Sensory Processing Differences
What It Is
Sensory processing differences refer to how the nervous system receives and responds to sensory input from the eight sensory systems: sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, proprioception, vestibular, and interoception. Responses can be hypersensitive, hyposensitive, or mixed across systems.
How It Presents in Autistic People
Sensory differences present across every aspect of daily life: what clothes are tolerable, what foods are edible, what environments are navigable, what sounds are bearable. The same person may be hypersensitive to sound and hyposensitive to pain, sensory profiles are individual.
Treatment and Support
Occupational therapy with a sensory integration approach is the primary support. Sensory diets, structured plans for providing sensory input throughout the day, can reduce dysregulation. Environmental modifications are often the most immediately impactful intervention.