The Impact of Sensory Overload

Can you imagine not being able to look at flashing lights at Christmas? Or listen to your favorite song because it’s too loud? Or hug a loving relative because their hair is too rough? This is a reality for many on the autism spectrum. On a daily basis, many of them have to be careful about their immediate surroundings, lest they be overwhelmed by their environment.

While those that have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) greatly vary in how their condition affects them, there are a number of similarities between them. One of these similarities is that many of them suffer from sensory overload.

Sensory overload occurs when an excess of one or more of the five senses, sound, sight, touch, taste, and smell, prove to be too much for a person. This often means that those that suffer from it are physically unable to handle being in an overly loud environment, such as a concert or sporting event. Sound is the most often heard about sense that causes people to go into overload.

“Loud, busy environment can really overload me. When I go into overload, I tend to break down. I cry, rock back and forth, things like that.” College student Sam Pinnell said.

However, sound alone does not generate such a reaction. As stated, there are five senses in total. Bright, flashing lights can cause just as negative a reaction. Displays of Christmas lights, laser shows, and other similar events can easily cause someone to get overwhelmed.

“I’m not someone who struggles with sounds a lot, but I have issues with lights. I have to have my roommates warn me before they turned on the overhead lights. I physically could not look at the camera, and no one ever understood.” College student AJ Orndorff said.

Whenever a person enters sensory overload, it can generate an extremely negative reaction in them. In many cases, the afflicted person can suffer a public meltdown. They may cry, scream, or beg to be taken from their environment. At its worst, it can even cause them to hurt themselves in an effort to escape their distress.

“It’s really easy for me to get to self-harm levels when it gets too loud. Whenever I get really overloaded, I tend to hit the side of my head.” Pinnell said.

So what can be done to help people relieve their distress? The best method would be communication. Those that suffer from sensory overload should make those around them aware of their sensory issues. Telling parents, friends, or roommates about what they can and cannot handle.

Of course, communication is a two-way street. It is up to the other party to understand this person’s limitations and respond to them in a positive manner. They must be aware of what they can or cannot do around someone with sensory overload issues. Places they may or may not be able to take them. Loud, busy environments are often the worst places to take someone who has sensory issues, but they are hardly the only ones. Even the simplest of places can create the most negative of outcomes.

“I get incredibly distressed in crowds, places with bright lights, and noisy environments. I also get overwhelmed in environments I am unfamiliar with. Grocery stores are the worst when it comes to this.” College student Janelle Quilici said.

Sensory overload issues can be prevalent in people with ASD, particularly children. Children already have more sensitive hearing than adults do, and adding a sensory overload issue on top of that is a recipe for disaster. But that hardly means they are the only ones. ASD, like the sensory overload that often comes with it, may be most often diagnosed in children, but they are not the only ones who suffer from it. ASD is not a condition that can be outgrown as youths transfer into adulthood. It is something that they are stuck with for life. All that can be done is to try and manage it throughout adult life.

For those with sensory overload issues, this means that they must be aware of what causes them to go into overload and take steps to avoid that which may trigger their overload. Or, in instances where these triggers cannot be avoided, do what is necessary to lessen the effects. Bringing a pair of earmuffs to a loud environment or sunglasses to a bright one may make the difference between having a meltdown or not. Taking steps such as this can keep individuals like Pinnell, Orndorff, and Quilici from suffering public distress from forces out of their control.