Sensory overload and behavior
In this video, Deiera Bennett explains that some classroom environments can trigger sensory overload for autistic students, so behaviors that may appear like defiance are often signs of distress and should be addressed by reducing sensory input and supporting nervous system regulation.
Transcript
Bright lights, loud sounds, visual clutter on the walls. These are norms in a lot of classrooms, but for autistic students, they can be physically overwhelming and cause them to experience sensory overload.
Now, sensory overload is very common, um, very commonly a trigger for challenging behaviors because the student's ability to focus, communicate, and stay regulated drops really fast.
So when it seems like they're intentionally ignoring you, they might've shut down, or when it seems like they're acting out, they're actually experiencing distress and the behavior that they're um, exhibiting is their way of communicating that distress.
So in the moment, the goal is to reduce sensory input so their nervous system can settle. So that can mean dimming the lights or offering headphones or letting the student go to a quiter place. If you can't dim the lights, then maybe try sunglasses. If there's not a quiter space in the classroom, maybe there is another place in the school where they feel comfortable, like a favorite teacher or counselor or someone.
But the goal within this isn't to just address the behavior, it's to address what's causing the behavior, the trigger for the behavior, which is that overstimulation.
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