What information overload can feel like to an Autistic.

Blog by our Ambassador – Sam Valavanis

Ah yes, information… a very handy asset in day-to-day living. Whether it’s about things you need to do, relating to a subject you’re studying at school or uni, or even just to do with a hobby or interest you may have, no one can deny that information is an important part of life. But for someone with autism, when is too much information… TOO MUCH INFORMATION?

Just to be clear, the term “information” doesn’t necessarily have to be confined to verbal communication; it can also include different sensory stimuli around us, including sounds, smells and visions. This is also an important factor regarding information overload and what can trigger it.

Personally speaking, I can be triggered by information overload in several ways. Most commonly is the one I first mentioned, when a person or multiple people are issuing things such as instructions, topics of importance, or if multiple people are speaking at the same time, just to name a few. It can also involve single or multiple loud sounds or sensations (and other sensory stimuli for others), which in its own way can be classified as information itself.

When one or several of these things happen, I often feel like mentally curling up into a ball (the fetal position), like a person or animal often would to protect themselves from an oncoming force or predator. To someone with autism (speaking for myself), the impact of information overload can feel like its own predatory force: a scary but all-too-common threat waiting to strike, like a cat waiting to pounce on a helpless mouse. Since autistic people can often have heightened sensory levels compared to others, it makes sense that we are more easily susceptible to information overload, and that it can be triggered by everyday experiences.

As I have already briefly touched on, some environments I have found this can happen most commonly in are during school lessons, university lectures and seminars/conferences, when you’re being peppered with an onslaught of key information by a teacher/lecturer/facilitator; whilst in a group of several people, when two or more people may be trying to compete for who can talk over each other and get their point across; and while you’re out and about in a busy place such as the city, where there is a lot of noise, different smells and things to watch out for like street traffic and pedestrians. All of these, in my opinion, are easy triggers for Autistics when considering information overload.

When it comes to ways of coping with information overload, I’ve found the most common way, when dealing with verbal communication, is to ask the person or people communicating with you to pause what they’re saying and, if it’s regarding information you need to be taking in, repeat certain sections you may have missed or need clarity on. If it’s to do with sensory overload, I suggest spending some time in a quiet place where there are no sensations to make you feel overwhelmed, like a park or inside a building or room where you feel comfortable.

I hope these suggestions help you cope with the various forms of information overload, and that this article as a whole provides some closure on what it’s like to be an autistic person dealing with it.

Sam.