Introduction
If you are autistic, you may have spent much of your life feeling that you experience the world differently from other people. You may find yourself overwhelmed by sounds that others barely notice, distracted by flickering lights, comforted by certain movements or textures, or unsure why you become exhausted after spending time in busy environments.
These experiences are common among autistic people. Sensory differences are recognised as a core feature of autism in the DSM-5-TR and are often a significant part of daily life. They are not a sign that something is wrong with you. Rather, they reflect differences in how your nervous system receives, processes and responds to sensory information.
Many autistic adults describe finally understanding their sensory needs as a turning point in their self-understanding. What may once have felt like personal weaknesses or quirks can begin to make sense when viewed through a sensory lens.
This article explores the different sensory systems, how sensory differences may affect you in adulthood and practical strategies you can use to support your wellbeing.
Understanding Your Sensory System
Your brain constantly receives information from both your environment and your body.
Most people are familiar with five senses:
- Sight (visual)
- Hearing (auditory)
- Touch (tactile)
- Taste (gustatory)
- Smell (olfactory)
However, there are three additional sensory systems that are equally important:
- Proprioception – your awareness of where your body is in space
- Vestibular processing – your sense of movement and balance
- Interoception – your awareness of what is happening inside your body
You may find that you seek sensory input in some areas while avoiding it in others.
For example, you might love strong flavours and loud music but find touch and bright lighting overwhelming. There is no “typical” autistic sensory profile. Your sensory experiences are unique to you.
Visual (Sight) Sensory Differences
Your visual system processes light, movement, colour and visual detail.
You Might Seek Visual Input By:
- Watching moving patterns or lights
- Enjoying visually stimulating videos or games
- Being fascinated by clouds, water, fire or spinning objects
- Focusing intensely on small visual details
- Enjoying photography, art or graphic design
You Might Avoid Visual Input By:
- Feeling overwhelmed in supermarkets
- Finding fluorescent lighting painful or distracting
- Becoming exhausted in visually busy environments
- Struggling with cluttered workspaces
- Avoiding eye contact because it feels uncomfortable or distracting
Strategies You Can Try:
- Use natural lighting where possible
- Reduce visual clutter in your home and workspace
- Use dark mode on electronic devices
- Wear sunglasses, tinted lenses or caps when needed
- Create a low-stimulation space where you can recover from visual overload
Auditory (Hearing) Sensory Differences
Many autistic adults report that sound is one of their biggest sensory challenges.
You may hear everything at once, making it difficult to filter background noise.
You Might Seek Auditory Input By:
- Listening to music repeatedly
- Enjoying rhythmic sounds
- Humming or singing
- Having background noise while working
- Listening to podcasts throughout the day
You Might Avoid Auditory Input By:
- Feeling overwhelmed in restaurants
- Struggling in open-plan offices
- Becoming exhausted after meetings
- Finding public transport stressful
- Reacting strongly to alarms, hand dryers or sudden noises
Strategies You Can Try:
- Use noise-cancelling headphones
- Wear earplugs in challenging environments
- Schedule recovery time after noisy situations
- Take regular breaks during social events
- Ask for quieter meeting spaces when possible
Many autistic adults report that reducing auditory overload significantly improves both wellbeing and concentration.
Tactile (Touch) Sensory Differences
Touch sensitivities can influence everything from your clothing choices to social interactions.
You Might Seek Touch Input By:
- Enjoying deep pressure
- Using weighted blankets
- Seeking comforting textures
- Using fidget items
- Wrapping yourself in blankets
You Might Avoid Touch Input By:
- Disliking certain fabrics
- Removing labels from clothing
- Avoiding jewellery, watches or make-up
- Feeling uncomfortable with unexpected touch
- Finding some personal care activities difficult
Strategies You Can Try:
- Prioritise comfort over social expectations
- Choose sensory-friendly clothing
- Remove labels or modify clothing when needed
- Communicate your touch preferences to those around you
- Use weighted products if they help you feel calm and regulated
Remember that accommodating your sensory needs is not self-indulgent. It is a form of self-care.
Taste (Gustatory) Sensory Differences
Food experiences are often heavily influenced by sensory processing.
You Might Seek Taste Input By:
- Enjoying strong flavours
- Preferring spicy foods
- Seeking crunchy textures
- Chewing gum regularly
- Enjoying very sweet, sour or salty foods
You Might Avoid Taste Input By:
- Avoiding certain textures
- Having a limited range of preferred foods
- Finding mixed textures difficult
- Being highly sensitive to particular flavours
- Rejecting foods based on appearance as well as taste
Strategies You Can Try:
- Focus on nutritional balance rather than forcing yourself to eat certain foods
- Expand your diet gradually if you choose to
- Respect your sensory preferences
- Work with a dietitian if nutritional intake becomes limited
A restricted diet is not necessarily a problem if your nutritional needs are being met.
Olfactory (Smell) Sensory Differences
Your sense of smell may have a bigger impact on your wellbeing than you realise.
You Might Seek Smell Input By:
- Enjoying specific scents
- Using essential oils
- Finding comfort in familiar smells
- Seeking scented products
You Might Avoid Smell Input By:
- Feeling overwhelmed by perfume
- Avoiding crowded spaces because of smells
- Becoming nauseous around certain odours
- Noticing scents that other people seem unaware of
Strategies You Can Try:
- Use fragrance-free products when possible
- Carry preferred scents that help you feel calm
- Identify environments that trigger sensory overload
- Talk to employers about fragrance sensitivities if needed
Proprioception: Your Body Awareness Sense
Proprioception tells you where your body is in space and how much force you are using.
Many autistic adults find proprioceptive input highly regulating and calming.
You Might Seek Proprioceptive Input By:
- Enjoying weight training
- Carrying heavy bags
- Crashing onto beds or sofas
- Leaning against furniture
- Chewing objects
- Seeking tight hugs or compression clothing
Strategies You Can Try:
Activities often described as “heavy work” may help you feel calmer and more organised, including:
- Weightlifting
- Resistance training
- Swimming
- Gardening
- Carrying shopping bags
- Pilates
- Yoga
Many autistic adults find that regular proprioceptive activities reduce anxiety and improve focus.
Vestibular Processing: Your Movement and Balance Sense
Your vestibular system helps you understand movement, balance and spatial orientation.
You Might Seek Vestibular Input By:
- Rocking when thinking
- Pacing when stressed
- Enjoying cycling or dancing
- Using a rocking chair
- Seeking movement throughout the day
You Might Avoid Vestibular Input By:
- Experiencing travel sickness
- Avoiding rollercoasters
- Disliking escalators or lifts
- Feeling uncomfortable during movement-based activities
- Avoiding sports or activities that involve balance challenges
Strategies You Can Try:
- Build movement into your daily routine
- Take regular walking breaks
- Explore yoga, dance or swimming
- Use movement-based seating if it helps concentration
- Experiment with gentle rocking, stretching or movement breaks
The key is discovering which types of movement feel regulating for your nervous system.
Interoception: Understanding What Your Body Is Telling You
Interoception refers to your awareness of internal body sensations.
It helps you recognise:
- Hunger
- Thirst
- Fatigue
- Pain
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Needing the toilet
- Temperature changes
- Emotional states
Research suggests that many autistic adults experience differences in interoception.
You May Notice That You:
- Forget to eat until you feel faint
- Miss signs that you are thirsty
- Don’t recognise fatigue until you are exhausted
- Struggle to identify emotions
- Fail to notice rising stress levels
- Find it difficult to explain how you feel
Alternatively, you may be extremely aware of bodily sensations and find them overwhelming.
Strategies You Can Try:
- Set reminders to eat and drink
- Use regular body check-ins throughout the day
- Monitor your energy levels
- Keep a journal of physical sensations and emotions
- Use emotion scales to identify patterns
You might ask yourself:
- “What sensations can I notice in my body right now?”
Over time, this can improve both emotional awareness and self-regulation.
Creating Your Own Sensory Diet
A sensory diet is not a food diet. It is a personalised plan of sensory activities that help your nervous system stay regulated throughout the day.
Rather than waiting until you reach sensory overload, a sensory diet aims to meet your sensory needs proactively.
Ask yourself:
- What activities help me feel calm?
- What environments drain my energy?
- What sensory experiences help me focus?
- What situations consistently lead to overwhelm?
Your sensory diet might include:
Morning:
- Exercise
- Deep pressure input
- Predictable routines
- Preferred music
During Work or Study:
- Movement breaks
- Noise-cancelling headphones
- Hydration reminders
- Fidget tools
- Access to quiet spaces
After Work:
- Time alone
- Walking outdoors
- Engaging in special interests
- Physical activity
- Reduced social demands
Evening:
- Dim lighting
- Comfortable clothing
- Weighted blankets
- Reading
- Warm baths
- Low-demand activities
Sensory Differences, Mental Health and Autistic Burnout
Many autistic adults report that years of ignoring sensory needs contribute to chronic stress, anxiety and autistic burnout.
When sensory overload becomes a regular part of life, you may experience:
- Exhaustion
- Reduced tolerance for sensory input
- Increased anxiety
- Emotional overwhelm
- Difficulty functioning in everyday life
Meeting your sensory needs is not a luxury. It is a legitimate and important part of maintaining your mental health.
Final Thoughts
Your sensory differences are not something you need to overcome. They are part of how you experience and navigate the world. Understanding your sensory profile can help explain why some situations feel exhausting while others feel calming, why certain environments support your wellbeing and why some activities help you recover from stress.
A neurodiversity-affirming approach recognises that there is no “correct” way to experience sensory information. Rather than forcing yourself to tolerate sensory distress, you can develop strategies that work with your nervous system rather than against it. By understanding your visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, olfactory, proprioceptive, vestibular and interoceptive needs, you can create an environment and lifestyle that supports your wellbeing, reduces overwhelm and helps you thrive as your authentic autistic self.
References
American Psychiatric Association (2022) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). 5th edn. Washington, DC: APA Publishing.
Crane, L., Adams, F., Harper, G., Welch, J. and Pellicano, E. (2019) ‘”Something needs to change”: Mental health experiences of young autistic adults in England’, Autism, 23(2), pp. 477–493.
DuBois, D., Ameis, S.H., Lai, M.C., Casanova, M.F. and Desarkar, P. (2016) ‘Interoception in autism spectrum disorder: A review’, International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 52, pp. 104–111.
Mahler, K. (2019) The Interoception Curriculum: A Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Mindful Self-Regulation. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.
Robertson, C.E. and Baron-Cohen, S. (2017) ‘Sensory perception in autism’, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 18(11), pp. 671–684.
Schaaf, R.C. and Lane, A.E. (2015) ‘Toward a best-practice protocol for assessment of sensory features in autism spectrum disorder’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(5), pp. 1380–1395.
Hume, K., Steinbrenner, J.R., Odom, S.L., Morin, K.L., Nowell, S.W., Tomaszewski, B., Szendrey, S., McIntyre, N.S., Yucesoy-Ozkan, S. and Savage, M.N. (2021) ‘Evidence-based practices for children, youth and young adults with autism: Third generation review’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(11), pp. 4013–4032.
