Autism NeuroDivergence & Sensory Processing - My Personal AuDHD (Autistic and ADHD) Experience
No two individuals, even those with similar brain types, will have the same sensory profile and needs.
What exactly is sensory processing?
One might (falsely) think that every human on this earth experiences the world in the same way, that we all experience the sun's brightness the same, or the level of sounds in the room the same. However, this is far from accurate.
It's important to understand that each of us has a sensory experience entirely our own.
People with sensory processing differences often experience one or more of their senses more or less intensely than those with average sensory processing.
No two individuals, even those with similar brain types, will have the same sensory profile and needs. This diversity makes our sensory experiences so intriguing and worthy of appreciation.
What is a sensory profile?
Because I am a visual thinker, I like to describe concepts visually.
When describing a person's sensory profile, I like to describe it as if each person has their own musical sound controller style board, with slider control knobs that can be adjusted up or down for each of the senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell, proprioceptive, and vestibular).
Many people (without sensory differences) fall into the average middle range, which is the one our society is built to cater to. However, being NeuroDivergent can mean that how we experience our senses and the world around us may vary, falling outside that average.
People can be hyper-sensitive (much more sensitive than average) to various stimuli. They can also be hypo-sensitive (much less sensitive than average) to their varied sensory input channels.
Multiple Channels
Just because you are sensitive to or have a variance in one particular stimulus doesn't mean you will be sensitive to every input channel.
A person may ONLY be sensitive to one specific sensory trigger, channel, or many.
It is also possible for one person to simultaneously be hyper-sensitive and hypo-sensitive, and a person's individual sensory needs can vary daily.
For example, I am hyper-sensitive to certain kinds of lights and sounds, needing to avoid them to stay healthy, but am hypo-sensitive to heat, and often will sensory seek by sitting in hot water, the sun, wearing sweaters and coats even when other people are warm, and wrapping myself in blankets.
If I am at my best and well-rested, I can tolerate some of my sensory triggers for a limited amount of time. However, if I am not doing well, stressed, or tired, my tolerance for sensory exposure can be significantly lowered.
On the other hand, someone hyposensitive to cold may wear shorts and no jacket outside on a cold, snowy day, not noticing the cold air on their skin (or even enjoying the sensation, using cold air to sensory seek).
Someone hypo-sensitive to touch/pain may fail to respond to pain or injuries.
Autistic People aren't the only ones with sensory processing differences.
While Autistic People frequently experience sensory processing differences, we don't have a monopoly on them.
Multiple brain and neurological variances can cause a person to experience the sensory world differently from average norms.
ADHDers often experience sensory differences, causing us to struggle to filter out sounds, which can impact our ability to focus and pay attention.
Seizure disorders, brain injuries, aging, and trauma conditions (PTSD, cPTSD, and those who experience disassociation) can all impact a person's sensory experience, for example.
Part of my experience with having a heightened sensory profile is that my senses are a big part of how I take in the world around me. I take in a lot of sensory information at once (whether or not I want to).
I also have a vivid sense of memory, which means I constantly have memories (both pleasant and unpleasant) triggered by sights, smells, tastes, touches and sounds that can transport me back in time.
When I'm triggered back to a memory, it is like I am reliving it in a 360 VR headset, regardless of how much time has passed (IF it is a memory my brain has decided to retain because my memory is tricky and has lots of holes in it). This is GREAT for all the happy memories but unpleasant for painful and traumatic memories that bubble up (sometimes without warning).
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I hope this helps,
- Lyric
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