Sensitivity to sunlight

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I've had that problem since forever. As a little kid I hated summer because of the constant headache. When I grew up I discovered hats and sunglasses - it's better. The sun glinting off chrome on cars still drives me underground.

I've always been sensitive to light. I even have to wear sunglasses when driving on a rainy day. It also helps with glare. However, I love the feeling on the sun on me.

-Tallfreak

Squint + Tears + Headaches = Stay Inside

Average living room - 20-100 lux
Office lighting - 400 lux
Very overcast murky day / TV Studio - 1000 lux
Sunny day - 40,000-120,000 lux (note that most of the high number here comes from secondary exposure - i.e. the environment reflecting the sunlight at you, rather than just direct sun itself)

My psychologist, specializing in autism spectrum disorders, said that sensory integration dysfunction is a prominent feature of Asperger's.

For me personally, I certainly have Sensory Integration Dysfunction. The sun is incredibly bright, painful and tiresome.

It was only last year, when I was 27, that I managed to find some awesome 'wrap around' (cover the whole field of view) polarized dark sunglasses (about 80% light reduction), and thought to combine that with a cap. One of those golfers caps, which doesn't have the top of the head (hair exposed thus). The combo is awesome. I never get as blinded or annoyed as before, and it doesn't matter much if I'm facing the direction of the sun (the cap prevents the sun ever being in my field of view, so only secondary exposure). Highly recommended for anyone, even with no sensitivities. After all, you wouldn't want to harm your eyes from UV exposure and other excess would you? Squinting also causes tons of unpleasant wrinkles around your eyes (like you wouldn't believe if you add a few years).

I've also added an awesome window film (Llumar GN07 HPR) that only lets 8% of the light through (do the math with the scale posted initially to get some idea). Most of the time it just makes the outside more in tune with indoor lighting. It's great to have a nice view from the window without being so blasted by intense light.

In general I tend to lower light levels indoors to 'can see where I'm going without problems' but no more. People react to it and ask why it's so dark in the place.

Without sunlgasses and all that, the sun is...
- Very painful at first, then dissipates (inside about 30-60 seconds) as my eyes adjust a bit.
- No matter what, it's way, way too bright, and feels like it. Even if my eyes don't outright hurt, it feels super 'overwhelming' somehow and really tires me out and overarouses my senses.
- I generally don't go out unless I have some kind of business if it is sunny. Even with sunglasses (reducing 80% of light) it's still very bright (after all, 20% of 50,000 lux is 10,000)

I'm certain that sun lovers squint like hell as well, just that they really enjoy massively stimulating themselves...

If I'm going outside, during the day, I wear dark sunglasses. Period. I really squint and am uncomfortable when I go outside without them. I can get mostly used to it if I'm out long enough, but I'd rather not. I wear my sunglasses even when it's overcast, and late into the evening, until my eyes don't feel strained without them.

I dislike the feel of being in direct sunlight feels like I'm carrying something heavy

I'm also sensitive to light, not just sunlight (although sunlight does feel uncomfortable on my skin after a while) and squint frequently when there's too much light.
I often turn off all the lights in the house and only leave on the tv or computer, it provides enough light to keep me from bumping into things and it's comfortable on my eyes.

I'm sensitive to heat and cold I think...

I like sunlight in certain contexts, not in others. It really depends on my mood. My sensory issues are predominantly linked with sound, not visual stuff.

Unrelated to AS, but strange nonetheless, I do experience an uncontrollable physical reaction to sunlight: I sneeze when quickly exposed to it... like walking outside on a sunny afternoon after being inside for awhile. I always thought that everyone did this, until I found out that, no; it is in fact caused by a genetic trait that affects about one-fourth of all people. Check the link...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photic_sneeze_reflex

Interesting. I don't sneeze when exposed to bright light, but it can help bring out a sneeze that's already coming. In fact, I'll often intentionally look at a light to get it out and over with.

I hate Reno in the summer. The sun is far too bright. There are times where it will give me such a horrible headache. I recently bought sunglasses to alleviate the problem, but the bridge of my nose is apparently rather wide.

Edit: The headache is usually centered on my EYEBALL, by the way. I do wear the sunglasses, but the bridge of my nose can bother me sometimes.