Please don't touch me
or stand too close.
I have an
Autistic Spectrum Condition. I process sensations differently. Sometimes I Can't cope with touch or
physical contact.
4 ways to manage autism, anxiety and
sensory overload Choose sensory-friendly
events and places Choose sensory-
friendly features
• Fewer lights
• Less background music
• Noise blocking headphones
• Calming rooms
• Weighted blanket Make sensory
experience shorter Reduce sensory
experience • Take breaks from busy,
noisy and bright places • Noise blocking
headphones
• Sunglasses
For example, a child who has difficulty with the feeling of clothing and thus has difficulty getting dressed shows hypersensitivity. As a result, that child can experience sensory overload from clothing.
It is also important to know that a toddler refusing to get dressed because they are exerting their independence or would rather play or do something else is not a child experiencing sensory overload. That is not hypersensitivity. That is normal for toddlers.
So choose sensory-friendly providers or products. In particular, that helps people whose anxiety is made worse by what they experience from their senses. Hollander, E., & Burchi, E. (2018). Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Anxiety & Depression Association of America