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.