Have your sensory difficulties CHANGED in adulthood?

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As a child there were many things that I was fussy about, food, textures, smell etc. Now I am 50, some of those issues have not so much disappeared but changed, evolved or lessened.

What are your experiences. I loved water as a child but now HATE IT. Not drinking it (although I don't like that either!) but being in it. Now showers and baths do become a bit of an issue. Also as a child I didn't like the taste of alcohol (was allowed wine and water from about the age of 10 with a special dinner) and still cannot stand it. So for me the sensory issues have not disappeared or lessened but changed. Maybe that is because these experiences are associated with emotions?

Empirical evidence seems to suggest that as adults a lot of sensory issues are lessening...................I am not however so convinced. Your comments are welcome. THANKS IN ADVANCE!

Last edited by jelibean on 08 Mar 2009, 3:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

When I was 3-6 years old, I had to have a different spoon to eat each different food on my plate. I could not let the food flavors blend. So, we went to a cafeteria one time and a lady commented on it and I'll never forget that. My mom just said, "She likes spoons!"

I'm not like that anymore!

I'm MORE sensitive to light as I've grown older.. and certain sounds.

Thank you whitetiger, you and me both. I TAKE SUNGLASSES with me everywhere I go, even on a rainy dull day!

I was puzzled at the study as it says that actually the sensory issues lessen as age takes over...............mmmm yes THOSE specific ones may BUT my point is that as with Autism Spectrum Conditions is that it is 'developmental'. I am concerned slightly that studies may not be reflective of real life.

Certainly some of my fears, dislikes and sensitivities have lessened BUT then other new ones have been coming up on the rail and are now just as troublesome. But if I wasn't ASKED then I wouldn't probably divulge it!! Anyway how many people want to admit they don't like showering and bathing!! !

I would be really interested in hearing of your experiences, keep em coming. What has changed for YOU as you have got older? THANKS

My sensory issues have definitely changed around. As a child, I was much pickier about taste and texture in regards to food. I would eat one thing at a time (all the vegetables), then turn my plate...then go on to the next food (chicken), eat that, then turn my plate. I hated the thought of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I could eat only peanut butter, or only jelly. Things like pizza or spaghetti were out of the question. I never ate peaches, due to the fuzz (and all smells and tastes were so much stronger to me when I was young). Nowadays, I do much more food blending than before, and am probably near "normal" in that regard- (although the thought of cereal and milk, or any other liquid, still sounds totally gross to me...I never do it, blech).

Although I´m still somewhat sensitive to light and noise, this was FAR worse when I was a child. (I don´t wear sunglasses, for instance...in fact, I have a bit of a sensory problem with them in a way, it disturbs me to see the world in another color).

Nowadays, though, I seem to be manic about people...people walking near me, bumping me or jostling me, invading my personal space. Even the sound of a person walking nearby makes me feel anxious. When I go out, where people are in relation to me is like an obsession, if someone could only hear my mind as I´m going about my business...And I always bring my bag with me and set it on the seat in public transport, so if someone has to sit next to me, I don´t have to touch them. I don´t remember this being such an issue when I was a child. I do remember being freaked out by the lunchroom, there was just too much going on and it was loud and echoey- but children are often bumping and jostling each other, I don´t remember being as disturbed by it as now, though I was probably somewhat disturbed by it. And what´s more, I think it´s getting progressively worse.

So, yeah...I don´t think this stuff is much better (though a little), but different.

I am a LOT less sensitive to just about everything....meaning that when I was really young I was really sensitive to everything. Just about everything gave me a headache. I was not picky about food, other than eating the same things over and over...
When Super Happy Fun Land first opened, I was in a constant state of sensory distress, and I would have regular meltdowns...felt really unstable a lot of the time...and eventually I briefly ran away....
But my senses have been dulled to a lot of the things that used to freak me out. I can't remember the last time low bass frequencies made me want to throw up.

I still hate florescent lights...I still prefer my shirts with the necks cut out...I am aware of all the different sounds everywhere...but they don't bother me...

Often it seems that i use the music in my head as a buffer against the outside world.

Thanks for the wonderfully detailed responses so far. I must admit I identify with Morgana more, as child I used to eat only mash potato presented like a volcano on a plate, with grated cheese on top and then Heinz tomato ketchup all over (it had to be Heinz!). Now although I am as bad as the kids for picky eating, my repetoire has increased a lot. I didn't eat vegetables as a child and still I am picky. Don't like gravy on food, can't stand salt and pepper, prefer cold food to hot food etc.

However I am MORE light sensitive and noise sensitive. If I hear a noise in the background that disurbs me, it gets louder and LOuder and LOUDER until I can't bear it and get really irritated.

I don't like cold liquid on my body, so hate massage...........or body lotions or potions. I love HEAD massage though. As a child I loved swimming and now I can't bear to get into the water?

poppylungstuffing, I am the same with fluroescent lights, but unlike you they still bother me bigtime. My house is like a cave and lit with fairly lights and warm dim lamps!!

Anyone else seen an INCREASE in some sensory issues as they have got older, or maybe DECREASES.

Overall with all things considered, I would consider myself just as sensory fragile as I was before, it has merely morphed, changed/developed as I have got older!

My sensitivity for high pitched sounds is getting less, probably an advantage of losing hearing due to aging.

I have some other sensitivities, but an advantage of being an adult is to be able to avoid them.

So in general I am not suffering a lot anymore from my sensitivities.

My touch sensitivity is getting better in some ways but I'm developing a real hate for clothes that are only a little bit tight, I don't know why I wasn't like that before but am now.
I have never had too many sound issues except for once when I was 8 and went to a wedding disco the DJ had to turn it down, but that was only a one off and lasted a few minutes anway. So I'm OK there but I had another weird one off the other week at a day centre a work at, there was a power cut and this alarm thing went off like "beep beep beep..." for about 45 mins and was driving me mad and the clients kept banging lego on the table and everything just went ampilfied and I got really pissed off.
I don't really have light sensitivity that much unless the suns in my eyes then I get annoyed but nothing new has cropped up there.
for some reason I'm getting a bit fussy with food.
I'm finding these last 1 or 2 years I've changed alot redarding sensory issues.

I only heard so far that at the time of adulthood you can't really treat sensory issues anymore.

That for most people, they do not vanish and cannot be treated by therapy.

My sensory integration deficits are constantly waxing and waning though.

[/quote]Inconsistencies of perception.
Individuals with autism will have sensory difficulties specific to them and so a person specific approach needs to be taken. Further more, a persons sensory profile may change in the following ways:
> Over time
>Within environments
>Between hypo and hyper sensitivities (fluctuating)
>Between the senses, e.g. if one sense is being used, the other may not be able to process information
>Depending on amount of stimulation at one time (possibly leading to sensory overload)[quote]

From a sensory profiling document from the NAS.

This resonated with me because I operate an aid station for runners in a local mountain race. PBJ sandwiches are a runner favorite, but I cannot stand them and my husband has to make them. I cannot bring myself to touch them either. I am ok with each ingredient separately, but together they revolt me.

I have become less tolerant of uncomfortable clothing as I get older and don't like the clammy feel of wet hair nowadays. I'm a little less picky about food than as a child, but not much. Sound and light is about the same.

I am more sensitive to light and sound as I age. In general everyone becomes more crotchety (more sensitive to sound) as they age. That's why they have those seniors communities where the old folks don't have to put up with the sound of kids playing (a sound I will always love, I hope).

I am more sensitive to fibre content in my clothes, but about the same for fit (tightness). I have learned to cope with touch better, as I've talked myself through experiences and coached my brain on how to process the info more.

When I was a kid, I could not tolerate the sweetness of sweets, but I seem to have adapted to that one all right.

Mostly I'm more sensitive than I used to be. I think I was both more resilitent and a bit numb when I was younger. The only areas I've improved are areas where my brain was confused by sensory input and I coached it through the process so it could filter the information better. Unfortunately that doesn't work for noise.

Pears, and almost any kind of meat texture make me want to hurl, dads attempts to "sort it out" by forcefeeding as a kid probably didn't help. the feel of felt for some reason freaks me out. As I got older I started to despise the texture of carpets to the point where the house is all sanded painted boards, nice to lie down on too. As a child the last one never bothered me in the least.that has developed.other than that there is only the feel of wool that recently started bothering me (am vegan now as most of the foods and fabrics that set me off are animal based, gives me a reason not to touch them that others can understand.)

I don't think my sensory difficulties have changed so much as my perception and understanding have...

The only thing I get that seems worse is since I was 15 my eyes water if it's windy, or if it's sunny, I'm finding my eyes are more light-sensitive the older I've become.

light - really bad but always has been.
sound - really bad and was not so much when i was younger.

big fluctuations over the years in taste - although the tendency for salty foods has been there since infancy and remains to this day.

touch - pretty much the same all the way through. much better with firm pressure except soft tickles on my back and inner arms are ok if planned. i can hug people but HATE being touched if it is not firm. makes me want to vomit.
bieng close to people is not my idea of being happy, joyous, frollicking and free.

Last edited by millie on 09 Mar 2009, 4:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

Well according to research our sensory difficulties are meant to lessen BUT they are not taking into account the emotional/social/enviromental reasons either which is giving a bit of a false positive, rather than a postive false.......if you know what I mean.

I am going to try and create a poll (never done it before) may need a bit of help from the mods! Hope you all participate. I was questioning the research myself as I too feel that my sensory issues have changed, lessened, grown and generally developed as I have got older BUT not disappeared or lessened per se.

Wish me luck on the poll and if you don't see one, it is because I am too dipsy to work it out!!