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ASD-S2: Demonstrates the ability to adapt, modify, or structure the environment based on an understanding of which auditory, visual or other sensory stimuli may be distracting, offensive, reinforcing, or calming for the individual student under the direction of licensed staff.

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Sensory Defensiveness

A picture of a six year old boy with his hands over his ears. Before addressing sensory issues, it is important to understand how normal sensory integration occurs in the brain. The world is full of information we take in through our sensory systems. These systems include vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, movement, balance, and a sense of where and how our body is located. Movement and balance are regulated by our vestibular sensory system. Proprioception refers to the sensations received in the muscles, joints, and tendons that help the brain recognize our body positions. A typically functioning brain can take in, process, and organize the input from all of these systems at once. It then determines which input requires a response and which can be ignored.

Sensory processing problems, or sensory integrative dysfunction, occur when one or more of the sensory systems is not properly registered, processed, or organized by the nervous system. Individuals with ASD often experience sensory integrative dysfunction because of how their brains function. This dysfunction leads to sensory defensiveness , or overreaction to stimuli in many individuals with ASD. They become overly sensitive to certain types of sensation, or sensory input, which causes them to overreact to sensations that would not usually be considered aversive. This can cause behaviors of sensory defensiveness and affect the way a person reacts to sights, sounds, tactiles, tastes, and smells and how he handles movement or moves his body.

Most people, even those with typical sensory integration, experience mild forms of sensory defensiveness at times. Some people avoid whirling amusement park rides, get car sick, hate wool fabric, are bothered by tags in the back of shirts, or dislike certain textures of food. However, these mild sensory issues would only be considered problems if they interfered with a person’s ability to participate or function effectively in daily activities, such as self-care, school, play, work, socialization, etc.

When working with individuals with ASD, it is important to understand that sensory defensiveness is commonly part of their makeup, and it may be adversely affecting how the individual experiences the world and behaves in school and at home.

Sensory defensiveness can impact any one of the seven sensory systems and usually affects more than one system in differing degrees at the same time. When an individual with ASD has sensory defensiveness, she will likely refuse or resist participating in activities she perceives as painful, uncomfortable, or threatening. The degree to which the individual refuses or resists can vary significantly—from pulling away, flinching, or other avoidance behaviors, to hitting, biting, or running away (fright, fight, and flight behaviors).

Any time even one sensory system is impaired, learning and interacting becomes more challenging. For example, a person who is blind must be more cautious when exploring his environment, relying on other senses, such as sound or touch, for information and danger signals. In the same way, individuals with sensory processing problems will behave differently in an attempt to get the information that their poorly functioning sensory systems needs to participate and feel safe.

The following lessons examine the sensory systems and how dysfunction in each can affect an individual’s ability to function in school activities.

Information in this lesson is used with permission from:

Ayers, A. L. (1979). Sensory integration and the child. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.

Wilbarger, P., & Wilbarger, J. L. (1991). Sensory defensiveness in children aged 2-12: An intervention guide for parents and other caretakers. Santa Barbara, CA: Avanti Educational Programs.