Sensory Characteristics
Watch this short film to see what sensory overload may feel like for a person with Autism
People with ASD may have difficulty processing everyday sensory information, which can affect behavior.
Individuals can be hypo (under) react or hyper (over) react to sensory stimuli including sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, balance, body awareness.
The following list is not exhaustive but provides common examples
Here is a useful article on sensory processing disorder symptoms
www.additudemag.com/screener-sensory-processing-disorder-symptoms-test-children/
People with ASD may have difficulty processing everyday sensory information, which can affect behavior.
Individuals can be hypo (under) react or hyper (over) react to sensory stimuli including sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, balance, body awareness.
The following list is not exhaustive but provides common examples
- Visual (seeing) - e.g. stare at spinning objects, difficulty keeping their place when reading, bothered by fluorescent lights.
- Auditory (hearing) - e.g. covering ears on hearing loud noises, sudden noises such as a ringing telephone can be upsetting. may respond by covering their ears and making repetitive noises to drown out the offending sound. Inability to cut background noise, leading to difficulties concentrating. May be able to hear conversations in the distance. May ignore people speaking to them, appearing deaf.
- Tactile (touch) - avoid or prefer certain textures, surfaces or fabrics e.g. may be sensitive to the feel of labels in their clothes. May find specific types of touch e.g. light touch or deep pressure hug aversive.
- Taste - not eating certain foods, licking or tasting non food items. Eats or mouths non-edible items such as stones, dirt, soil, grass, metal (known as pica). Food acceptance or rejection based on manner of presentation or food texture.
- Smell - find specific strong smells aversive, may have no sense of smell and be unable to notice extreme odors
Here is a useful article on sensory processing disorder symptoms
www.additudemag.com/screener-sensory-processing-disorder-symptoms-test-children/