Sensory Sensitivity

Since I began this series, I have had wonderful conversations with the people in my life about their neurodivergent traits. I think everyone can empathize with sound sensitivity at some level. Autistic people can hone in on stimuli that’s undetectable to others, and can even experience sensory overload as physical pain. “Decreased sound tolerance” is common catch-all feature of ASD that combines aspects of misophonia, hyperacusis, and phonophobia. Autistic brains are physically wired differently compared to a neurotypical brain, which may result in heightened sensory sensitivity. Research indicates that stronger connections in the thalamus and auditory cortex are the likely culprit for sound sensitivity.