Link Between Sensory Processing Disorder & Autism Spectrum Disorder

Most children with autism spectrum disorder have some experience of sensory processing disorder due to the way their brains take in, make sense of, and filter sensory-related information.  However, some children with sensory processing issues experience more significant challenges than others, which can negatively impact their daily lives and social experiences.

Learning more about the link between sensory processing disorder and autism can help you support your child and household, providing more peaceful routines and day-to-day experiences.

The Connection Between SPD & ASD

While most children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have some degree of challenge processing specific sensory inputs, not all children with sensory processing disorder (SPD) have autism. Both diagnoses typically take place over a period of time, using caregiver inquiries and assessment(s) from a variety of professionals.  Both SPD and ASD fall under the umbrella of neurodivergent diagnoses.

Unlike diseases, conditions, or diagnoses determined by lab tests or medical imaging, neurodivergent labels—such as sensory processing disorder or autism spectrum disorder—are defined over time through multiple assessments and observations. These evaluations and inquiries are performed by trained medical and psychological professionals, as well as educational or child behavioral specialists and therapists. And, of course, parent/caregiver observations and experiences are also invaluable in the diagnostic process.

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) defined

Here is a simple but complete definition of sensory processing disorder from FamilyDoctor.org:

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a condition that affects how your brain processes sensory information (stimuli). Sensory information includes things you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. SPD can affect all of your senses, or just one. SPD usually means you’re overly sensitive to stimuli that other people are not. But the disorder can cause the opposite effect, too. In these cases, it takes more stimuli to impact you. 

Sensory stimuli apply to the five commonly identified senses (taste, touch, hearing, seeing, smelling/tasting). However, people with sensory processing disorders can also have a harder time sensing or modulating things like:

• Vestibular responses (balance and movement). The vestibular responses have to do with the connection between our ears and brain, along with our awareness of our bodies in space. 
• Proprioception (spatial orientation/movement). Proprioception is the understanding of where your body is in space - and in relation to people/objects around you. 
• Interoception (the body’s internal sensation/awareness). Interoception is our ability to feel/sense internal sensations like hunger or thirst, being too hot or too cold, or even the sensing of when you need to go to the bathroom.

If primary caregivers don’t pick up on sensory processing struggles, they are usually noticed early on by childcare providers or a child’s preschool or elementary school teachers. 

Symptoms of SPD

When a child or individual has a sensory processing issue, they will react atypically (and perhaps even dangerously) to certain stimuli. Sensory overload can result in the same types of instinctual reactivity when a person is threatened: fight, flight, freeze.

Whether a child is on the autism spectrum or not, children with sensory processing disorder typically demonstrate one or more of the following symptoms or signs:

• Think clothing feels too scratchy, itchy, or uncomfortable. They typically dislike socks with seams or specific clothing fits, and they may also struggle with sewn-in tags that “itch or hurt” their neck/back. 
• The lights seem too bright and may have meltdowns if there are too many lights or in flashing light situations.
• Think sounds seem too loud. This can be a classroom full of children their own age, an amplified music event, or the diesel engine sounds from the weekly garbage truck.
• Think soft touches feel too hard. This can mean “telling on friends” or getting into complicated social conflicts because what’s “normal” for most kids can seem hurtful, aggressive, or violent to your child.
• Experience food textures that make them gag. Children with SPD can have very particular food preferences that are related to a combination of taste, texture, or even color.
• Have poor balance or seem clumsy. This can mean that they frequently trip over slight door transitions or objects on the floor or seem to bang into the sides of doorways, tables, or desks more than they should (another hindrance in the classroom that can lead to social struggles). 
• Are afraid to play on certain pieces of playground equipment - like domed bars, swings, or anything that makes them struggle to understand where their body is in space. For example, they may feel like they’re going to shoot off the swing at the high point (which may seem higher than it is to them) or that they are going to fall right through the slats of a suspended bridge. 
• React poorly to sudden movements, touches, loud noises, or bright lights. Their nervous system can be so sensitive in its overwhelm that anything outside of their controlled environment is interpreted like a serious threat - hence a fight/flight/freeze response.
• Have behavior problems. As you can imagine, if lights are too bright, the classroom is too loud, and you are constantly chastised for bumping into students’ desks (or their bodies) as you pass by, it’s going to compound into some version of an implosion or an explosion - which can lead to behavior problems.

Important Reminder: Having any of the above symptoms/experiences doesn’t mean you have SPD.  We are all unique, and some of us are more sensitive than others. SPD would only be diagnosed and worked with/treated if the resulting behaviors or challenges negatively interfere with daily routines or tasks - or when they keep kids from having a healthy home, academic, and/or social life.

However, if you notice your child experiences more than one of them, or that their sensitivity to certain sensory inputs (or issues with vestibular processing, proprioception, or interoception) negatively impacts daily life or compromises their health and well-being, speak to your pediatrician.

Most children ASD experience more intense SPD reactions

Difficulty processing sensory input (such as sounds, visual stimulation, touch, taste, or hearing) is one of the first clues that a child may have a sensory processing disorder. When combined with other signs or symptoms, it may also indicate they are on the autism spectrum. 

When children with autism experience sensory processing disorders, the symptoms and signs may be more intense than those associated with children who don’t have ASD. For example, according to autismspeaks.org, a child with ASD may display their sensory processing disorder by:

• Increased movement, such as jumping, spinning, or crashing into things.
• Increased stimming, such as hand flapping, making repetitive noises, or rocking back and forth. 
• Talking faster and louder, or not talking at all. 
• Covering ears or eyes. 
• Difficulty recognizing internal sensations like hunger, pain, or the need to use the bathroom (this can make potty training children with ASD a serious challenge).
• Refusing or insisting on specific foods or wearing certain clothing items - potentially with more intense, physically harming responses than those of a non-ASD child with sensory processing struggles.
• Frequent chewing on non-food items. 
• Frequent touching of others or playing rough (interestingly, children with sensory processing disorder may feel like gentle touches are harder or more abrasive than they are, but they are rough with others because of their lack of spatial awareness or they aren’t able to interpret their peers’ physical cues to “back off,” “stop doing that,” or “give me more space.” 
• Difficulty communicating or responding as the brain shifts resources to deal with sensory input (shutdown). 
• Escalating, overwhelming emotions or need to escape a situation (meltdown). 

Providing support to a child with ASD who has debilitating or harmful degrees of SPD is essential to ensure safety, improve the quality of daily life, and foster healthy social connections.

Supporting children who experience the link between SPD & ASD

An initial ASD diagnosis, often resulting from the sensory processing disorder symptoms you’ve experienced at home and in the classroom, can feel overwhelming. However, you are not alone, and there are so many excellent resources available to you.

Look for easy solutions first

Sometimes, first-stage solutions are as simple as looking for reasonable ways to reduce agitating stimuli at home and in the classroom. 

• Use dimmer switches or turn only half of the fluorescent lights in the room on, or advocate for fluorescent light filters (many schools now implement fluorescent light filters because it turns out they help everyone in the room).
• Buy multiple sets of clothes that they can tolerate to eliminate the battle.
• Identify and practice self-soothing strategies and emotional regulation tools.
• Find fidget/chew “toys” that aren’t disruptive but that help to vent the physical agitation or to stand in for the things they shouldn’t be chewing (clothes, school pencils/pens, etc.).
• Get permission for your child to wear sound-canceling earphones.
• Work with teachers on the best seating arrangement for your child to minimize visual/sound distractions.
• Play on the playground with your child often (and with patience) as doing things like swinging, learning to traverse the bars, skipping, etc., are all very good for strengthening your child’s vestibular/proprioceptive skills. 

Finally, ask your pediatrician for a referral to an ABA or occupational therapist who can work closely with your child to develop personalized strategies that support life with SPD.

Autism Response Team Leverages the Link Between Sensory Processing & Autism

As applied behavioral analysts, the Autism Response Team loves finding practical and creative ways to support children with ASD and their families. More often than not, this includes finding strategies that help with sensory processing disorders. The longer we work together, the more your child learns how to navigate a range of environments as well as how to use their tools and advocate for what they need.

Contact us to learn more about how we can help your child navigate the intersection of ASD and SPD, creating a stronger and more secure foundation from which they can make the most of their time at home, school, and play. We don’t want them to just “make it through” their day. We want them to find joy and thrive!