Understanding Sensory Sensitivity

Understanding Sensory Sensitivities

Understanding Sensory Sensitivities

Discover how sensory sensitivity awareness can help promote an inclusive and supportive team environment.

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What does it mean to be sensory sensitive?

Have you ever walked into a brightly lit store filled with loud music and felt overwhelmed? Or maybe certain textures on clothing make you itch uncontrollably? If so, you might have experienced a moment of sensory sensitivity. Sensory sensitivity is a natural variation in how you process sensory information through your eight senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, vestibular (balance), proprioceptive (movement), and interception (internal). While anyone can experience sensory sensitivity, people who find it difficult to process everyday sensory information can experience sensory overload.

What is sensory overload?

What is sensory overload?

Sensory overload is the overstimulation of one or more of the body’s senses. People will respond differently to feeling overstimulated, but symptoms often include anxiety, discomfort, and fear. Sensory overload commonly affects people with certain conditions, including autism, ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sensory processing disorder. While we cannot eliminate all sensory triggers in the workplace, there are many things you can do to help colleagues who experience sensory overload. Let's take a look at the senses that are most vulnerable to overload in the workplace...

The Eight Senses

Sight

Hearing

Touch

Taste

Smell

Vestibular

Proprioception

Interoception

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Sensory Processing Disorder

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) affects how the brain understands sensory information from the world around us. People with SPD may be overly sensitive or less sensitive to sights, sounds, and other sensations, which can make it hard for them to react appropriately to everyday experiences.

Common challenges associated with SPD:

• Having trouble focusing in noisy or busy places

• Avoiding situations with certain sounds, smells, or sights
• Reacting too strongly or not strongly enough to sensory experiences

For those with SPD, workplace challenges may include:

• Concentrating in open office settings or crowded spaces
• Feeling more anxious or stressed in environments with too much sensory input

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Auditory Processing Disorder

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a condition that affects how the brain processes auditory information. Individuals with APD may hear sounds but struggle to interpret them, which can lead to difficulties in understanding spoken language, especially in noisy conditions.

Common challenges associated with APD:

• Trouble distinguishing between similar sounds
• Needing to ask others to repeat themselves
• Difficulty filtering out background noise

For those with APD, workplace challenges may include:

• Miscommunication in team settings
• Difficulty participating in meetings
• Increased stress levels in noisy environments

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Supporting Neurodivergent Individuals

Ways you can help create an inclusive environment for your colleagues.

Use clear, concise language and provide written instructions to support understanding.

Clear Communication

Keep workspaces organized and minimize clutter to reduce visual overstimulation.

Limit Visual Distractions

Create quiet areas in where individuals can retreat when feeling overwhelmed.

Designate Quiet Zones

Do not use perfumes, air fresheners, or cleaning products in shared spaces.

Avoid Using Strong Scents

Respect personal boundaries by avoiding uninvited physical contact and standing too close to others.

Be Mindful of Personal Space

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Sensory Sensitivity

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Well done!

You've shown a solid understanding of sensory sensitivities. Your awareness is essential in fostering an inclusive environment for everyone. Remember, small changes in our interaction and workspace can make a significant difference for colleagues who may experience sensory sensitivities. Keep up the good work as we continue to promote empathy and understanding in our community!

Hearing

Background music, chatter, and traffic noise can be overwhelming for someone with sound sensitivities or auditory processing disorders. Certain sounds, like loud chewing and typing, might be particularly bothersome. Examples of auditory sensitivities:

• Background noise can be magnified and sounds can become distorted or muffled.
• Constant ambient sounds like chatter, music, or air conditioning can make it hard to concentrate.
• Environments with poor acoustics can amplify sounds, making it difficult for individuals to process auditory information clearly.

What measures can you take to reduce overwhelming auditory stimuli?

• Encourage use of noise-blocking headphones.
• Avoid creating loud noises in shared spaces.
• Learn more about auditory processing disorders and strategies for helping colleagues in the workplace.

Sight

Imagine a busy office space with bright fluorescent lights and colorful displays. For someone with heightened visual sensitivity, situations like this can lead to increased anxiety or stress, making everyday tasks more challenging. While everyone can experience discomfort from bright lights, neurodivergent individuals can become easily overwhelmed in environments with lots of visual stimulation. They might react more strongly or for longer periods, needing more support or accommodations to navigate their surroundings more comfortably. It is important to create a visually calm and organized workspace, with adjustable lighting options and minimal distractions, to help alleviate sensory overload related to sight in the workplace.

What workplace measures can help individuals manage their sensitivity effectively?

• Reduce clutter
• Encourage team members to take screen breaks.
• Use MyRes to reserve desks with canopies that block light or conference rooms with controllable lights when they are available.

Proprioception

Proprioception, otherwise known as kinesthesia, is your body’s ability to sense movement, action, and location. It’s present in every muscle movement you have. The proprioceptive system is located in our muscles and joints. It has an important regulatory role in sensory processing as proprioceptive input can assist in controlling responses to sensory stimuli. It is common for neurodivergent individuals to struggle with proprioception. They might have difficulty understanding where their body is in relation to other objects, thus appearing clumsy, knocking things over, or dropping items. Some people even say it affects their sense of self and identity. Proprioceptive input can be very calming for those easily overwhelmed by sensory stimulation.

Neurodivergents may benefit from the ability to complete intentional proprioceptive activities during the workday:

• Running, jumping, push-ups, lifting weights
• Stretching, yoga, pilates, massage
• Using weighted lap pads, vests, or blankets
• Kneading and squeezing (stress balls, dough, kinetic sand, slime, etc.)

Smell

Within our nose, sensory receptors receive and pick up information about the odors around us. These information channels pass through nerves in our nervous system to reach our brain. The olfactory system (which is responsible for our sense of smell) is highly complex and discriminates between many different odors. Individuals with an over-responsive olfactory system may:

What measures can you take to reduce overwhelming olfactory stimuli in the workplace?

• Avoid certain scented materials and foods
• Have strong reactions to smells that are unnoticed by peers
• Experience anxiety, headaches, and/or migraines

• Avoid spraying perfume, cologne, cleaning products, and other scented items in shared spaces when people are present
• Avoid eating odorous foods at your desk

Interoception

Emotional Interoception

Interoception, the "eighth sense," is the internal sensory system that allows individuals to consciously or unconsciously notice, recognize, and respond to their physical and emotional states. This awareness is crucial for emotional regulation and overall well-being. However, individuals who struggle with interoceptive input may find it challenging to tune in to their body's cues, leading to difficulties in identifying and managing their emotions effectively. While more research is needed to establish evidence-based activities that specifically target interoceptive input, several strateigies have shown promise in enhancing awareness and responsiveness to internal signals. Here are a few examples that can be easily integrated into the workplace:

Physical Interoception

Interoception &Self Regulation

• Mindfulness activities and meditation
• Physical activity and going outdoors
• Stimming (repetitive behaviors or movements)
• Sensory soothers such as fidgets, stress balls, and putty

What is Stimming?

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Taste

The taste receptors located on our tongues detect different flavors. They send signals to our brains that inform us about what we eat and drink. Due to the heightened responsiveness of their taste receptors, individuals with taste sensitivities may experience discomfort or aversion to certain flavors or food textures. Individuals sensitive to taste may:

• Have strong preferences or aversions to specific flavors or textures, leading to selective eating habits.
• Feel overwhelmed or anxious in social situations involving food, such as potlucks or team lunches.

• Experienced heightened reactions to strong flavors, odors, or food textures that others might find enjoyable.

What measures can you to create a more comfortable environment for individuals with taste sensitivity?

• Offer a variety of food options during workplace events to accommodate diverse preferences.
• Check in with colleagues about their food sensitivities before planning meals or snacks.
• Reduce the frequency of food-related events or find alternative activities that don't center onfood.

Vestibular

The vestibular system is located in our inner ears. It supports balance, posture, muscle tone, spatial orientation, alertness, and eye movements. When it isn't working typically, it can impede a person's understanding of what is happening to them and the world around them. Individuals with heightened vestibular sensitivity may experience discomfort or anxiety during activities that involve movement, such as riding in cars, using escalators and elevators, or participating in activities that require movement. Conversely, some neurodivergent individuals may have reduced vestibular sensitivity, which can lead to clumsiness or difficulty with balance.

• Ensure that walkways are free of obstacles and clutter to minimize the risk of tripping or losing balance.
• Allow for flexible seating arrangements to accommodate individual comfort levels.
• When planning events, consider sensory-friendly alternatives for activities that require movement.

What measures can you take create a more inclusive workspace for individuals with vestibular sensitivity?

Touch

Tactile receptors exist all over our skin and send signals to our brains, letting us know when we've touched something and providing information about what we touched. Those with sensory sensitivity often have an aversion to touch because their tactile receptors are overresponsive. Individuals who are sensitive to tactile stimuli may:

• Be unwilling to hug, shake hands, or participate in other forms of physical touch that others consider friendly gestures
• Appear to "overreact" when slightly bumped or touched

• Experience anxiety when in large crowds or situations where individuals are sitting or standing close to others.

What measures can you take to reduce overwhelming tactile stimuli in the work place?

• Create a safe space by respecting personal boundaries
• Ask permission before engaging in physical contact
• Avoid holding meetings in crowded rooms
• Provide alternative spaces for people to sit during crowded meetings