Everyone in the world has sensory needs. Some people need to work in complete silence and others need to work with music. Some people can't eat certain foods like spicy foods and others drench their food in Sriracha sauce. Some people can't go into Walmart because it is too loud, bright, overwhelming... well that is actually most people when it comes to that specific store.
For Autistics, our sensory needs are specific to each person and can seem complicated. Unfortunately we don't always know our sensory needs until something bad happens and we figure out, "Whoops, can't do that." How do Sensory needs affect us?
The affect our:
- Taste
- Touch
- Smell
- Hearing
- Sight
- Balance
- Coordination
Everyone can be more aware of their own sensory needs. It takes a certain amount of self-awareness, but in any situation a person can sit back and go "What's working for me right now?" "Is something too loud?" "Is there some smell that is overpowering and preventing me from concentrating?" "Are there too many people here?"
When we figure out what works and what does not work for us, we can better advocate for our own needs. I'll get to advocacy a little later and explore some of the more specific sensory needs of our community in later posts.
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