Sensory issues are a common difficulty experienced by both autistic children and adults. Sensory differences are one of the diagnostic criteria that we explore when assessing individuals for autism.
Sensory issues can be experienced as hyper- or hypo-sensitivity. Hyper-sensitivity means that an individual is more sensitive to sensory input, whereas hypo-sensitivity means that the individual is less sensitive.
Hyper-sensitivity tends to cause individuals to avoid or become distressed in response to the sensory stimuli they are sensitive to.
Hypo-sensitivity tends to cause sensory-seeking behaviours as the individual tries to source sensory feedback from the stimuli they are less sensitive to.
What senses are affected?
Sensory information from external and internal sources is perceived through an individual’s sensory organs and processed by their nervous system. We have 8 sensory systems, which can all be affected by hyper- or hypo-sensitivity. Some children and adults have issues across multiple sensory systems, others may only be affected in one area.
The 8 sensory systems
We have 8 sensory systems, which help us to process both internal and external sensory information. Our sensory systems allow us to understand and interact with the world around us, and play a significant role in keeping us safe and well. Our 8 sensory systems are:
Auditory: Located in our ears, this is our sense of hearing which allows us to gather information about and recognise sounds in the environment
Vision: Located in our mouths, this is our sensory system relating to sight, allowing us to process information about what we see
Gustatory: The gustatory system is located in the mouth and is the system that relates to taste
Olfactory: Our olfactory system is located in the nose and allows us to process smells in our surroundings
Tactile: Located in our skin, and mouth, this system allows us to gather information about things we touch and others who touch us
Vestibular: Located in the inner ear, the vestibular system monitors balance and movement, this sense lets us know which way up we are and whether we are moving or still
Proprioception: Located within our joints and muscles, the proprioceptive system provides information about muscle movement and the weight of objects
Interoception: Located within organs throughout our body, the interoceptive system provides us with internal sensory information, such as hunger, temperature, pain and needing the toilet
Sensory modulation
Sensory modulation refers to how our central nervous system regulates sensory information. It is the process that allows us to pay attention to things that are important and to remove attention from things that are not relevant to us at a particular time. It is also the process that allows us to recognise when something is ‘too much’ or ‘not enough’. Problems with the sensory modulation processes in the central nervous system also cause the hypo- and hyper-sensitivity that is often experienced by autistic children and adults.
Recognising sensory issues
Hypersensitivity
When someone is hyper-sensitive to sensory stimuli, their sensory systems are over responsive. This can cause extreme distress, such as becoming extremely upset or even vomiting, or can be experienced as irritability or annoyance. Often, those with hypersensitivity will try to avoid the stimuli that causes them distress. Signs of hypersensitivity across the sensory systems include:
Auditory: Distressed or bothered by loud noises, places hands over ears in response to certain noises, has ‘fear’ of noisy objects (such as hand dryers), hears sounds before others do. Dislike of certain sounds such as chewing or tapping
Vision: Distressed by bright or fluorescent lighting, preferring dark spaces, difficulty in colourful environments, or environments where there is a lot of visual information, sees tiny things such as fluff on the carpet
Gustatory: Has a limited diet, prefers ‘beige’ foods, recognises when food is a different brand, struggles with toothpaste
Olfactory: Smells things before others or things that others cannot smell, dislikes the smell of certain foods, becomes unwell around certain smells, finds perfume or cleaning products offensive
Tactile: Sensitive to having hair brushed or cut, dislikes being touched, irritated by seams or labels, dislikes certain food textures, does not like the sensation of certain materials such as sand, slime or velvet
Vestibular: Does not like to be swung or lifted, dislikes lifts or escalators, becomes dizzy easily and avoids roundabouts or funfair rides
Proprioception: Rarely falls over, appears to have very good balance, struggles with fine motor tasks such as picking up small objects or holding a pencil
Interoception: Is overly sensitive to internal body signals, such as feeling hungry often or needing the loo more frequently. Has a low pain threshold, is very sensitive to temperature, often feeling too hot or too cold
Hyposensitivity
When someone is hyposensitive to sensory stimuli, it means that they have low registration of sensory input. This can cause them to miss information or to seek out sensory information; this is called sensory-seeking behaviour.
Auditory: Seems oblivious to certain sounds, does not hear someone calling them, struggles to differentiate sounds, prefers to listen to music through headphones
Vision: Enjoying watching moving objects, getting up close to the television, enjoying watching light reflecting off objects or water
Gustatory: Cannot differentiate between different foods, prefers strong or spicy foods, eats inedible items, licks objects or people
Olfactory: Does not seem to notice smells, cannot tell when foods have gone off, sniffs objects and/or people
Tactile: Calms self by touching objects or a special item, strokes toys, pinches, bites or scratches self, doesn’t notice nose running or when bleeding
Vestibular: Enjoys rocking or spinning self, struggles to stay still, likes swings and trampolines
Proprioception: Walks ‘heavily’, appears clumsy and often bumps into things, enjoys heavy bedding, struggles to ride a bike, climbs often and enjoys jumping
Interoception: Struggles to know when needs the toilet, high pain threshold, does not seem to feel the cold or heat, struggles to recognise emotions
Understanding a child’s sensory profile
As an autistic child may not be able to communicate their difficulties with you, understanding their sensory profile will need to be completed through observing behaviours and reactions to certain stimuli.
Often, sensory issues can involve more than one sensory system; for example, eating issues could stem from a dislike of certain tastes (gustatory hypersensitivity) or a dislike of certain textures (tactile hypersensitivity).
By keeping a diary of triggers and behaviours over a few weeks, you will be able to use the patterns of your observations to understand a child’s sensory profile.
Supporting sensory issues
As we have discussed in this article, an individual’s sensory needs can vary, and the first step in being able to support an individual’s sensory needs is to understand your or your loved one’s individual profile.
When the profile is understood, a sensory diet can be developed to help the individual regulate their sensory system.
A sensory diet essentially involves providing activities or resources that provide sensory stimulation in the areas where hypo-sensitivity is experienced and avoiding or providing equipment to reduce stimulation in the areas where hyper-sensitivity is experienced.
Examples include:
Sound hypersensitivity: providing ear defenders, avoiding busy times in the canteen
Proprioceptive hyposensitivity: scheduling time for climbing at the park, offering a cart to push
Tactile hyposensitivity: offering stimulating items such as slime, Play-Doh doh or kinetic sand
When offering activities that stimulate a sensory pathway, be careful that a child does not go from being understimulated to overstimulated; you may need to time-limit activities.
Providing an autism friendly sensory environment
Children and adults can easily become overwhelmed in busy environments due to the various sources of sensory stimulation. By creating and maintaining a low arousal environment, or even a low stimulus space in the environment, you can help maintain sensory regulation.
A low stimulus or sensory neutral environment can include:
- Neutral colours and minimal decor
- Keeping the area clutter-free
- Avoiding bright or fluorescent lights, try natural or dimmed lighting
- Switching on extractor fans (if quiet) to reduce kitchen smells
- Speaking quietly and keeping the TV or music volume low
About us
We are a specialist autism assessment service that provides autism assessment for adults and children from the age of 2. If you or a loved one are experiencing sensory issues and wondering whether the issues may be related to autism, contact us to discuss an autism assessment. We offer free screening for children and adults.
