It’s understandable to want to learn everything you can as a parent in order to support your child. It’s important to understand that while this may mention some specific instances, every child is unique and the best way to support your child may not be listed here, and so it’s vital to reach out to your local ABA clinic for support and build a tailored program that best suits their needs.
Autistic children are more likely than typically developing children to experience sensory overload or dysregulation, leading to problematic behavior. People with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often experience sensory overload because of their inability to filter external sensory input effectively. Because of the ineptitude to properly filter stimuli into a logical hierarchy, the brain interprets these stimuli as a danger (such as loud noises or intrusive flashing lights). Expecting rational, reasoned responses in the face of perceived harmful sensory stimuli can be impossible. Rather than treating sensory meltdowns as a behavioral problem, they should be viewed as a physiological issue.
What Causes Sensory Overload?
Sensory overload occurs when the intensity of stimuli overwhelms your ability to process them. Depending on the individual, it can be caused by a single incident, such as a loud noise or a buildup of sensory sensitivities. Intense fear, a desire to flee, or trouble communicating are all symptoms of sensory overload. Speech, decision-making, and information processing can all be put on hold when the brain must focus solely on sensory input.
Hypersensitivity and Sensory Overload
A wide range of stimuli can cause people with ASD to experience both hypersensitivity (too responsive to stimuli) and hyposensitivity (under-responsive to stimuli). Hypersensitivity to strong lights or specific light wavelengths is common among autistic individuals. It’s possible to become overly sensitive to certain sounds, scents, textures, and flavors. This can be physically and emotionally exhausting and leave the individual unable to perform other essential activities, leading to sensory avoidance. Sensory avoidance is the attempt to avoid sensations that most individuals can filter out, such as someone covering one’s ears to avoid loud or unpredictable noises or avoiding specific clothing.
Hyposensitivity is also a common symptom of sensory dysregulation. In a child with autism, this can look like an intense urge to move about, an inability to recognize basic needs like hunger or feeling sick, or a preference for loud noises, bright lights, and colorful colors. “Sensory seeking” behavior is a common coping mechanism for those with hyposensitivity.
Coping with Sensory Overload and Autism
Anxiety stemming from sensory overload can interfere with neurodivergent learners’ capability to process and implement their communication skills, working memory and mental flexibility.
Stimming (self-stimulation) is a common coping mechanism for autistic individuals who need to maintain a healthy balance in their sensory systems. Individuals with autism use stimming to keep calm, ease tension, or shut out unwanted sensory information, which they can achieve by engaging in repetitive motions, noises, or fidgeting. As a technique of “filtering” or “blocking” more stimuli, this behavior can often benefit a child with ASD experiencing sensory overload. There must be ways to deal with stress tailored to each child, considering their abilities, preferences, and level of comfort in each environment.
Identifying the Signs of Sensory Overload in Children with Autism
Excessive stimming, self-harm, trying to flee a situation, increased echolalia, and verbal outbursts are signs of sensory overload in people with ASD). Any time a youngster is easily triggered and begins to meltdown at loud noises or excitement, they could be experiencing sensory overload. A “fight or flight” reaction is triggered in your child’s Autonomic Nervous System when they are nervous or agitated. A child in this state will have issues communicating or talking, relying on auditorial information (such as verbal directions), and regulating their emotional state.
Individualize Strategies to Help Children with Autism and Sensory Overload
It is important to remember that each autistic person is unique in their sensory preferences. Neurodivergent children will require different coping skills depending on their developmental stage and emotional state. With the proper techniques and guidance, they may build their resilience and develop the skills to remain calm when sensory input is too extreme to manage properly.
Children with a wide range of challenges can benefit from incorporating sensory tactics and sensory play into their coping repertoire. Consider implementing some of these suggestions on their own while combining others with one or two others for maximum impact. Sensory coping strategies also include physical movement (proprioception and vestibular input), and other sensory-based tactics include awareness of one’s feelings (interoception).
How to Help a Child Who is Struggling with Sensory Overload
A “sensory diet” or sensory tools can help. Caregivers can soothe dysregulated children using squeeze balls, therapeutic putty, or blowing bubbles. A sensory seeker will like having a variety of items to choose from. Fidget spinners, a squeeze ball, a tangle toy, and therapeutic putty are great options. Some children enjoy sucking on ice, while others may prefer to chew on gum. Sensory play, such as a water table, sand tub, or water beads, is beneficial for sensory reorganization.
Children can use headphones to shut out loud noises or situations. Alternatively, listening to preferred, calming music can also help a child in sensory overload. They can use aromatherapy to calm the senses through smell. Utilize child-appropriate mindfulness strategies to strengthen emotional awareness.
Any time you are away from home or when your child is in a state of sensory overload, allow access to safe, quiet, non-stimulating areas. You can use a small tent within a room to create a separate space in your home.
To keep your child’s sensory dysregulation under control, avoid the places you know will cause your child to become too sensitive to stimuli. Do your best to create a getaway plan for your child if you find yourself in an upsetting circumstance.
Therapeutic Strategies that can Help Children with Sensory Overload and Autism
Apollo’s RBTs (Registered Behavior Technicians) can provide your child with tools to promote resiliency during stressful situations and prevent emotional dysregulation. Through ABA, our RBTs work on improving communicative skills that will allow your child to express their needs appropriately, averting meltdowns. ABA can support your child’s ability to identify, categorize, and express different emotions. These skills will help them interpret social and contextual cues and determine how their emotions influence the outcome of a given situation. Your child’s behavioral team can also brainstorm effective and individualized calming techniques that will serve your child in assisting them in regulating their emotional outbursts.
It’s essential to keep in mind that every child is an individual and has individual needs. Because of a wide range of factors, children have difficulty dealing with situations and require a personalized solution. Issues with auditory processing or a poor threshold for frustration are just the tip of the iceberg in the maze of difficulties we understand with sensory overload.
Bennie, M. (2020). Calming Strategies to Support an Autistic Person. Autism Awareness Centre Inc. Retrieved from https://autismawarenesscentre.com/calming-strategies-to-support-a-person-with-autism/.
Coping Strategies and Resilience | Autism Toolbox. Autismtoolbox.co.uk. Retrieved from http://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk/coping-strategies-and-resilience-0.
Sensory Issues | Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks. Retrieved from https://www.autismspeaks.org/sensory-issues.
Suarez, M. (2012). Sensory Processing in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Impact on Functioning. Pediatric Clinics Of North America, 59(1), 203-214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2011.10.012
Tips to Help Children with Sensory Overload and Autism
It’s understandable to want to learn everything you can as a parent in order to support your child. It’s important to understand that while this may mention some specific instances, every child is unique and the best way to support your child may not be listed here, and so it’s vital to reach out to your local ABA clinic for support and build a tailored program that best suits their needs.
Autistic children are more likely than typically developing children to experience sensory overload or dysregulation, leading to problematic behavior. People with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often experience sensory overload because of their inability to filter external sensory input effectively. Because of the ineptitude to properly filter stimuli into a logical hierarchy, the brain interprets these stimuli as a danger (such as loud noises or intrusive flashing lights). Expecting rational, reasoned responses in the face of perceived harmful sensory stimuli can be impossible. Rather than treating sensory meltdowns as a behavioral problem, they should be viewed as a physiological issue.
What Causes Sensory Overload?
Sensory overload occurs when the intensity of stimuli overwhelms your ability to process them. Depending on the individual, it can be caused by a single incident, such as a loud noise or a buildup of sensory sensitivities. Intense fear, a desire to flee, or trouble communicating are all symptoms of sensory overload. Speech, decision-making, and information processing can all be put on hold when the brain must focus solely on sensory input.
Hypersensitivity and Sensory Overload
A wide range of stimuli can cause people with ASD to experience both hypersensitivity (too responsive to stimuli) and hyposensitivity (under-responsive to stimuli). Hypersensitivity to strong lights or specific light wavelengths is common among autistic individuals. It’s possible to become overly sensitive to certain sounds, scents, textures, and flavors. This can be physically and emotionally exhausting and leave the individual unable to perform other essential activities, leading to sensory avoidance. Sensory avoidance is the attempt to avoid sensations that most individuals can filter out, such as someone covering one’s ears to avoid loud or unpredictable noises or avoiding specific clothing.
Hyposensitivity is also a common symptom of sensory dysregulation. In a child with autism, this can look like an intense urge to move about, an inability to recognize basic needs like hunger or feeling sick, or a preference for loud noises, bright lights, and colorful colors. “Sensory seeking” behavior is a common coping mechanism for those with hyposensitivity.
Coping with Sensory Overload and Autism
Anxiety stemming from sensory overload can interfere with neurodivergent learners’ capability to process and implement their communication skills, working memory and mental flexibility.
Stimming (self-stimulation) is a common coping mechanism for autistic individuals who need to maintain a healthy balance in their sensory systems. Individuals with autism use stimming to keep calm, ease tension, or shut out unwanted sensory information, which they can achieve by engaging in repetitive motions, noises, or fidgeting. As a technique of “filtering” or “blocking” more stimuli, this behavior can often benefit a child with ASD experiencing sensory overload. There must be ways to deal with stress tailored to each child, considering their abilities, preferences, and level of comfort in each environment.
Identifying the Signs of Sensory Overload in Children with Autism
Excessive stimming, self-harm, trying to flee a situation, increased echolalia, and verbal outbursts are signs of sensory overload in people with ASD). Any time a youngster is easily triggered and begins to meltdown at loud noises or excitement, they could be experiencing sensory overload. A “fight or flight” reaction is triggered in your child’s Autonomic Nervous System when they are nervous or agitated. A child in this state will have issues communicating or talking, relying on auditorial information (such as verbal directions), and regulating their emotional state.
Individualize Strategies to Help Children with Autism and Sensory Overload
It is important to remember that each autistic person is unique in their sensory preferences. Neurodivergent children will require different coping skills depending on their developmental stage and emotional state. With the proper techniques and guidance, they may build their resilience and develop the skills to remain calm when sensory input is too extreme to manage properly.
Children with a wide range of challenges can benefit from incorporating sensory tactics and sensory play into their coping repertoire. Consider implementing some of these suggestions on their own while combining others with one or two others for maximum impact. Sensory coping strategies also include physical movement (proprioception and vestibular input), and other sensory-based tactics include awareness of one’s feelings (interoception).
How to Help a Child Who is Struggling with Sensory Overload
Therapeutic Strategies that can Help Children with Sensory Overload and Autism
Apollo’s RBTs (Registered Behavior Technicians) can provide your child with tools to promote resiliency during stressful situations and prevent emotional dysregulation. Through ABA, our RBTs work on improving communicative skills that will allow your child to express their needs appropriately, averting meltdowns. ABA can support your child’s ability to identify, categorize, and express different emotions. These skills will help them interpret social and contextual cues and determine how their emotions influence the outcome of a given situation. Your child’s behavioral team can also brainstorm effective and individualized calming techniques that will serve your child in assisting them in regulating their emotional outbursts.
It’s essential to keep in mind that every child is an individual and has individual needs. Because of a wide range of factors, children have difficulty dealing with situations and require a personalized solution. Issues with auditory processing or a poor threshold for frustration are just the tip of the iceberg in the maze of difficulties we understand with sensory overload.
References
7 Strategies for Coping with Sensory Overload. Multi-Sensory World. Retrieved from https://www.multi-sensoryworld.co.uk/blogs/sensory-needs-blog/7-strategies-for-coping-with-sensory-overload.
Beck, C. (2020). Coping Strategies for Kids – The OT Toolbox. The OT Toolbox. Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://www.theottoolbox.com/sensory-coping-strategies-for-kids/.
Bennie, M. (2020). Calming Strategies to Support an Autistic Person. Autism Awareness Centre Inc. Retrieved from https://autismawarenesscentre.com/calming-strategies-to-support-a-person-with-autism/.
Coping Strategies and Resilience | Autism Toolbox. Autismtoolbox.co.uk. Retrieved from http://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk/coping-strategies-and-resilience-0.
Sensory Issues | Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks. Retrieved from https://www.autismspeaks.org/sensory-issues.
Suarez, M. (2012). Sensory Processing in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Impact on Functioning. Pediatric Clinics Of North America, 59(1), 203-214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2011.10.012
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