The Hidden Impact of Our Autistic Sensory System
- Jackie Schuld
- May 12, 2023
- 2 min read
There are some obvious things I don’t like as an autistic:
Fluorescent lights. The minute they are turned on, I immediately squint and their odd hum grates against me.
Exhaust. As soon as it hits my nose, it’s like an immediate headache and I quickly switch my car vents off.
Then there are some things that are not so obvious. Things that are slowly grating away at my sensory system and I don’t even realize it.
So how do I know it’s happening at all?
The minute it stops, I experience a sense of relief. Sometimes I verbally sigh.
For example, the minute the AC switches off in my apartment, I immediately feel better. I was so busy before that I didn’t notice its subtle blowing.
This is how our autistic sensory system can sneak up on us.
Another example is riding in the car. It’s a lot of noise. It doesn't instantly bother me, but after about an hour or so, I find myself getting tired. If someone is trying to talk to me while in the car, I get exhausted even faster. I’m working so hard to hear them and focus on the conversation above all of the other noise and visual stimulation.
Another clue is that the minute the car shuts off, I like to just sit in silence and enjoy the peace for a minute.
I know other autistics have these experiences as well. I hear them from my autistic clients all of the time.
It’s one of the reasons I wanted to write this essay. As autistics, moving about in the world and focusing on other things (work, friends, family, whatever is at hand, etc.), we can forget that our sensory systems are still taking in a lot of information and processing it. It can slowly sap our mental and physical energy without us even realizing it.
This is one of the reasons I encourage autistics to take quiet breaks, even when they don’t feel overstimulated. Just because we don’t feel something is grating on us, doesn’t mean our sensory system isn’t processing a lot. When we take time to step away, such as taking a peaceful moment in the bathroom or a brief pause out on the balcony, we give our sensory systems a chance to rest and recharge.
Honoring our sensory system will also increase our energetic capacity throughout the day.
Thank you for reading. If you’d like to read more, sign up for my FUNletter. If you would like to explore your autistic identity with an autistic therapist, you can learn more about my therapy services here.
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One thing that often gets overlooked is how subtle sensory strain can accumulate even when nothing feels overwhelming in the moment. Many people only recognize the impact once they finally reach a quiet space, which makes planned recovery breaks just as valuable as reacting to obvious discomfort. That principle applies in many demanding environments where sustained attention is required, including quantity surveyor training, where mental fatigue can build gradually despite a seemingly calm setting. Learning to notice those quieter signals can make daily routines far more sustainable.
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Sensory overload is often misunderstood because its effects are not always visible to others. Raising awareness about how different sensory experiences shape daily life can encourage greater understanding and create more supportive environments. A similar principle can also be seen in resources from The College of Contract Management, where construction project management highlights the importance of thoughtful planning, risk awareness, and designing spaces that consider the needs of the people using them. Although the contexts are different, both emphasize that careful planning and understanding individual needs can lead to better outcomes.