Sensory Gating/SEN-sor-ee GAY-ting/
The brain’s ability to filter out unimportant sensory information; reduced gating can amplify overload.
Andy says:
Like a bouncer for your senses—when short‑staffed, the crowd gets in.
Detailed Explanation
Gating filters repeated or irrelevant inputs so attention can focus. Differences in gating can make everyday environments feel louder, brighter, or more crowded. Supports change the environment and give the brain clearer signals.
Community Context
Discussed in autism/ADHD communities as a contributor to overload and fatigue. Practical strategies matter more than lab terms.
Quick Tips
- Reduce background noise and visual clutter
- Use textures/weights that make body signals clearer
- Prefer predictable lighting and steady soundscapes
Do / Don't
- Do: offer quiet spaces, dimmer lights, captions
- Don't: assume “getting used to it” solves overload
Scientific Context
Studies show altered gating (e.g., P50) in some ND groups; relevance is in guiding environmental adjustments.
Language Notes
Related: sensory modulation, overload, interoception.
Related Terms
Sensory Processing Disorder
A condition where the nervous system has trouble receiving and responding to sensory information. People may be over-sensitive, under-sensitive, or both to different sensory inputs.
Sensory Overload
When your brain receives more sensory input than it can process—like a computer with too many programs running until it crashes. Lights become painful, sounds pierce your skull, textures feel like sandpaper, and your nervous system screams for escape.
Interoception
Your internal body sense—the ability to feel hunger, thirst, heartbeat, temperature, pain, and other signals from inside your body. Many neurodivergent people experience this "eighth sense" differently, making basic needs harder to recognize.
Accommodations
Changes to environment, tools, timing, or expectations that remove barriers so people can participate equally. Not special treatment or lowered standards—just different paths to the same destination.
Community Contributions
Your contributions help make definitions more accurate and accessible.