About sensory sensitivities and autism
Our environments are full of sensory information, including noise, crowds, light,
clothing, temperature and so on. We process this information using our senses –
sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.
Autistic children are sometimes oversensitive or undersensitive to sensory
information. This means their senses take in either too much or too little information
from the environment around them.
Not all autistic children have sensory sensitivities, but some might have several.
Oversensitive to sensory information
When autistic children are oversensitive to sensory information, it’s called
hypersensitivity. These children try to avoid sensory experiences – for example, they
might cover their ears when they hear loud noises, eat only foods with a certain
texture or taste, wear only certain types of loose-fitting clothing, or resist having
haircuts or brushing teeth.
Undersensitive to sensory information
When autistic children are undersensitive to sensory information, it’s called
hyposensitivity. These children seek out sensory experiences – for example, they
might wear tight-fitting clothing, look for things to touch, hear or taste, or rub their
arms and legs against things. Most of the time to experience sensory stimulation,
undersensitive children resort to self-harm inflicting activities such as— violently
biting and scratching their own body, bang their heads against the wall and hit
themselves in other ways.
Oversensitive and undersensitive to sensory information
Some children can have both oversensitivities and undersensitivities in different
senses, or even the same sense. For example, they might be oversensitive to some
sound frequencies and undersensitive to others.
Typically developing children have sensory sensitivities too, but they often outgrow
them. Sensory sensitivities tend to last longer in autistic children, although children
often learn to manage sensitivities as they get older.
Sensory sensitivities can sometimes seem worse when children are stressed or
anxious. Sensitivities can also make children feel stressed and anxious.
Sensory problems can affect a child’s whole family. For example, if a child is
oversensitive to noise, it can limit where the child’s family goes or the kinds of
activities the family does.
Signs of sensory sensitivities in autistic children and teenagers
The outward signs of sensory sensitivities vary depending on whether children are
oversensitive or undersensitive. Here are some examples of different sensory
sensitivities:
- Sight: undersensitive children might like bright colours. Oversensitive children
might squint or seem uncomfortable in sunlight or glare.
- Touch: under sensitive children might seek out different textures or rub their
arms and legs against things. Oversensitive children might not like the
sensation of labels on the inside of clothes or try to take their clothes off.
- Taste: undersensitive children might enjoy eating strongly flavoured food like
onions and olives. Oversensitive children might eat only certain textured food.
- Smell: undersensitive children might sniff everything. Oversensitive children
might complain about smells like deodorants or perfumes or smell things that
no-one else does.
- Sound: undersensitive children might turn up music or speak loudly.
Oversensitive children might cover their ears to block out loud noises.
- Sense of position, balance and movement: undersensitive children might
have unstable balance. Oversensitive children might have excellent balance.
- Temperature: undersensitive children might want to wear warm clothes in
summer heat. Oversensitive children might not feel the cold and want to wear
shorts in winter.
- Pain: undersensitive children might ignore injuries or have delayed responses
to injuries. Oversensitive children might overreact to little hurts.
Helping autistic children and teenagers with sensory sensitivities
What you do to help your autistic child with sensory sensitivities depends on how
your child reacts to sensory information.
If your child is easily overwhelmed by sensory information, you could try the
following:
- Have a ‘quiet space’ your child can go to when they feel overwhelmed.
- Give your child extra time to take in what you’re saying.
- Introduce your child to new places at quiet times, gradually increasing the
amount of time they spend there in later visits.
- Let your child try ear plugs or noise-cancelling headphones to help with sound
sensitivities.
It’s also a good idea to speak with people ahead of time about your child’s needs if
you’re going somewhere – people might be able to adjust a few things to make it
easier. For example, if you’re making a playdate for your child, you could ask for it to
be in a place that’s familiar to your child. You could look out for cinemas that have
‘sensory friendly’ movie screenings.
If your child needs more stimulation from the environment, you could try these
suggestions:
- Arrange for extra playtime outside.
- Give your child toys that are extra-stimulating, like playdough or a squishy ball.
- Have a certain time of the day to listen to music or bounce on the trampoline.
- Speak loudly in an exaggerated way if your child tends to ignore sounds.
Awareness of pain
Some autistic children who are undersensitive might seem to be less aware of pain.
For example, children might not notice when objects are too hot, or they don’t react
to experiences that typically developing children find painful, like breaking an arm in
a bad fall.
We don’t know much about how autistic children process pain sensations. It might
be that they express pain differently from other children.
Helping children who seem less aware of pain
If your child seems unaware of pain or has a reduced sense of pain, there are several
things you can do to help:
- Teach your child which objects are hot and cold: You could try labelling objects
in your house as ‘hot’ or ‘cold’, using either words or symbols, like fire and ice.
- Keep dangerous objects out of reach: Cover hot objects like the stove
immediately after use.
- Talk with your child’s health professionals: Health professionals rely on cues
like facial expressions or actions to know whether your child is experiencing
pain, so it’s important for them to know if your child expresses pain in an
unusual way.
Getting help for sensory sensitivities
Occupational therapists can assess your child's sensory sensitivities and develop a
plan for managing them. They can also help you come up with appropriate strategies
if your child self-stimulates or ‘stims’.
Dietitians and speech pathologists might be able to help if your child has taste and
smell sensitivities that also cause eating issues.
If you think some sensory issues are happening because your child isn’t seeing
properly, you could get your child’s vision checked by an optometrist. This will help
rule out any visual problems.
If your child ignores sounds and people speaking, you could get your child’s hearing
checked by an audiologist. This will help you rule out any hearing problems.
If your child’s behavior hurts themselves or other people, it’s best to get professional
advice. An experienced professional can help you understand and manage your
child’s behavior. A good first step is talking with your pediatrician or psychologist.
