What Does Overstimulation Look Like in Autism?

In this blog post today I’m sharing some information to answer the burning question – what does overstimulation look like in autism? I’m going to touch briefly on what overstimulation is.. along with how this can present differently in your students.

What is Overstimulation?

To put it briefly, overstimulation is when a person is swamped with more sensory input, information, or activities than they can process or handle comfortably.

What Causes Overstimulation in Autistic Individuals?

Overstimulation stems from how our sensory systems interpret and process information. Autism is a neurological condition which affects how a person perceives their environment.. And this can lead to differences in sensory processing. Things like lights, sounds, textures and even smells can quickly become overwhelming for our autistic students and cause overstimulation.

For many of our autistic students, the main reason for overstimulation is because they have difficulty filtering sensory information. They may not be able to ignore irrelevant sensory information going on around them like the humming on the refrigerator.. Or how their clothes feel on them.. Or even how someone is breathing around them.

All of this sensory information can quickly become overstimulating for our autistic students. This is especially true for new and/or unexpected sensory experiences too.

20 Examples of Causes of Overstimulation

There are sooo many potential causes of overstimulation for our students. But to give you a rough guide to start with, I have included 20 examples below;

1. Loud noises or sudden sounds (e.g., alarms, sirens, people shouting)
2. Crowded places (e.g., malls, public transportation, events)
3. Bright or flickering lights (e.g., strobe lights, fluorescent lights)
4. Strong smells (e.g., perfumes, cleaning agents, certain foods)
5. Physical contact or touch from others (expected or unexpected)
6. High-pitched noises (e.g., whistles, beeps, squeaks)
7. Visual clutter or overly busy environments (e.g., rooms with lots of posters, screens)
8. Changes in routine or unexpected disruptions to plans
9. Intense or conflict-heavy social interactions
10. Clothing textures or tags that feel uncomfortable
11. Extreme temperatures (either too hot or too cold)
12. Multitasking or processing multiple pieces of information at once
13. High pressure situations or demands for immediate responses
14. Watching intense or visually busy media (e.g., action movies, flashing animations)
15. Intense tastes or textures of food
16. Requirement to maintain eye contact during conversations
17. Loud public announcements (e.g., train stations, airports)
18. Participation in competitive activities or games
19. Long periods of concentration or focus on a single task without breaks
20. Sudden changes in lighting (e.g., moving from a dark room to bright sunlight)

What Does Overstimulation Look Like in Autistic Individuals?

There are lots of different ways that overstimulation can present in our autistic students. But some examples of what this can look like are;

1. Covering their ears to block out overwhelming sounds.
2. Avoiding eye contact to reduce sensory input.
3. Withdrawing from social interactions to minimize sensory overload.
4. Rocking back and forth as a self-soothing mechanism.
5. Humming or making other noises to drown out external overstimulation.
6. Flicking or flapping hands, commonly known as stimming, to manage sensory input.
7. Closing their eyes frequently or for extended periods to limit visual stimulation.
8. Seeking out dark, quiet spaces to reduce sensory exposure.
9. Becoming unusually irritable or agitated without an apparent cause.
10. Showing signs of extreme fatigue due to sensory processing efforts.
11. Exhibiting sudden outbursts or meltdowns as a response to overwhelming stimuli.
12. Wearing headphones or earplugs in moderately noisy environments.
13. Insisting on wearing certain types of clothing or textures to avoid tactile discomfort.
14. Avoiding certain foods or textures that are overwhelming or distressing.
15. Demonstrating an increased need for personal space to prevent sensory intrusion.
16. Showing difficulty in concentrating or completing tasks in sensory-rich environments.
17. Expressing an aversion to physical contact, such as hugging or touching.
18. Becoming fixated on a particular object or activity as a form of distraction.
19. Displaying a sudden disinterest in activities previously enjoyed due to sensory changes.
20. Exhibiting an intense preference for routine as a way to control sensory input.

What to Do When a Student is Overstimulated

If you have a student who is overstimulated, you’re going to need to find a way to help and support them. Each student will have their own preference for how this can be achieved. So try to take note of what your student’s triggers are, and what helps them.

Some ideas of things that you can try for helping an overstimulated student are;

• Create a safe and quiet space where your student can retreat to and calm down.
• Use visual aids to help reduce anxiety.
• Communicate clearly with simple and direct language.
• Encourage the use of aides like headphones to block out overwhelming noises or sunglasses to reduce harsh light.
• Have visuals around the room for students to use to request a break. You can also introduce some scheduled breaks into your classroom daily routine too.
• Try to adjust the lighting in your classroom if this is a trigger; dim or natural lighting works best.
• Be encouraging of comfort items. If your student benefits from having a small comfort item that helps them regulate themselves, be encouraging of this.

Helpful Links

You may find the following links helpful;

• What is Sensory Processing Disorder? Podcast Episode
• What is Stimming?
• Calm Down Corner Set Up
• Autism Classroom Set Up Pack

If you found this ‘What Does Overstimulation Look Like in Autism?’ blog post helpful please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues on social media.

P.S. Have you signed up for a 3 day free trial of my VIP membership yet? If not, click here to do it now and go and get access to a huge range of resources, templates, crafts and more for free.

Nikki