Sensory overload facts for kids
Sensory overload is when one or more of the body's senses experiences over-stimulation from the environment. There are many things that impact an individual. Examples of these elements are urbanization, crowding, noise, mass media, technology, and the explosive growth of information. Sensory overload is commonly associated with sensory processing disorder. Like its opposite sensory deprivation, it has been used as a means of torture.
Symptoms
There are a variety of symptoms that have may cause sensory overload. These symptoms can occur in both children and adults. Some of these symptoms are:
- Irritability
- "Shuts down", or refuses to participate in activities and/or interact with others
- Avoids touching or being touched
- Gets overexcited
- Covers eyes around bright lights
- Makes poor eye contact
- Covers ears to close out sounds or voices
- Complains about noises that do not affect others
- Having difficulty focusing on an activity
- Constantly changing activities, never completing a task
- Irritation caused by shoes, socks, tags, or different textures
- Over-sensitivity to touch, movement, sights, and/or sounds
- Has trouble with social interactions
- Extremely high or extremely low activity levels
- Muscle tension
- Fidgeting and restlessness
- Angry outbursts
- Sleeplessness/fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
Images for kids
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Bodily response to sensory overload
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Ad hoc use of sensory deprivation; using a kippah to block light during an unexpected moment of hypersensitivity.
See also
In Spanish: Sobrecarga sensorial para niños
