Learn what sensory overload autism is, common triggers, and practical coping strategies to reduce stress and anxiety in everyday life.
Thomas White has dealt with various conditions such as dyspraxia, hyperactivity, sensory overload and multiple thought processes, all of which are connected to his autism. Though he struggled as a child, he has improved his confidence and come to terms with his conditions over the years.
Navigating Busy Streets with Sensory Overload Autism and Dyspraxia Tools
Takeaways:
- Though conditions like dyspraxia and autism often encourage discrimination, it’s possible to overcome this by focusing on positive influences.
- Try developing little rituals to help yourself manage your conditions, even if it’s as minor as increasing your focus on a particular task.
Autism, Dyspraxia and Discrimination
As a child, Thomas had to contend with the social stigma attached to conditions such as autism and dyspraxia. People often judged him for being different, overlooking his dyspraxia and autism completely. He was often misunderstood, and few people realised the problems he was dealing with, leading to frequent bullying. In school, Thomas was often discriminated against because people incorrectly assumed that he had anger issues; in reality, he was simply frustrated with the way he was being treated. This discrimination led to Thomas being excluded from various social groups in school, fostering feelings of depression and isolation, while making him fear communication with others.
The Challenges of Social Anxiety
One particular consequence of the discrimination and exclusion was social anxiety. Unfortunately, Thomas’s social anxiety became another significant issue in itself. ‘It made me feel paranoid,’ Thomas recalled. ‘You feel like people are always looking at you.’ Exacerbating Thomas’s anxiety was his heightened senses, which had developed from his autism. These heightened senses mean that Thomas hears more, and that includes sounds that irritate his anxiety. One particular consequence of his sensitive hearing was the need to wear items like ear defenders in loud environments, such as fireworks displays. ‘I felt misunderstood,’ Thomas admitted. ‘I felt like I was the odd one out because I was wearing something that the other kids weren’t.’ Feeling misunderstood and out of place only increased his social anxiety.
Calming Strategies for Sensory Overload Autism and Dyspraxia in Everyday Life
Condition Management and Confidence-Boosting
Luckily, Thomas has made monumental progress since his childhood days, having developed several rituals to help himself manage his condition and improve his confidence. He has learnt to control his hyperactivity by sticking to specific dietary requirements, such as reducing his intake of more detrimental E-numbers, as these can exacerbate his hyperactivity. Setting a sleep routine has also been beneficial, as Thomas has found that going to bed at a consistent time each night helps ease hyperactivity.
Whenever his sensory overload feels pushed to its limits by certain sounds and lights, Thomas has found that it’s not easy to filter these out entirely. To compensate, he tries to focus more on whatever he’s doing at the time as a means of distraction. Though he tries not to go out too much, Thomas has found the confidence to go out with people who are understanding and accommodating of his condition. And if he ever feels overwhelmed by social anxiety in crowded spaces, Thomas has taught himself that it’s okay to leave the area, especially if this eases his anxiety.
Increasing his confidence has been a long-term project. A combination of childhood bullying, discrimination and insecurity gave Thomas low self-esteem. However, as he got older, he slowly stopped worrying so much about his insecurities. It helped significantly to remove the negative influences in his life. ‘These negative influences are people who act in a derogatory manner or insist that I can’t do something even though I know I can – it just takes me more time,’ Thomas explained. Alongside this, he has also set aside more time for himself to focus on his own health and needs.
Although struggling with several mental and physical health conditions can feel debilitating and isolating, it’s possible to improve your situation and self-esteem by developing rituals. When reflecting on what he would say in a letter to his past self, Thomas emphasised the importance of focusing on the positives. ‘Ignore all your haters and just be yourself,’ he suggested. ‘Keep pushing through. There are good people out there despite the negative influences.’
What is sensory overload autism?
Sensory overload autism describes the experience of feeling overwhelmed when the brain struggles to process incoming sensory information. For people with autism, dyspraxia, ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions, sensory overload can happen in everyday situations. This might be triggered by loud noises, strong smells, busy crowds, bright lights, or even multiple conversations happening at once.
When too much sensory input arrives at the brain, it can feel like everything is happening all at once. The result? Stress, anxiety, confusion, or even a full shutdown or panic attack. Understanding sensory overload autism is the first step in learning how to recognise and manage it.
Common triggers for sensory overload in autism
Triggers vary from person to person, but some common ones include:
- Sudden loud noises, such as alarms or traffic horns
- Strong smells from cleaning products, perfumes or food
- Bright or flickering lights in supermarkets or offices
- Overlapping conversations or background noise in cafés
- Unfamiliar textures in clothing or food
Recognising your personal triggers is key to building coping strategies that work for you.
Coping with sensory overload in autism and dyspraxia
If you or someone you know experiences sensory overload, there are ways to make life easier. Many autistic people benefit from:
- Wearing noise-cancelling headphones in noisy environments
- Carrying sunglasses or a cap to reduce light sensitivity
- Using scent-free or mild household products
- Scheduling regular quiet breaks during the day
- Practising mindfulness and breathing techniques
One helpful approach is to create a “sensory toolkit” — a small bag of items such as fidget toys, earplugs, or calming scents that can help reduce sensory overwhelm on the go.
Why understanding sensory overload autism matters
Sensory overload is often misunderstood by people who haven’t experienced it. For someone with autism, this isn’t just about “disliking noise” or “being sensitive” — it’s a neurological response that can be exhausting, frightening, and sometimes physically painful. Friends, family, and employers who understand this can make a big difference by creating sensory-friendly spaces and being patient during moments of overwhelm.
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