Many people with autism react to sensory information in unusual ways.
Sensory means something that relates to our 5 senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.
A piece of sensory information is often called a stimulus. (More than one would be stimuli.)
It's very common for people with autism to be extra-sensitive to things like bright lights, loud noises or textures that don't feel good on their skin. As a result, they may be very picky eaters, hate to wear socks or get stressed in busy places.
They may also be less sensitive than usual to some sensory stimuli. For example, they may not react to pain unless it's very strong, or be able to sit next to a loudspeaker and not react.
But there are things you can do!
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Therapy can help them get used to the sensory stimuli in their environment.
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You can adjust their environment to make it easier for them to handle. (Yes, you can get socks without seams!)
Click on this link to learn more about sensory issues. (It will open in a new tab on your screen.)
Source: Autism Speaks