Sensory Overload
Specific areas in the brains of individuals with autism tend to overreact to sensory stimuli such as loud noise of a crowd/ traffic, and the touch of a furry sweater. Autistic children are particularly five times more likely than other neurotypical children to be overconsumed by sensations on a daily basis. Examples of these sensations include tastes/textures of foods, hot/cold temperatures, and so much more.
This condition is known as sensory over-responsivity, and it is recognized as one of the features at the root of autism spectrum disorder. Sensory over-responsivity is an extremely prevalent and impairing feature of many neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders.
Such heightened sensory perceptions lead to them being acutely aware of sounds/people touching their skin. These feelings of sensory overload have a huge chance of making social situations overwhelming and almost impossible to navigate.
Children with autism spectrum disorder are also characterized by abnormal sensitivity to touch, proprioceptive, and painful stimuli. Therefore, children who are high-functioning with the spectrum have strong reactions and heightened apprehension to hypersensitivity.
Sensory overload occurs when immense sensory stimulus takes place, overwhelming one’s ability to cope. It can be triggered by a single event, and build up over time. Such sensory issues look like:
Increased movement (jumping, spinning…)
Increased stimming (hand flapping, repetitive noises, rocking back and forth…)
Talking faster/louder
Staying completely silent
Covering ears/eyes
Frequent chewing on non-food items
Meltdowns
And so much more!
Sources:
Study Probes Why Kids With Autism Are Oversensitive to Touch, Noise
