Sensory overload and overstimulation are commonsigns associated with autistic individuals. They are terms used to describe what happens when an individual receives more sensory input than they can comfortably process.
This experience is often discussed within the context ofautism, as autistic people may experience sensory input differently. Sensory overload can happen in anyone but is more likely to occur in autistic individuals.
The signs that an autistic person may be experiencing overstimulation are different depending on the person and the cause of this overwhelm, but these are some common signs.
The experience of sensory overload is often described as an inability to categorize the influx of sensory stimuli in the way that neurotypical people can. In other words, the brain struggles to make sense of and organize the incoming sensory information, leading to feelings of overwhelm.
Signs of overstimulation in autism
“I tend to withdraw when overwhelmed. Not physically, I just stop interacting. I can still see/hear everything going on around me, but none of it sticks. The world looks and feels like somebody just sliced a bunch of different recordings and then spliced the segments together at random.”
Signs of overstimulation in autism can vary from person to person, but some common indicators include:
Autistic people often describe overstimulation as experiencing too much input. My most common indicator that I am feeling overstimulated is that my head feels all “fuzzy,” like there is too much swirling around in my brain.
Ella (from the YouTube channel Purple Ella), an autistic woman, explains that when input is coming in, it is manageable at first, but then it becomes too much.
She compares the feeling to being at a supermarket checkout, where the cashier is scanning items too quickly. You try to keep up with packing your items, but then it all begins to pile up, and there is pressure to keep going, but it all feels like too much at once.
“If I am upset/emotional about something, I can go completely mute. It almost feels like my jaw is locked or my throat closes off, like I am physically incapable of talking in that moment. It has resulted in some misunderstandings due to me not being able to defend myself or disagree with someone.”
What triggers overstimulation?
There are many ways in which an autistic person may become overstimulated. Primarily, these triggers can be related to the senses but can also come from unexpected events or social situations:
What can trigger shutdowns or meltdowns?
Oftentimes, there can be multiple triggers for overstimulation, which can result in autistic people experiencingshutdownsormeltdowns.
A shutdown involves withdrawing and becoming non-responsive, while a meltdown is an outward expression ofoverwhelming emotions.
I will use an example of a time when I experienced an intense feeling of overstimulation to describe this:
I was at a gig with my husband, and we were standing pretty close to the stage before the show started. When the band came onstage, many people around us started closing in and jumping around, bouncing off me.
I felt like I had no control over my movements and was stuck. My face kept landing into the hair of the girl in front of me, and other people’s drinks spilled down my back. I was also more aware of how loud the music was.
I felt really unsafe and became so overwhelmed that I broke down in tears. I turned to my husband and couldn’t communicate with him aside from just showing him my crying face and shaking my head.
He then pulled me out of the crowd to a quieter spot to recover. For about 20-30 minutes after this, I still could not speak and kept crying so it took me a while to calm down.
If this was a situation in which only one negative sensory thing happened (e.g., if someone bumped into me), I might have felt somewhat irritable but could have easily recovered. But, combined with everything else going on, it resulted in a more intense response and longer recovery time.
Other ways autistic people may reach a shutdown or meltdown include:
It’s important to note that triggers can be cumulative. What seems like a small issue might be the final straw after a day of managing various stressors. Additionally, an autistic person’s threshold for overstimulation can vary depending on their overall well-being and energy levels.
How to prevent and recover from overstimulation
Below are 7 ways in which you can use to prevent or recover from autistic overstimulation. Some of these may not work for you specifically, but others might be useful. Try some of them out that appeal to you:
1. Identify your triggers
Take time to reflect on situations, environments, and sensory experiences that overwhelm your nervous system or cause you to feel overstimulated, anxious, or distressed. This self-awareness is crucial for managing autistic overstimulation effectively.
Create a list of specific triggers that lead to sensory overload or emotional overwhelm in a journal. You could group these triggers into categories based on type:
By identifying and categorizing your specific overstimulation triggers, you can develop more targeted strategies to manage or avoid these situations, reducing the likelihood of reaching sensory overload or meltdown.
2. Adjust the environment
If you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, try to adjust your environment as much as you can to limit sensory input. Obviously, this all depends on the situation you are in and what is causing you to feel overstimulated.
For example:
Something that often works for me is I will put headphones on and play some calming sounds, either some chilled lo-fi, classical music, white noise, or the sound of a fireplace or rain. I make sure to keep the volume low so as to not make this itself overwhelming.
3. Create a sensory-friendly environment
Creating a sensory-friendly environment at home in a way that suits your particular needs can make all the difference in preventing overstimulation.
Because I know that bright overhead lights make me feel overstimulated, I make sure I have plenty of lamps or other light fixtures in each room of my home.
For example, strip lights and projector lights that can change color and intensity are both calming to look at and less intense than overhead lighting.
4. Communicate needs
Ideally, communicating with people you live with, friends, and family is helpful for them to understand what your triggers are and how they can help you.
Below are some ways in which you can communicate your needs:
It’s important not to rely on another person to help you entirely as you still need to put in the work yourself, but there may be things that they can feasibly do to help.
You may also need to compromise if your sensory needs clash with theirs. In this case, try to find some middle ground or a way in which you can reduce sensory input for yourself while not impacting others.
5. Make the most of your downtime
When you have free time, use this as an opportunity to recalibrate your sensory system and prevent overstimulation. This can be particularly useful if your everyday life (e.g., work or school) is a prolonged stressor for you.
Remember that you will need to return to potentially stimulating environments afterward, so use this time effectively to prepare yourself.
Below are some ideas for sensory-friendly activities during your reset time:
Remember, the goal is to give your sensory system a chance to reset and prepare for future stimuli. Choose activities that feel calming and regulating for you personally.
6. Plan ahead
Planning ahead is important because it can allow you to anticipate and prepare for challenging environments or situations.
By thinking through potential triggers and having strategies ready, you can reduceyour anxietyand be better equipped to navigate potentially overwhelming experiences.
Some examples of planning ahead include:
For me, going to the supermarket is very overwhelming, especially when there are so many food options to choose from.
So, if I plan to go there, I try to have an idea in mind for what exactly I want to get. I plan my route out for the supermarket based on where my desired items are to limit the amount of time spent there.
7. Utilize personal strategies
Try to keep in mind some personal strategies you can use in times when you start to feel overstimulated.
Some ideas of these include:
I often find it helpful to excuse myself for a few minutes if I am in an overwhelming social situation or in a noisy environment.
I can go to an outdoor space or the bathroom and take a few minutes to breathe deeply and close my eyes as a respite from sensory overload.
I also find it helpful to try some mindfulness exercises while I am taking this break. For instance, I might wash my hands in the bathroom and take my time massaging the soap into my hands and being aware of the feel of the water and the sound it makes coming out the faucet.
How to support someone experiencing overstimulation
Dan (from the YouTube channel The Aspie World), an autistic man, gives some advice that someone can use to support someone who is experiencing overstimulation (such as, if you are in arelationship with someone who is autistic):
Other ways in which you can support them can include:
References
Phung, J., Penner, M., Pirlot, C., & Welch, C. (2021). What I wish you knew: Insights on burnout, inertia, meltdown, and shutdown from autistic youth.Frontiers in psychology,12, 741421.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.741421
Rasberry, K. (2023). Our Voices: Getting to Know Autism.
Raymaker, D. M., Teo, A. R., Steckler, N. A., Lentz, B., Scharer, M., Delos Santos, A., Kapp, S. K., Hunter, M., Joyce, A., & Nicolaidis, C. (2020). “Having all of your internal resources exhausted beyond measure and being left with no clean-up crew”: Defining autistic burnout.Autism in adulthood,2(2), 132-143.https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.0079
Saul McLeod, PhD
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester
Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education
Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.
