Written by CC
Images by CC & PMQ
Cherie Tam is a senior occupational therapist who often works with children with special educational needs (SEN), using sensory integration therapy that engages all seven senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste, proprioception, and the vestibular sense. She emphasizes that sensory processing isn’t just for SEN children; everyone of us is constantly taking in sensory information from the moment we are bornbirth. Even in our sleep, we might pick up changes in sound or temperature. This year, PMQ’s creative education programme, PMQ Seed, is themed “Senses in Play,” launching a series of activities that encourage students to explore all seven senses and unlock their creativity. As one of the trainers for the PMQ Seed Train the Trainer Workshop, Cherie introduced the concept from a professional lens: “Beyond therapy for SEN kids, sensory integration is deeply connected to artistic creativity—and that means more children can benefit.”
Wake up the seven senses, and ideas follow.
Cherie works at SAHK (formerly The Spastics Association of Hong Kong), which provides education and rehabilitation services to people with disabilities across age groups. As a senior occupational therapist, she focuses on child and family support, seeing SEN children from newborns to 18-year-olds: “For example, kids diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), or cerebral palsy.” Children with SEN can exhibit sensory integration dysfunction. “But even among the general population, our thresholds and responses vary — some are hypersensitive, some under sensitive. But in fact, we’re all on the same sensory spectrum.”
We’re familiar with five senses — sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste — but what about the other two? “Proprioception is the sense coming from muscles and joints; the vestibular sense relates to balance and spatial orientation,” she explains. “Everything we do relies on the seven senses. Take making creative art as an example: the pressure of your pencil strokes when sketching or the force you use while shaping clay — those are tied to proprioception.” In Hong Kong, many parents “equip” their children with piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting to get a head start. Cherie notes: “Parents are more tuned in to child development these days, but the focus often stays on academics or discrete skills. Any learning — whether it’s music, sports, or any other activity — rests on a solid sensory foundation. That piece is frequently overlooked.”
During the Train to Trainer Workshop she led, Cherie brought the PMQ Seed team to SAHK’s Sensory Integration Training and Professional Development Centre to try out the equipment and dive deeper into the seven senses. Looking back, she laughs about the mix of thrills and jitters: “One piece of equipment is a flat swing — you stand on it and keep your balance while it sways. Some people instantly lock up their joints and become very stiff, while others adapt smoothly. It’s not just kids — adults rarely get to discover how their bodies react.”
Everyone experiences senses differently; sensory integration is the brain’s process of taking in sensory information, organizing it, and responding accordingly. “When you face a new situation, your brain draws on experience. If the old way doesn’t work, will you try something new? That’s where creativity begins.” If parents and children stick to the same routines in the same environments, they naturally miss out on sensory input—and creative sparks. Cherie offers a simple solution: “Instead of shuttling from one class to another, why not go to the beach together and have some fun? You might be surprised by what you feel.”
When sensory integration meets design thinking
The workshop didn’t just give the educators new insights into their own senses — it broadened Cherie’s view too: “Because PMQ Seed is centered on the seven senses this year, SAHK was invited to collaborate. As I prepared to lead the workshop, I made it a point to understand how educators work—and discovered the concept of design thinking. I was struck by how closely it mirrors the steps of sensory integration.” The PMQ Seed team guides students through the five stages of design thinking — Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test — to explore creative ways to solve problems. Cherie says, “Sensory integration also begins with empathy. In Chinese, words like feel (感覺) and sensation (感受) all begin with that same character for sense (感) — it all comes back to the seven senses.” She offers a playful example: “If your mom and your boss say the same thing to you, you’ll feel it differently, define it differently, think up a different response, act on it, and then see how it lands.”
She jokes that after more than 20 years as an occupational therapist, this is her first time teaming up with the creative sector through PMQ Seed. “Stepping outside the therapy silo to collaborate across disciplines is great — it makes the seven senses more relatable and visible to the public. The seven senses are innate to everyone. It’s not only SEN children — every person needs to develop them.” PMQ Seed’s Creative Summer Festival features special programs, including Embarking on the Sensory Journey led by SAHK. While Primary 2 to 4 students dive into hands-on sensory play, parents can join a talk by occupational therapists to learn how sensory integration supports children’s creative development.
On the Embarking on the Sensory Journey program, Cherie says: “Life is a journey from birth to the end — along the way, we face challenges across all our senses. Can children learn to appreciate themselves and dare to try? That’s the heart of the game.” For example, in the Sensory Forest, kids touch materials with different textures, craft their own props, roll across the floor, and complete missions — defeating monsters and winning sensory treasures. “We end with a reflection segment, helping children see that even if they stand at different points along the sensory spectrum and respond to input in their own ways, they can still value their willingness to try and to take part, doing their best to complete each task. With positive sensory feedback and lived experiences, they’ll be more willing to try again next time — and that’s how creativity grows. In many ways, that’s the journey of life.”
About SAHK
Founded in 1963, in upholding its belief in “Succeed and Advance”, SAHK is dedicated to provide a wide range of education and rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities at all ages. The Association’s four core services are “Children and Family Support Service”, “Special Education”, “Adult Service” and “Community Support Service”. At present, under the auspice of the Association, a total of 84 service units and Specialised Programmes currently provide services to around 29,000 families per annum.
