Neural Overload — what’s it like?

Neural Overload — or sensory overload — is like a nightmarish traffic jam inside an Aspie’s head!

Here’s what it feels like to an Aspie…

This 50-lanes wide, 100 km (62 miles) long traffic snarl took 10 days to clear. (The joys of Central Planning are endless, it seems… going nowhere, not even fast.)

Is it any wonder your Aspie child returns home — after a day at school of being bombarded by noise, movement, colour, signs, people, bullying, socialising, etc — ready to be tipped over their stress threshold into a massive meltdown or shutdown, etc over the slightest provocation?

Here’s why we’re so persistent in posting this in our Facebook Groups…

CLICK HERE to Experience Neural Overload leading to Melt Down, Shut Down or Flight

How can parents, carers, teachers, etc deal with it?

Remove ALL sources of Neural Overload from your Aspie’s immediate vicinity… including YOU if you’re adding to their stress and anxiety through your ignorance or reactive behaviour!

Or remove your Aspie from the location so that they’re not being bombarded by noise, visual stimulation, bright lights, movement, people, etc. This includes shops, malls, theatres, carnivals, classrooms, events, etc.

If there’s a quiet, dimly-lit room with low visual stimulation and a bed or couch available, encourage them to rest quietly until the episode subsides. They may also need a nap, because neural or sensory overload is frequently physically exhausting for them.

Our handy **Aspie Infocards** App can help you deal with all kinds of common situations, on the spot, without adding to your stress or anxiety. Simply open the app, choose the **InfoCard** you need and show it to the other person.

Make no demands, no judgements, speak quietly and calmly to them. The fewer demands on their neural networks and sensory processing, the faster they should recover from this traumatic episode.

IGNORE ignorant, judgemental comments from bystanders.

They do NOTHING to help in situations like this. Focus instead on your Aspie and getting them out of the vicinity as quickly and calmly as possible.

If you have our Aspie InfoCards app on your smartphone — coming soon — you may find it helpful to quickly educate them (or at least inform them) about what’s happening. If it does no more than shut them up, it helps remove one more source of stress from the situation.