Have you noticed your autistic child being extra sensitive to sensory information? This is called hypersensitivity, and they easily feel stressed and anxious by loud noises, clothing with ‘itchy’ texture, or having hair cuts and even brushing teeth.​ Hypersensitivity is a type of sensory processing disorder (SPD), a condition where a person does not respond normally to sensory stimuli, and would react to sensations where other people may not notice. For autistic children, this tend to last until adulthood. Although hypersensitivity doesn’t disappear, they learn to cope and manage it.​ If you want to know how you can help your child deal with their hypersensitivity, you can start with the following suggestions:​ - Make them feel it’s safe to tell you what is causing their agitation, anxiety, and stress.​ - Remove or replace the object that is triggering your child’s hypersensitivity.​ - Prepare a quiet space they can go to whenever they feel overwhelmed.​ - Be patient with your child by giving them time to understand what you’re saying.​ Last but not least, do not completely shield them from their hypersensitivity triggers. It is one of the coping strategies you must avoid as this may worsen their hypersensitivity. Instead, help them to slowly get used to different things with gentle exposure, both to those that occur unexpectedly and daily.​ #SunwayPutraMall #WorldAutismAwarenessMonth #AutsomeIsAwesome #AutismThroughMyEyes