Expert: Celtica - 3/23/2010

Question
hi i am a student at mount maunganui college in new zealand and i need some answers to some questions for an english assignment

What is sensory overload?
How do people become affected by sensory overload?
When does sensory overload most occur?

How do you control sensory overload?

Why does sensory overload occur?

Answer
Hi Adam,

There is no one-fits-all answer to your questions, as everybody with autism is different and may experience overload differently but I'll try to explain it best I can.

1.) What is sensory overload/How do people become affected by sensory overload?

Usually, people use this term when "things get too much". Think of a loud classroom, a crowded place, very bright sunlight. Many normal people are not bothered by this (some of them are, you don't have to have autism to have sensory problems and experience sensory overload), and even enjoy it.
To the person who is prone to sensory overload, the same noise or the light may be unbearable, with the situation progressively becoming worse from slight discomfort to something called shut down, which means all sensory processing litteraly shuts down, or partially shuts down, so the individual may no longer able to hear or process/understand what people say or can see where they are going and things like that (this doesn't always occur, and not in everyone).
Other reactions may even be depersonalisation/derealisation, a dreamlike state, in which the indivdual feels, he or she is "not really there", but is still able to function like on autopilot. I don't know how typical/common this is (maybe it's just me), but that's what happens to me alot. I also experience difficulties understanding what people say and have visual problems.
You also are likely to experience difficulties with expressing yourself during overload, e.g. find it quite difficult to talk when in overload (mostly having problems with word retrieval, as if big chunks of my vocabulary have gone missing).

2.When does sensory overload most occur?

Overload is most likely to occur in loud, crowded places, or places/situations that are visually overwhelming - anything providing too many stimuli at once, and unfamiliar, stressful situations. There are probably even some physical aspects of overload, e.g. you are more likely to expericence overload when you are stressed, haven't slept enough or have low blood sugar.

3. How do you control sensory overload?

Mostly, don't let it happen - keep away from loud, crowded, sensory overwhelming places, more so when you're tired or stressed and not feeling like it. Live a quiet live with as little stress as possible. If it happens, remove yourself (or the person who is in overload, if he/she can't do this herself/himself anymore) from the situation, and relax in a quiet, familiar place. Best leave the person alone for a while until he/she feels better again.

4. Why does sensory overload occur?

Sorry, I don't really have an answer for this one. I think I have read somewhere that people with autism or ADD have difficulties with filtering incoming information (a filtering mechanism that works properly for most normal persons), an that this causes the brain to be flooded with information, which in turn leads to sensory overload. Makes at least sense to me.

Hope this helps.

C.