Sensory
13 terms
Auditory Hypersensitivity
Extreme sensitivity to sound where everyday noises feel painful or overwhelming.
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
Differences in how the brain processes sound, leading to difficulty understanding speech (especially in noise) despite typical hearing.
Autistic Meltdown
An involuntary state of overwhelming distress in which an autistic person temporarily loses the ability to self-regulate, often resulting in crying, shouting, pacing, or other intense behaviors.
Autistic Shutdown
An involuntary response to overload where an autistic person becomes very quiet or unresponsive, withdrawing to protect themselves and reduce input.
Interoception
The sense of internal body signals (hunger, heartbeat, temperature, tension) that inform emotions and regulation.
Sensory Avoidance
Reducing or avoiding certain inputs (noise, light, textures, smells) to prevent overload and stay regulated.
Sensory Diet
A planned set of activities and inputs designed to give the nervous system the right amount of stimulation across the day.
Sensory Gating
The brain’s ability to filter out unimportant sensory information; reduced gating can amplify overload.
Sensory Integration
How the brain combines input from different senses to guide movement, learning, and comfort.
Sensory Overload
When sensory input (sound, light, touch, smell, movement) exceeds the brain’s capacity to process it comfortably, leading to distress and reduced functioning.
Sensory Processing Disorder
A condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses.
Sensory Seeking
Preferring or seeking extra sensory input (movement, pressure, sound, texture) to feel regulated.
Stimming
Repetitive body movements or sounds that help regulate sensory input and emotions.