Sensory overload: Sensory over-stimulation.
Right off the bat it is important to note that sensory overload is not exclusive to those with Asperger’s Syndrome. In fact, sensory overload can be experienced by anyone subjected to enough sensory information.
Most commonly sensory overload is compared to a computer freezing up, unable to process new information.
It’s the shock you might feel when you enter a room of hundreds of chattering people.
How to identify sensory overload
Sensory overload is commonly misinterpreted as a tantrum, panic attack, or the person shutting down. The easiest way to tell the difference is by looking for repetitive motions, sounds, or the inability to speak.
For those on the autism spectrum, the above is particularly accurate.
For me, it is typically repetitive “fidgeting” with my hands, possibly humming as well. If it is really bad, I won’t even be able to form sentences like I normally would be able to. For this reason, I would highly recommend talking to someone who is experiencing overload after the stressful event is over and the person has had time to recover.
Remove as many sensory inputs as possible
Everything! Remove every sensory input if you can.
Lights from television, the rays of sunlight through windows, and other electronic displays are all possible problems.
Sounds like music, people talking (the aspie hearing the noise of his/her own voice can be hard as well), and even videos playing in the foreground or background can cause problems as well.
Touch like hand-holding, hugs, or even uncomfortable cloth (clothing, blankets, etc.) can all cause substantial issues. ALWAYS ask for permission to do anything regarding touch, regardless of how serious the sensory overload might seem to you.
Don’t take it personally if he or she declines!
Smells such as perfumes, bad breath, or any number of less obvious things (particularly in cities) can all worsen sensory overloads. I would recommend providing a clean cloth for the overloaded person to breath through.
Just don’t take it personally if he or she declines it!
Final things to keep in mind
Aggression should be taken much more lightly than it typically would be. A person in sensory overload is experiencing the full power of the fight or flight reaction.
I would recommend not posing any sort of a
Recovery can take a long time. Perhaps hours or even days. It all depends on how severe the sensory overload was.
Alone time is almost universally the most effective way to recover from sensory overload. So if possible provide as much of that as possible to your friend and he or she will be back in full force in no time! 🙂
If you have any questions about Asperger’s feel free to ask me 🙂 My name is Luke and I was diagnosed when I was quite little (around 10). My email is “wouldaspie@gmail.com” I’m here to answer any questions you might have!