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What are the characteristics of a stimulus processing disorder or a stimulus processing problem? To provide more clarity about this, we first zoom in on what stimulus processing is in this article.
Sensory information or stimulus processing is the sensory information that we as humans experience from our environment or our own body. People with autism process sensory information in a different way than people without autism do. People without problems in stimulus processing are able to subconsciously filter all kinds of stimuli. In autism (but also in ADHD) this filter works less or is not even present. As a result, people with autism are more likely to be overwhelmed by stimuli.
When we talk about stimuli, it is mainly about the information that we perceive from our 8 senses. Namely, perceiving tactile stimuli, auditory stimuli, visual stimuli, prioprioceptive system, vestibular system and interoception.
Children and adults with stimuli processing problems have difficulty processing sensory stimuli, information often enters them too strongly and unfiltered, but it is also possible that information from the senses enters with difficulty. But it can also be a combination of both.
Overstimulation, but also understimulation is a characteristic of stimulus processing problems.
When the sensory information processing goes well, it purifies the incoming stimuli and the child can focus on his sums and let the other information pass him by. However, when the gatekeeper does not work properly, it allows all (even the non-important) sensory stimuli. This multitude of stimuli consisting of sounds, visual pressure and internal stimuli overload the brain, resulting in an overstimulated child (also called sensory overload). Overstimulation is often seen in autism .
The sense of balance warns too quickly
The child is very sensitive to movement. The sensory stimuli respond to the slightest movement or change of posture. He/she does not like being moved, frolicking and other wild games. As a result, these children appear somewhat anxious and are usually less mobile than others. Some children are insecure or scared when they have to walk up the stairs, walk on a couch, or hang from a horizontal bar. We call this attitude uncertainty. It’s a bit like fear of heights.
The sense of touch and muscle warns too quickly
These children are sensitive to touch: their sensory stimuli respond very quickly to this. These children do not like being touched, sitting on their laps and cuddling. In addition, they are often very picky about the food and picky about their clothes, which they quickly experience as ‘ticklish’. They are also critical of the toys they play with. Playing with water, sand, clay and paint is usually not a favorite.
Sound stimuli are quickly perceived as too much
These children hear everything, including sounds they don’t need to hear, such as the ticking of a clock. The pencil falling to the floor, the raindrops on the window. Focusing attention during the lesson is therefore very difficult.
Visual stimuli quickly come in very strongly
These children see everything, as it were, and are therefore easily distracted. The smallest detail is observed, even if it is not important. Especially environments with a lot of color, posters and visual distractions do not benefit the focus of these children.
Read here tips in case of overstimulation of your child
Understimulation is much less known. This is when the stimulus filter is set so tightly that it allows too late and or too few stimuli through. As a result, the person who is understimulated can, for example, not pay attention, show busy behavior, do not sit still and possibly look for stronger stimuli themselves. Also called stimulus seeker.
The sense of balance warns too little
These kids love to move and rocking, frolicking and other wild games are favorites. These children are often real daredevils and they are constantly on the move. They see no danger.
The sense of touch and muscle does not notice enough tactile stimuli
The child hardly notices that it is being touched, or that it is touching something itself. The sensory stimuli transmit too little information. As a result, such a child ‘controls’ its own body less well, making the child clumsy and, for example, easily bumping himself. Such children like to play with ‘dirty’ materials such as sand, clay and paint.
Auditory information hardly comes in
These children seem ‘deaf’ but have difficulty processing the information collected through listening, this takes time. Often these are also dreamers.
Visual information hardly comes in
Usually there is nothing wrong with the eyes, but the information processing from vision is too slow. These children need more time to react and are therefore often too late. For example, catching a ball is difficult for these children. In a room with few visual stimuli, these children are insufficiently alert.
Read here tips for understimulation of your child
Children and adults with stimulus processing problems may show the following characteristics:
And I could go on and on… You can find parts of this list and even more extensive on the internet or in books, children can have different reactions per context, in one context the child may like dirty hands, (understimulation) while in terms of loud noises it is startled and therefore hypersensitive.
Good stimulus processing is important to be able to play, learn, keep your attention focused on something and for the overall daily functioning. If a child is hypersensitive or undersensitive to certain stimuli, various problems can arise. A normal stimulus then triggers an immune response or is hardly noticed. For example, your child may have problems with: (some examples)
Hearing: When your child is hypersensitive to sound, they can’t properly filter out which sounds are important and which aren’t. As a result, your child is more easily distracted, sometimes hyperactive or can concentrate poorly at school.
Feeling: if your child is hypersensitive to touch, clothing may itch or your child may not feel comfortable being touchedThis can cause your child to experience the hustle and bustle in the hallway at school as very unpleasant. When there is undersensitivity, your child hardly notices that they are being touched. With hypersensitivity, your child has less control over his own body and, for example, bumps faster.
Balance: with hypersensitivity to balance stimuli, your child does not like to see in motion. Frolicking or other wild games are not pleasant. With hypersensitivity, your child likes to rock, frolic and play wild games and is constantly on the move.
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