Autistic sensory overload: what it is and how to help
By Helen Edgar and David Gray-Hammond · From the Re-Storying Autism workbook, Module 3
Sensory overload is a physiological state in which the nervous system is receiving more input than it can process. The body goes into an emergency survival mode; not by choice, but by necessity. Overload often looks like: - Meltdowns / shutdowns - Withdrawal - Running away - Freezing or going silent - Panic attacks - Irritability or sudden anger - Reduction in ability to communicate But within the body, it may feel like: - Needles of light - Crushing pressure - Sound vibrating through bone - Dizziness - Breathlessness - Nausea - Loss of orientation - Emotional flooding This is not oppositional behaviour. It is the way your child’s body and sensory system is trying to survive One of the most compassionate acts a family member can offer is simply to acknowledge that the world becomes unbearable sometimes, and that the solution begins with validtaing that and adjusting the environment, not correcting the person.
Keep going in the course
This is a short extract. The full lesson in Module 3: Sensory and Emotional Landscapes includes the video teaching, the rest of the workbook text, reflection questions for parents, carers and Autistic people, and progress tracking.