Ask an Autistic - What is Sensory Processing Disorder?

Hi everyone, I'm Amythest, and welcome to
ask an Autistic.

(Upbeat music)

Today I'm going to be talking about
Sensory Processing Disorder.

Sensory Processing Disorder is a
neurological condition in which the brain

does not interpret sensory input from the
environment correctly.

A person with Sensory Processing Disorder
may be over or under sensitive to input

from their environment, such as lights,
colors, noises, music, people talking,

smells, textures, and tastes.

Every autistic person will have some kind
of Sensory Integration Issues.

This is just part of our neurotype
and part of what makes us autistic.

But, Sensory Processing Disorder, as a
neurological diagnosis can exist

on its own, in non-autistic children.

Sensory Processing Disorder really can
affect and encompass all of the senses.

Now, human beings actually have more than
five senses, we have something like

eighteen to twenty-two, depending on who
you ask.

But, I think that there are the seven
basic senses that are important

to know about to understand
Sensory Processing Disorder.

So you have the basic five, which I think
everybody has heard of.

That's taste, touch, smell, sight, sound.
Yeah, I think I got that right.

And then there are two senses that most
people haven't heard of.

And that is the Proprioception Sense and
the Vestibular Sense.

Proprioceptive Sense is the sense of
where your body is in space.

It allows for you to know where your limbs
are, how much force you're

exerting on things.

And also, where you are spatially in your
environment, and how to interact

with objects in your environment.

The Vestibular Sense is the sense that is
all about motion and movement.

It is a sense that tells you if you are
in motion or standing still.

If you are up or down, swinging, spinning,
upside down,

all of that is informed by the
Vestibular Sense.

So, as I'm sure you can imagine,
when a person is under or over sensitive

to any of the sensory input they may
receive from their environment,

their experience is going to be a lot
different than a typical person's.

And their life is going to be very
different because of the things they

have to deal with.

For example, a child who is undersensitive
to proprioceptive input may have trouble

knowing where his body is in space,
he may have trouble knowing how much

pressure to exert on things.

So he may either be too gentle, and be
consistently dropping small objects.

Or, he may be too rough in play, and be
constantly seeking out really rough

activities to give him a lot of deep
pressure input on his joints.

Like wrestling, jumping around,
jumping on a trampoline.

A person with sensory integration issues
who is very sensitive to noise may have

a lot of trouble with auditory processing
issues when they're in a space where there

is background music or a lot of people
talking, like in a restaurant.

So while they can hear the person who is
sitting across from them and speaking,

they may not be able to interpret what the
person is saying.

They know they're speaking, their brain
just can't filter out all of the auditory

information.

So like I said, sensory processing issues
can encompass and incorporate all of the

senses.
And everybody who has sensory integration

issues, autistic or non-autistic will have
their own set of triggers,

negative sensory input that causes them
discomfort or pain.

And many people who have
sensory integration issues, will have

some sensory input that they actively seek
out and they crave, often because they are

undersensitive to it.

So, an autistic person who seeks out
Vestibular input because they are

under-sensitive to vestibular input
may really enjoy activities like

swinging on a swing, or spinning on a
tire swing, or on a computer chair.

Something that comes up a lot, and I get
questions about this a lot, comes down to

Sensory Defensiveness and food.

Many autistic people have a very limited
diet. And this is both due to

their routine and resistant to change,
but also to sensory defensiveness.

Sadly, children who are struggling with
sensory integration issues may have their

sensory defensiveness toward a certain
texture or taste of food, interpreted

by their parents as just picky eating or
even outward defiance.

This isn't the case. When you have sensory
integration issues,

you know that you're different, and you
wish you weren't.

Sensory integration issues and
Sensory Processing Disorder can cause

a lot of grief in our daily life, because
this world isn't really built for us.

It is so loud, and so fast, and so bright,
and all the clothes are too tight,

and everything's too itchy and it can be
exhausting just trying to get some sleep

at night with all these sounds all around.

Sensory integration issues can be
really hard to deal with, and it's

important to remember if you're having
a showdown with your kid over dinner,

they're not trying to be defiant to you,
they're not just being a picky eater

if they have sensory processing issues.

That is a real neurological condition and
a valid disability.

And a child with sensory processing issues
doesn't need to be shamed in any situation

and they don't need to be coerced to do
things that cause them pain.

Because, really, sensory processing
disorder, when you have a negative sensory

input as a trigger, it isn't just
uncomfortable or a little annoying.

It's often very painful, and it is
important to remember that there are some

children who are just picky.
But when it comes to children with

with sensory integration issues, they have
a disability. And so accommodation and

understanding can go a long way.

When you have a neurological or
developmental disability, you start off

with less brain energy, call it,
in the morning than typical people do.

And then, throughout the day, as a
person with sensory processing issues

is triggered again and again, that
takes up more and more of their

brain energy that they would be otherwise