Sensory sensitivities impact many autistic people every day. They can majorly affect our ability to engage with life, but they can also bring a great deal of sensory pleasure.
We tend to be either hypersensitive, meaning we overreact to stimuli, or hyposensitive, which means we under respond to stimuli. The way this impacts autistic people varies from person to person, but even as an individual, your sensory sensitivities can vary at different times.
To explain sensory differences a bit further, I’m going to talk through each of the senses in turn. Although I’ll describe these in categories of hypo and hyper-sensitivity for ease of understanding, the distinctions aren’t so binary. For example, I’m hypersensitive to some textures but hyposensitive to others – and this can change from day to day or even hour to hour!
I’ll also share some tips and tricks that I’ve found helpful in managing my sensitivities. Remember these are personal to me though, and you might find different things work better for you – it’s definitely a bit of a ‘trial and error’ process, so keep trying until you find your own solution.
Sound
This tends to be the first sense that most people think autistic people struggle with. The classic image of someone with their hands over their ears probably springs to mind. And it’s fair to say that hypersensitivity to sounds can be a struggle for a lot of autistic people, myself included. Sometimes this is loud noises, sometimes it’s irritating background noises, and sometimes it’s just lots of different sounds happening at the same time. If I’m not careful, this can lead to meltdowns, panic attacks, or exhaustion.
However, you may be hyposensitive to sound. You may not respond to certain sounds, you might enjoy loud environments, or you might have trouble with hearing. This could lead to constantly seeking this sensory input, whether this is in the form of loud music, making noises, or another way you’ve found to meet this need.
Tips that have worked for me
- Wear ear defenders! I particularly like loop earplugs
- Noise-cancelling headphones are great for reducing background noise or focusing more on the noise that works for you
- Reduce the sound within your environment as much as possible – this could even be something like remembering to turn the extractor fan off after cooking
Smell
Hypersensitivity to smell can be difficult when trying to navigate day-to-day life. Even something as simple as sitting on the bus can become a nightmare when someone sits next to you with strong perfume on! Suddenly our brains might be unable to process any other information besides the strong smell next to us!
Then again, you may be hyposensitive to smells and may have a very limited sense of smell. This could lead to being unaware of foul smells, or even smells which signify danger such as burning.
Tips that have worked for me
- Use unscented body care items, such as shower gel and moisturiser
- Remove scented air fresheners from your environment if possible
- Ensure safety measures such as smoke alarms are in place, and check them regularly
Sight
If you’re hypersensitive to sight, you may find yourself overwhelmed by bright or coloured lights. They may even be physically painful. Maybe they appear brighter for some of us than for non-autistic people – who knows. This can lead to headaches, dizziness, or other physical symptoms, as well as mental exhaustion and meltdowns.
On the other hand, if you’re hyposensitive to sight, you may have different colour perceptions, depth perceptions, or struggle focusing on detail.
Tips that have worked for me
- Dim the lighting – try using lamps with lower wattage bulbs
- Wear sunglasses to reduce glare when you’re out and about
- Blackout blinds can really help with getting to sleep and staying asleep
Touch
If you’re hypersensitive to touch, many daily tasks can be trickier. These can include choosing clothes to wear which don’t irritate your skin, brushing or washing your hair without it being painful, eating or not eating certain foods due to their textures, and maintaining relationships due to difficulties with physical affection.
If you’re hyposensitive to touch, you may have a very high pain threshold, which could put you in danger if you don’t realise that you’re hurt. You may eat inedible objects, or you might enjoy the feeling of pressure being applied.
Tips that have worked for me
- Weighted blankets can help to create a feeling of pressure and security and can also help you sleep better
- Try to buy seam-free clothing, and removing labels can really help!
- Carry fidget toys such as tangles – I’ve always got one on me somewhere
- Similarly to fidget toys, you may find chew toys are helpful
Taste
Have you ever heard of autistic people being described as “fussy-eaters”? This is a massive over-generalisation in my opinion, because this is not the case for all of us, but this is where it comes from: Some of us are hypersensitive to many tastes, meaning we may have a limited diet and only eat foods of certain textures.
However, if you’re hyposensitive to taste, you may enjoy very strong flavours, or eat objects which you shouldn’t!
Tips that have worked for me
- Prepare meals in advance so you’ve always got something you know you like ready to eat
- Seek advice from a dietician if necessary, particularly if you find your diet to be quite restrictive
Remember everyone’s different
It’s important to remember that sensory differences affect each autistic person differently, and you shouldn’t feel ashamed of how you experience your senses. Being able to identify your sensory difficulties and sensory pleasures may be a journey, but learning to recognise these and fulfil your needs can help massively in managing day-to-day life!
