In brief. Neurodivergent nervous systems often register sensory input differently: louder, brighter, itchier, or so faint that it goes unnoticed. Sensory differences are part of the autism diagnostic criteria and are very common in ADHD. They drive a large share of daily distress and are among the easiest things to adjust for once they are understood.
Hyper- and hyposensitivity
Sensory processing differences run in both directions and often coexist in the same person.
- Hypersensitivity: fluorescent lights hum and flicker; clothing labels burn; a colleague's perfume fills the room; two conversations at once are unbearable; being touched unexpectedly is a shock.
- Hyposensitivity: not noticing hunger, thirst, cold or pain until it is extreme; needing strong flavours, loud music or heavy pressure to feel anything; seeking movement.
- Interoception: the sense of the body's internal state. Many neurodivergent adults have muted or confusing interoception, which shows up as not knowing you are anxious until you are overwhelmed, or hungry until you are shaking.
Eight senses, not five
Occupational therapists work with sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, plus vestibular (balance and movement), proprioception (where your body is in space) and interoception. Differences in the last three explain a lot: the person who rocks or paces to think, who needs a weighted blanket to sleep, who bumps into doorframes, who cannot tell tired from sad.
Two questions to start
Take the full self-testWHO adult ADHD screener. Scored on your device. A screen is not a diagnosis.
Sensory overload
Overload is what happens when input exceeds the capacity to filter it. It builds through a day, often invisibly, then presents as irritability, shutdown (going quiet and blank), meltdown (an outward loss of control), or a sudden need to leave. Supermarkets, open-plan offices, shopping centres, family gatherings and public transport are the usual culprits. See meltdowns and shutdowns.
Sensory differences in autism and ADHD
In autism, sensory differences are a diagnostic feature and tend to be stable and specific. In ADHD they are common and more tied to attention: noise is intolerable when you are trying to concentrate and irrelevant when you are not, and sensory seeking (fidgeting, music, movement) is used to regulate attention. In AuDHD both patterns appear, sometimes in conflict: seeking stimulation and being overwhelmed by it.
What helps
Map your profile
Which senses, which direction, which situations. An occupational therapist can do this formally; a week of notes does a reasonable version.
Change the input
Noise-cancelling headphones or loop earplugs. Sunglasses indoors, warm bulbs instead of fluorescents. Cutting labels out, seamless socks, natural fibres. Unscented products at home and a polite word at work.
Plan for recovery
Budget sensory load like money. A supermarket trip and a family dinner on the same day may be more than you have. Build quiet time after known-heavy events.
Regulate deliberately
Heavy work (carrying, pushing, weighted blankets), rhythmic movement, chewing, humming and stimming are all ways the nervous system regulates itself. Using them on purpose, before overload, is more effective than after.
Ask for adjustments
A desk away from the kitchen, a camera-off option, working from home on heavy days, a quiet room. These are reasonable adjustments and most employers can make them.
What Inner Help does
Our finder includes occupational therapists and psychologists who work with sensory profiles in adults. Matching asks about sensory needs so telehealth, session length and communication style fit you.
Get matched to a therapist.
A short questionnaire, then a practitioner who understands neurodivergence. Per session with your rebate lodged, or a weekly plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is sensory processing disorder a diagnosis in Australia?
Not as a standalone diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR. Sensory differences are assessed as part of autism and can be described and supported by occupational therapists regardless of diagnosis.
Can sensory sensitivity get worse with age?
Many adults report it does, particularly during burnout, illness, stress and hormonal change, when the capacity to filter input drops.
Do noise-cancelling headphones make sensitivity worse?
Evidence for that is weak. For most people they reduce overload and allow participation in places they would otherwise avoid.
Who should I see about sensory issues?
An occupational therapist for assessment and strategies; a psychologist if the sensory load is driving anxiety, avoidance or burnout.
Sources and review
Last updated 2026-09-14.