Hey, I’m Troy. As you probably know by now, I have autism and ADHD, and I wanted to share my experiences with sensory stuff because I think it might help other families understand what their kids might be going through. I was never officially diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder, but I definitely have sensory concerns that have impacted me pretty much my whole life.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) affects how the brain understands and responds to information from our senses – what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch, and how we move. While not an official medical diagnosis, healthcare providers recognize its significant impact on daily functioning, especially for individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD.

Research suggests that 1-3 out of every 20 people in the general population experience sensory processing challenges, with much higher rates among those with autism and ADHD. For families navigating these waters, understanding how sensory issues manifest can be crucial for providing support and accommodations.

The Jeans Situation (AKA My Biggest Enemy)

Okay, so this is probably my biggest sensory thing – I absolutely hate jeans. Like, they feel like they’re crushing my legs. I’ve never, ever, ever liked jeans, even though I wore them a lot in elementary school. The thing is, I never spoke up about how uncomfortable they made me. Even if I had complained, I don’t think anyone would have understood back then.

It wasn’t until I got sick and tired of wearing them that I just refused. Now I know why – they always felt uncomfortable, but I just didn’t know how to express that or that it was even okay to say something about it. I still prefer sweatpants, and honestly, I’ll wear jeans now if I have to (like for my volunteer job), but I don’t like it. I just tolerate it because I’m usually too busy to worry about it.

The difference is that before, like in school, I had to sit down for hours on end in those jeans. I was stuck there, not really busy, having to listen to teachers for three hours straight, and I couldn’t get out of the jeans either. That made it way worse.

The Pencil Problem

Here’s something that really messed with me in school – the feeling of pencil graphite moving across paper. I just couldn’t stand it. It was like this awful scratchy feeling that would make me uncomfortable and frustrated, and it definitely impacted my ability to focus and work.

Luckily, the school gave me an accommodation to use pens instead of pencils, which helped a lot. Pen feels way better, though I still don’t love writing on paper. That’s why I prefer to type everything when I can.

Shower Struggles

This is something I haven’t really talked about much, but I figured it out more recently – I don’t like the feeling of being naked and cold. This made showering a huge issue for me from elementary school through middle school.

I would stay in the shower for like 45 minutes, just standing under the spray, relaxing with my head against the shower wall. I’d basically fall asleep in there. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be clean – I just hated that transition from warm to cold when you’re not wearing clothes.

It’s weird because I don’t mind swimming. But with swimming, I’d keep my swimsuit on when I showered afterward because having stuff on made it not as uncomfortable. The sensory issue didn’t impact me as much that way.

I don’t fall asleep in the shower anymore, but I still really hate that feeling of being damp and cold. Like, when my hair gets wet, it feels cold and I hate that. That’s actually one reason I like having my beard – when it gets cold outside, my face still feels warm.

Have you heard of that show “Naked and Afraid?” Yeah, not for me.

Food Textures That Make Me Want to Run

I have issues with certain food textures, mainly anything super slimy. Squash is a big one, and brown beans (those Bush’s beans that my parents used to force me to eat). It’s not always about taste – it’s about that weird, slimy texture that I just can’t handle.

Potatoes were interesting though. I used to hate baked potatoes, but now I’ll eat them as long as there’s stuff with them, not just salt and potato. I think it might have been how my parents prepared them back then, or maybe I just grew more accustomed to them. I’ve always loved mashed potatoes and french fries though.

Sounds That Drive Me Crazy

High-pitched voices really bother me, especially from guys. It’s like nails on a chalkboard – I just want them to shut up. I don’t mind it as much with girls, but I’ve heard more guys with high-pitched voices than girls, so maybe that’s why. To be fair though, I don’t really interact with women much anyway.

It depends on the person too. If it’s a guy I don’t like who has a higher-pitched voice, it’s way more annoying. It definitely affects whether I want to interact with someone again.

Bright lights also bother me, especially car headlights. It’s both a sensory thing (it hurts and bothers me) and just a regular annoyance thing. It bothers me more when they’re behind me than when they’re coming toward me, because when they’re coming toward me, they’ll be gone in a second. But if they’re directly behind me or in the lane next to me, I’m gonna hate you.

Touch and Personal Space

I have specific issues with people touching my shoulders. I don’t know why, but when someone puts their hand on my shoulder blades, I just don’t like it. During COVID, this got worse – I really didn’t want to be hugged or touched at all. I was pretty moody during that whole time period anyway.

Now I’m okay with hugs and stuff again, but shoulders still bother me for some reason.

How I Deal With It Now

The thing is, I don’t think I’ve grown out of these sensory issues, but I’ve learned to actively avoid the things that make me feel bad. When I can’t avoid them (like wearing jeans for work), I just tolerate it because I’m busy enough that I don’t focus on it as much.

The accommodations I had in school really helped – using pens instead of pencils, not having to wear jeans, being able to type instead of handwrite. Those simple changes made a huge difference.

I guess the main thing is that these sensory issues are real and they do impact your daily life, but with the right accommodations and understanding, you can figure out ways to deal with them. I’m doing fine now – I just know what bothers me and I work around it when I can.

Hope this helps other families understand what their kids might be going through. It’s not that we’re being difficult – our brains just process things differently, and sometimes that means certain sensations are really uncomfortable for us.