SENSORY WISE one thing I feel affects all AS individuals....

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SENSORY WISE one of the things I feel affects all of us on the spectrum more than most non spectrum seem to understand, so thought if I start off and others add to will help more of you understand what it is really like for those of us living with daily, yes everyone is sensitive to the world around them, but not to th...e extent that those of us on the autism spectrum.

One of the hardest things for those of us on the autism spectrum is whatever other differences we have, is dealing with sensory overload, the anxiety associated with this can be huge causing us to meltdown shut down, withdraw... let me explain some more, it has a lot to do with how we process information at times for me it's like I am so in tuned with every thing around me it simply gets too much for me to cope. Conversation wise one on one I am usually fine, add in any more individuals and I find it exhausting and often start to over process what's going on and lose track of thought and its easier for me to stop listening to everyone else and simply concentrate on what I have to say, this works if I was talking to a group, but not when meant to be joining in conversations. It's hard to know where to start as its apart of who I am and for me it's so intense sometimes it can seem like every sound closes in on me, when bad I have to hold me head at times and as a release may pick at my finger nails, skin intently without knowing a kind of release. Some noises like screaming can make me shake, it almost like we do not just hear, but every part of us feels the sounds.

As for children, if you have a child who seems to want to spend more time alone, there may well be a reason for this, especially after school etc... Spectrum children need to desensitize, often need space. School halls, playgrounds many on the spectrum find very hard, if a real problem as some of us affected more than others, maybe at playtime they could go to a quite area, help to desensitize. If a child pushes you away it may not be their thought and does not mean they do not care, give them space and let them know your their when they are ready. If they start to stim a sign of overloading, again space and for some a safe place to let off excess build up from what may of coursed it, at times a small noise you may not notice, I think a must for all spectrum individuals is a quite space of their own, but of course this not always possible. Which often means what may be a simply shut down, can turn to full meltdown if stuck in the place that is coursing them the overload in the first place. Have you ever wondered why your partner, child prefers their own space to you, its not their thought and it not you, the key is to understand reason and make compromises that suit each situation, as we often have no choice but to!

A quite night at home after cooking dinner and doing other things I want to relax, but the small noises like others on a computer etc... will slowly stress me, more and more and then my younger son may want to cuddle up always a pleasure of course, but I can be so overloaded all ready I feel like pushing him away, need space.. of course I do not, but can not relax either until everyone had gone to sleep, my desensitising zone time... often can take a few hours to unwind once everyone else has gone to sleep and then I go to sleep late, as often do but the sensory overload starts again, the small noises I hear in the night and no I could never wear ear plugs I am simply extremely sensitive to things. Work wise I need to be in a quite space alone and be able to focus on what I do, which when allowed I am extremely good at, but please do not ask me to answer a phone as well. But as with any new situation the transition time is vital, I may seem to work in slow motion until in my routine, but do not judge me by this, because often once we are in our routines we are hard working and like to do what we do correctly and often extremely well, that if allowed to do in our own way, but rarely it seems, maybe the reason so many of us unemployed.!... See more

But this is my life, on days we have visitors I always by the end am so over processed hard to turn off, I have to keep my life days fairly organised to enable me to cope, that's why those of us on the spectrum like to over prepare in advance. Yes I do things like go for walks, gardening and lucky I can find space and quite when I need where I live the intensity and anxiety caused is the hardest to explain, because everyone is sensitive of course, but its different, if I contain my life and as my husband says maybe I would be happier living in a cave alone but joking aside as soon as I venture more outside of what I am use to, its like my whole world crashes in and harder for me to cope again for a while, so no wonder some of us simply become reclusive. But I am and have a right to be in this world, but rarely allowed on my terms, I do feel the non spectrum world needs to start to be more considerate of our needs, because I feel we will never be the same as you, have ever much you want us to!

For more on this subject see link and added above information: http://asplanet.info/index.php?option=c ... Itemid=110

I have gotten very sick and confused many times from too many people talking to me all at once.
And then there is the touching and poking. Oy!! !!

I know I am like this. Right now is very difficult because I am around one crazy person, one screaming codependent, two toddlers and their parents and it's really stressful. I am having a harder time quitting smoking than I ever have and it's because I am so overstressed and overstimulated.

My worse sensory issues happen when I'm trying to concentrate or trying to sleep. Mu mum thinks after I go to bed it's a good time to watch TV, talk to the cats, stack the dishes....honestly I wouldn't be surprised if she started to vacuum.
Sometimes I have to leave the house and find somewhere quiet, during the day though.

We live in the country. Go into town as little as possible. Rely on the answering machine. Mostly let alone by our families. Normally set aside a couple of days with minimal interaction with one another.

This week #1 son is visiting. This morning he and the dog took off to visit a friend [his, not the dog's]. We can tell the difference in the vibe of the house.

In other areas we are differently sensitized, but population pressure is the biggy.

I am very sensitive to noise in general. Not sudden loud bangs, but just the constant rumble and hum always present in any normal sized city wears on my nerves. I'm aware of it even at night when supposedly all is quiet.

My solution is to live alone in isolation in the woods and hills away from the din. The silence is heavenly (and nature is, too).

It doesn't take me too long to reach a point to where I get short and impatient/crabby with people.
I try to find ways to bottle it ; but im 'well read'( unfortunately), as people get the 'vibe' one way or another.

Recent example: I had a unusual /hectic 10 hour day at work several days ago ,and I'm still crabby today and don't want anyone around me, but silence.....they don't understand.

I have had people say in a comeback " he doesnt want anyone around", in an angry tone.

My partner always finds it weird that I like to sit in silence in the house when no-one is about, but I like the peace!

asplanet, I think you put it into words so well, thank-you!

My sense of smell is so heightened that it is ridiculous. I can't even walk downstairs if our puppy has done his business on a puppy pad because it overwhelms me as soon as I hit the middle of the steps and I start to get sick from it.

I can smell my husband's feet too. It's awful. I make him go scrub his feet in the bathtub almost daily (besides the normal shower, lol). He thinks I'm nuts because I am so sensitive to smells.

Do you guys have serious adverse reactions to specific noises? If I hear the sound of someone's hand rubbing on something metal (like a cookie sheet or pan), I lose it. Or feet (shoes) scuffing on smooth concrete. It makes me feel physically ill. I have to cover my ears and hum or leave the area completely.

I can't stand for more than one person to talk to me (or even around me) at a time either. I have to do the going-away-to-a-quiet-and-dark-space thing.

I had no idea what was causing all of these sensory issues til a few days ago when I figured out my son had Asperger's, went to look at more specific information, found this forum and the tests, and quickly realized that I have it too. So glad to find people like me!

Thanks everyone

and do I seem to overreact to many things to non spectrum yes, but to me its just the way it is, unfortunatelly the world often not in tuned with my needs and so it can be extremelly difficult sometimes and i also so love the quite, my desensitizing time zone a must

I find this weird. I don't really have many sensory problems now. Sudden, loud noises cause me to jump. When I was younger, the sound of a fire alarm just terrified me, to this day I can't stand the noise of fire alarms, but I have learned to deal with it. I was also terrified of the vacuum cleaner as a little kid. Now I vacuum my church every week, no problems whatsoever. I don't know if this would be a sensory issue, but I have a hard time sleeping with even the smallest noise or light. It has to be pitch black and quiet for me to get a good night's sleep.

I lived in an extremely beautiful and peaceful place before I moved where I am living now. I can really feel the difference. It's noise Hell. I cannot wait until I move to the Eastern Shore.

Oh, it's all about me again... I hear little noises that irritate me. I can't stand loud noises either.