How Sensory Sensitivities Can Appear in Autistic Adults

---

Can autistic people be both hypersensitive and hyposensitive? What does it look like to be overstimulated as a high-masking adult?

In this post, we’ll explore hyper- and hypo-sensitivities in autistic people, what overstimulation can look like in adults, and discuss tips for autistic people and their loved ones on how to navigate sensory sensitivities.

What Are Sensory Sensitivities?

Autistic people often have sensory sensitivities because they process the world differently than neurotypical people. If you are an autistic individual with sensory sensitivities, you will likely fall into one of two categories: hypersensitive or hyposensitive to sensory stimuli.

Hypersensitive

Hypersensitive autistic people avoid sensory stimulation because their brain has a heightened sensory response. Common examples include (but are not limited to):

• Loud noises

• Bright lights

• Strong smells

• Scratchy fabrics

• Certain flavors

• Large crowds

Hyposensitive

Hyposensitive autistic people, on the other hand, often seek sensory stimulation because their brain has a dampened sensory response. Here are a list of things that could be affected by this:

• High pain tolerance or indifference to pain

• Struggles with detecting temperature changes

• Strong desire for constant motion (like spinning or swinging)

• Not responding to loud noises or when their name is called

• Tendency to seek out loud sounds and high-pitched noises

• Drawn to bright or fast-moving visuals and vibrant colors

• Preference for strong flavors (like spicy foods)

• Higher tolerance for unpleasant smells, leading to a tendency to sniff people and objects to interact with them

• May experience underwhelming feelings instead of being overwhelmed by stimuli

Can You Have Both?

Absolutely! Autistic people can be hypersensitive to certain sensory stimuli and hyposensitive to others, though it’s more common to lean heavily toward one or the other.

Every autistic person with sensory sensitivities has their own unique sensory profile—specific things that they are either hypersensitive or hyposensitive to. Discovering your unique sensory profile and sharing it with your loved ones will benefit yourself and give others a greater understanding of your needs.

Are They Required for an Autism Diagnosis?

Sensory sensitivities are not required to get an autism diagnosis. In the DSM-5 criteria for ASD, sensory sensitivities are one of four options listed under Criterion B, alongside stimming, special interests, and difficulty with changes in routine. Out of those four, only two are required for an autism diagnosis. The opposite is also true: The presence of sensory sensitivities doesn’t make someone autistic. There are other neurotypes that have sensory sensitivities, like ADHD or HSP (highly sensitive person).

Autistic Sensory Sensitivities According to the DSM-5

However, if you are autistic, and you do have sensory sensitivities, here are the examples of sensory sensitivities the DSM-5 lists:

• Apparent indifference to pain/temperature,

• Adverse response to specific sounds or textures,

• Excessive smelling or touching of objects,

• And visual fascination with lights or movement.

Don’t you just love the way the DSM-5 paints autistic people like they are the weirdest creatures in existence? “Apparent indifference,” “adverse response,” and “excessive” are all ways it describes autistic people’s unique response to sensory stimuli. If you couldn’t tell, I am not a big fan of the DSM-5’s wording. Yes, sensory sensitivities can be debilitating sometimes. And yes, autistic people are funky—there’s no getting around that—but being funky isn’t a bad thing. It just means you process the world differently than your average Joe.

Did you know that sensory sensitivities can actually be beneficial?

All my candles are available in my Etsy shop: Wildan Whimsy

My keen sense of smell helps me craft uniquely beautiful candle fragrances. I love crafting candles; if I could, I would spend all day mixing fragrances together to see if they harmonize. I have made four nostalgic harvest candles (that’s old fashioned for autumn, by the way), four winter themed candles, and several assorted warm season candles. When I’m not burning one, I often pick one up when I walk by just to give a good sniff. And yeah, I might stand there sniffing longer than a neurotypical person, but I’m just thoroughly enjoying my creations.

However, it can also look a little funkier than deeply inhaling a candle for several minutes. I like sniffing people. It sounds odd, but the smell of those I’m close to brings me peace, so I like smelling them. My sisters are good sports and will usually sniff me right back.

Having a keen sense of smell doesn’t mean you are autistic, but if you are an autistic individual who is hypersensitive, then you can use this to your advantage.

3 Funky Sensory Sensitivities I Have

Autistic sensory sensitivities may not appear how you think they do. They can be more than just a strong aversion to loud noises and bright lights. I don’t have time to discuss every sensory sensitivity I have, so I’m only going to go over three of my funky ones…

#1: Plant Roots

I used to think I was just traumatized by VeggieTales: The Rumor Weed, but in reality, I am visually overstimulated by plant roots. Yes, that’s a thing. Visual overstimulation for autistic people can be caused by any visually chaotic image or environment, like clutter, excessive decorations, crowded places, complex or high-contrast patterns, or intricate images / artwork. Or, in my case, plant roots (though everything I just listed bothers me as well).

I have no issues with tree roots or roots that are smaller than the plant, but as soon as a weed has more roots than branches, it freaks me out. All the hundreds of tiny little roots branching off of each other create this chaotic mess that visually overstimulates my brain. Thankfully, my mom accommodated this sensory sensitivity long before we knew I was autistic. Instead of forcing me to pull all the weeds in our yard, she just asked me to get the small ones and leave the big scary ones to her. Thanks Mom; you’re the best.

#2: Blenders & Vacuums

I know this is technically two things, but they both fall in the same category for this reason: Appliances are loud. From vacuums to blenders to food processors, something is always making an unbearably loud noise in the house. I don’t know if this is common, but as a child, I had nightmares about being chased by the vacuum cleaner. As a teenager, I had a mild fear of vacuuming because one time, it got stuck and somehow managed to scream at me even louder than it normally did. I didn’t let that fear stop me from vacuuming, lest someone figure out I was still afraid of the vacuum. As an adult, I wore earplugs when I vacuumed up until Gavin and I bought a quieter vacuum. Those do exist, and they’re fantastic.

#3: Shower Heads

This one has befuddled me for the longest time. I’ve always had a strange aversion to shower heads, and until recently I assumed they stemmed from nightmares—nightmares where I’d be choking on tons of water pouring from multiple shower heads all turned on at the same time. Those dreams actually stem from my emotional regulation issues that come from the sensory overwhelm caused by shower heads.

For those of you who are unaware, showering in itself is actually a common autistic sensory sensitivity. From the noise of the water to the sensation of being wet to the freezing tile floors, it can cause a lot of autistic people to become overwhelmed (which explains why poor hygiene is associated with autism).

For me, showering in and of itself has never been overwhelming. However, ever since I was a child, I had an aversion to shower heads. I was uncomfortable showering in any other shower besides my own, and when my family would go on trips, I would often head straight to the bathroom to check what type of shower head it had instead of exploring the room with my sisters. Most of the time, the shower heads were fine, but occasionally, there would be one that messed with me. Shower heads that were “too big,” had multiple nozzles, or had settings switched to an intense stream of water freaked me out.

This is simply because I get overstimulated by large amounts of water. Shower heads that are too big pour too much water out of them. Showers with multiple nozzles stream water from two different directions. Nozzles that shoot water from one stream are intense. All these scenarios actively scare me, because the amount of water coming from the shower head (or heads) is too much for my brain to process at one time.

Overstimulation in Autistic Adults

Despite the fact that autistic people can use some of their sensory sensitivities to their advantage, most of the time, they are a hindrance to daily life. For some, they can even be debilitating, and I don’t want to diminish those struggles. Overstimulation from sensory stimuli can cause meltdowns, shutdowns, or bouts of autistic rage.

And while I personally don’t have meltdowns, I frequently experience autistic rage. It starts off as brain fog and builds to autistic rage with prolonged exposure to overwhelming sensory stimuli. While I intend to discuss autistic rage in detail in another post, for now, just understand it as the intense emotional outbursts an autistic person can experience when they are overwhelmed or triggered.

What Can Overstimulation Look Like in Autistic Adults?

So, what does this actually look like in autistic adults? While I can’t speak for everyone, for me personally, overstimulation from sensory sensitivities often starts out very small and builds throughout the day or even week. When the blender goes off, it’s not that I immediately cover my ears (though I want to) and have a meltdown; it’s that my brain feels like it’s been blended with the food. My thoughts are muddy afterwards, like my brain is still stuck processing the loud noise that others barely even noticed. This brain fog makes it hard to listen and respond to others as well as remember what I was even doing.

The subtle overstimulation isn’t really noticeable to people until it builds. If not properly given the time to process through silence and stims, the overstimulation can grow into autistic rage. Growing up, I often couldn’t pinpoint overstimulation or what caused it before I blew up on my family members. But when I learned that I’m autistic, a lot of behaviors I didn’t understand or couldn’t control made sense. Now, I’m learning to identify my own unique sensory profile so I can sense when I’m overstimulated so I can prevent it from turning into autistic rage. I’m also learning to share my sensory profile with my loved ones so they can understand and help accommodate me.

The reason sensory sensitivities are often a hindrance to daily life is not necessarily because they are present, but because the world is not designed to accommodate them. However, you can make a difference by learning your loved one’s sensory profile and accommodating their needs. Let’s discuss some ways you can do so.

Navigating Sensory Sensitivities with the 3 S’s

I’ve noticed that there are three things that help me deal with sensory overload:

Space

What I mean by this is a safe space away from whatever is causing the overwhelm. However, for some autistic people, this could mean literally giving them space. Don’t try to hug them to comfort them when they are experiencing a meltdown. What they need is distance from people and whatever is causing them distress. For me personally, removing myself from a situation may be necessary, but most of the time, I just need time afterwards to process and decompress. It depends on the overwhelm—what it was caused by and how long it’s been going on. Though, husband cuddles help too.

Silence

I don’t know about you, but when I am overstimulated, especially by a loud noise, I need complete silence. This includes eliminating small, everyday background noises that don’t normally overstimulate me. It helps my brain process whatever caused the overwhelm faster than if other small noises were distracting me.

Stims

Stimming, or self-soothing behaviors, help autistic people regulate their emotions. This is exactly what they need when they are overstimulated. However, some autistic people have negative stims they use to self-soothe, and this is obviously not healthy for them. Providing or reminding them of a safe stim they like to use would help them process their overwhelm without hurting themselves.

Tips on How to Navigate Sensory Sensitivities

Below is a chart of important tips for autistic people and their loved ones to better understand each other when it comes to sensory sensitivities and overstimulation.

Those with Neurodivergent Loved Ones:	Neurodivergent People:
Overstimulation caused by sensory sensitivities (no matter what form it takes) is not an overreaction. Remember that their brains process the world differently, so something that seems normal to you might contribute to their sensory overwhelm. Remember to have compassion.	Don’t let people make you feel bad for being overwhelmed. Your brain was not designed for processing certain aspects of this world. You are not overreacting; you are communicating that something is upsetting you.
Learn your loved one’s unique sensory profile. Every autistic person with sensory sensitivities has a unique sensory profile. Learning what your loved one is hypersensitive and hyposensitive to will help you figure out how to accommodate them.	Discover and share your sensory profile with your loved ones. Discovering your sensory profile is only part of the equation to navigating sensory sensitivities. You should share it with your loved ones so they have the ability to support you.
Accommodate your loved one’s sensory sensitivities. Sensory sensitivities are not chosen by autistic people. They are just a part of how their brain processes the world. Accommodations show understanding and love to them rather than leaving them to navigate their overwhelm alone.	Not every sensory sensitivity can be accommodated by everyone. If you have to experience something that is overwhelming, try to figure out what you need to do to cope with it. And if you can’t, it’s okay.
Never shame an autistic person for their sensory sensitivities. This kinda goes without saying. If you love someone, don’t make them feel bad for how their brain processes the world. There is nothing wrong with sensory sensitivities, only with the un-accommodating world around autistic people.	Don’t be ashamed of your sensory sensitivities. There will always be someone who doesn’t understand (or doesn’t want to understand) your sensory sensitivities. Don’t let them make you feel ashamed or less than, because you are beautiful exactly as you are.
If your loved one is overstimulated, give them the 3 S’s: space, silence, and a comforting stim. If you can, provide them with a quiet, safe space away from stimulation. Some autistic people have harmful stims that they use to regulate themselves when they’re overwhelmed, so provide them with a safe, comforting stim as a healthy alternative.	If you are overstimulated, communicate this with your loved ones so they can help you. You can’t control when you’re overstimulated. Your loved ones want to be able to help you process the world and regulate your emotions, but they can’t do that if you don’t tell them when you’re overstimulated.

Final Thoughts

What’s your unique sensory profile? Please comment below if you have any tips to add to my chart.

If you are still reading this, thank you! Your support means the world to me. If you would like to become a mushroom among wildflowers, please consider subscribing to my blog below, or my YouTube channel. Both are appreciated, and I’ll see you in the next one.