My son and daughter are both autistic. They each struggle with sensory differences which make them hypersensitive to the environmental stimuli around them. My son is sensitive to sounds, smells, and tastes. If I’m cooking something in the kitchen, he will run through the house opening all of the windows. If something burns, he will make his way out of the house and pace until the smell is gone. My daughter is sensitive to sights and touch. To her, getting a hug is painful. She balks at having her back rubbed or her leg patted in an attempt to comfort her.
Processing sensory information can be difficult for autistic individuals. Hypersensitivity to the environment can lead to sensory overload, and an inability to filter out sensory information as it is received. When this happens, it is called Sensory Processing Disorder. In Sensory Processing Disorder, individuals react to sights, sounds, smells, and textures around them. Sensory overload can cause anxiety, lack of concentration, agitation, increased heart rate, and a desire to leave the situation immediately.
Hyposensitivity to environmental stimuli is another outcome seen in autistic individuals. An individual may have poor depth perception, hear out of only one ear, have no sense of smell, find flavors and textures of food upsetting, and have a high pain threshold.
There are several interventions to help individuals with sensory differences work on overcoming their hyper- and hypo-sensitivities. Individuals with hypersensitivities may benefit from:
- Noise-cancelling headphones
- Reducing fluorescent lighting
- Using black-out curtains
- Using unscented shampoos and detergents
- Considering Occupational Therapy
Individuals with hyposensitivities may benefit from:
- Using visual supports to back up verbal information
- Using weighted blankets and vests
- Using soaps and fragrances with strong smells
- Encouraging the use of swings
- Considering Occupational Therapy
Sensory sensitivities can affect activities of daily living. Individuals may struggle to brush their hair, shave, or put on make-up. If your teen or young adult is struggling in these areas, it’s important to determine which sensory demands are the problem. For example, do the hard bristles on the hair brush hurt her scalp? Does the razor cause irritating razor burn? Is the texture of the make-up uncomfortable on her skin? These are all the types of questions one needs to ask when questioning the sensory demands.
There are many opportunities available for intervention. If hair brushing is the problem, consider trying different conditioners, detangling sprays, and hairbrushes. For difficulties with shaving there are different shaving creams and razors to try. Many individuals on the spectrum like using electric razors. There are some available that are quieter and vibrate less. Finally, when it comes to the textures of make-up, there are many brands and types available to be tried. Using a trial-and-error method, it may be possible to pick the right make-up.
The environment the activity is done in can also play an important role. Consider the lighting, temperature, and noise in the room and determine whether there are changes that could be made to make the area more comfortable from a sensory perspective. This will depend a lot on whether your teen or young adult is hypersensitive or hyposensitive to sensory stimuli.
The first step that should be taken if you suspect that your child has sensory sensitivities is to make an appointment with their primary care provider for a physical to rule out any medical conditions and confirm the sensory issues. From there, you can decide on whether Occupational Therapy is an option for you and get information about other forms of intervention. With intervention, many children do well. Most children also find that their symptoms lessen as they enter adulthood, although many adults do continue to have mild symptoms.