.051402
Abstract
Sensory Processing Disorders and Emotional Distress Among Young Children Exposed to Traumatic Events
Importance:
Sensory processing disorders have been found mostly among school-age children exposed to traumatic events or after maltreatment. Therefore, it is important to examine sensory processing and emotional distress among young children exposed to traumatic events after a collective terror attack.
Objective:
To examine the correlation between sensory processing patterns and emotional distress among young children exposed to traumatic events after a terror attack.
Design:
Cross-sectional design with purposive criterion sampling.
Setting:
Community.
Participants:
Thirty-seven children ages 2 to 7 yr, residents of the Gaza envelope (the populated areas in the Southern District of Israel within 4.3 mi of the Gaza Strip border) in Israel, who were directly affected by the events that followed the October 7, 2023, terror attack.
Outcomes and Measures:
Demographic questionnaire, the Pediatric Emotional Distress Scale (PEDS), and the Sensory Profile 2.
Results:
Participants scored significantly higher than the cutoff scores for PEDS Total Score and the Anxious/Withdrawn, Fearful, and Acting Out subscales. Almost half the participants showed sensory processing patterns that were scored as “more” or “much more” than others, with sensory avoidance and sensitivity being the most prevalent. Significant correlations were found between most of the emotional distress and sensory processing patterns.
Conclusions and Relevance:
Sensory processing difficulties frequently occurred and were significantly correlated with emotional distress among young children exposed to traumatic events. Occupational therapy practitioners working with children with sensory processing difficulties play a role in addressing the environmental and regulatory needs of young children affected by trauma.
Plain-Language Summary:
This study examined how young children ages 2 to 7 years were affected by the traumatic events after the October 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel. It focused on the correlation between emotional distress and sensory processing. Emotional distress refers to strong negative feelings that may affect how a child behaves.
Among young children, it may show up as fear, anxiety or acting out. Sensory processing is how children notice, interpret, and respond to things they see, hear, touch, taste, or feel. Some children are overly sensitive and can be easily overwhelmed by sights, sounds, or textures. Others may not notice sensations that most people do, some may seek extra stimulation, and some may avoid certain sensations.
The study included 37 children living near the Gaza border who directly experienced traumatic events. The results showed that many had high levels of emotional distress and sensory processing difficulties, especially sensitivity and avoidance. Emotional distress and sensory processing were correlated.
The findings suggest that early childhood trauma can affect how children feel and respond to inputs in daily life. Occupational therapy practitioners can help these children by supporting their sensory needs to improve their participation in daily activities.
