No other time of year impacts our senses like the holiday season in December. While the bright blinking lights, crowded stores, sweet treats, cold temps, festive scents, and ringing bells help get us in the holiday spirit, they can also cause sensory overload in children.
Sensory overload happens when one or more of our senses is overstimulated, so much so that we can’t cope with it. Our brain is taking in more sensory information than it can process, which can cause us to become irritable, anxious, emotional, or distressed.
For children with autism, sensory overload is common in about 90% of cases and can be referred to as sensory processing disorder (SPD). Every child with autism will have unique sensory challenges, and they can be much simpler in nature than what we experience during the holidays.
Sensory overload is what it sounds like
Kids with autism have unusually delicate sensory systems. They can also have a hard time reading social cues and filtering out stimuli. All of those factors combined may be the reason kids experience sensory overload or SPD.
SPD can take two forms and most children with autism experience both:
Hypersensitive SPD – This is when children are overwhelmed by certain sensory experiences, from bright lights or types of light (like LED or fluorescent) to certain sounds, textures, smells, and tastes. They can’t tune out sensory experiences and will seek to avoid them. For example, they’ll pull away from physical contact, cover their ears, or refuse to eat or wear something.
Hyposensitive SPD – This is when children seek sensory experiences because they want more sensory input from their environment. They may rock back and forth (aka repetitive behaviors or stimming), be attracted to loud noises or bright vibrant colors, or constantly touch objects or people. Children may also have a hard time recognizing sensations like hunger, illness, and pain if they are hyposensitive.
Signs that your child is experiencing sensory overload
It’s important to recognize the signs your child with autism is experiencing sensory overload because they may not be able to understand or express their feelings to you. They also may not know what to do to feel better. Some signs of distress may be obvious, while others are more subtle. Look out for:
- Physical Changes – Is your child anxious, fearful, sweating, irritable, or tensed up?
- Avoidance – Do they not want to be touched or approached? Are they covering their ears, blocking their eyes, looking away? Are they withdrawn?
- Distracting Behavior – Are they focused intensely on one sensation as to block out other sensory input?
- Stimming – Are they rocking, pacing, tapping their foot, flapping their hands, or doing any repetitive action?
- Communication Difficulties – Are they not able to communicate as usual, either verbally or nonverbally?
- Self-Harm – These are extreme cases. Are they banging their head, scratching or hitting themselves, or ear-clapping?
With time and experience, you’ll get to know the signs when your child is experiencing sensory overload just as you’ll learn what triggers it.
Sensory overload can lead to meltdowns
Think of a meltdown as an involuntary reaction that is a physical response to intense emotions that take over due to sensory overload. They aren’t tantrums, where children are acting out because they want something. For children with autism, a meltdown is a cry of distress and not a form of manipulation.
The best way to help your child during a meltdown is to stay calm and be a safe, reassuring presence for them. In addition, you can provide comfort to them depending on what they like and will respond positively to, for example:
- Empathy and kindness
- Their favorite stuffed animal
- Calming music
- A cold drink
- A cozy blanket
- Dimming the lights
- A distraction
- Silence
- A tight hug
Ultimately, the goal is to prevent meltdowns in the first place by identifying and minimizing sensory triggers your child is exposed to in their environment.
Strategies to prevent sensory overload in your kiddo
Through observation, you’ll learn the unique sensory experiences that can trigger your child. With that knowledge and understanding the signs of sensory overload as noted above, you can take steps to avoid the triggers and minimize their effect on your child. Here are some ways to go about that:
- Create a sensory-friendly home environment where you control the sensory inputs your child experiences depending on their triggers.
- Establish daily routines for your child, so they know what to expect and how to act/react, reducing their anxiety around surprises.
- Give your child the words to explain what is happening to them and how it feels. Visual support aids are ideal for this if communication is a challenge.
- Provide your child with sensory breaks during situations, like holiday gatherings, that you know will be challenging for them.
- Provide your child with noise-cancelling headphones to make loud spaces more tolerable.
- Use essential oils or air fresheners to mask triggering smells.
- Buy them sunglasses to block bright lights.
- Select clothing for them that is soft and fits comfortably.
- Serve foods that avoid aversions to textures, temperatures, and spices.
- Encourage exercise to help your child burn off pent-up energy and stress.
- Buy fidget toys and/or toys they can chew on for self-regulation when they start to experience sensory overload.
- Seek support and solutions from an expert, like an ABA therapist.
You’re not alone!
ABA therapy is the gold standard in autism care, including helping children and their families manage sensory challenges with confidence. Here at The Behavior Exchange, we’re on a mission to bring hope and meaningful change to every family who walks through our doors. Over our 20+ year history, that’s a lot of families just like yours.
If you live in North Texas or the great Boulder area in Colorado, please contact our ABA therapy and autism experts today. If you’re in another part of the country, we encourage you to find an accredited provider near you. This site makes it easy.
Expert support can be life-changing, so don’t hesitate to reach out sooner rather than later!
