Can autistic sensory issues change over time?

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NorthWind
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18 Nov 2020, 4:19 am

Is it normal for an autistic sensory issue a person was born with or had since early childhood to disappear during later childhood, teenage years or adulthood?
Is it normal for an autistic sensory issue to start at a later time if a person didn't have it as a small child?

Or were your sensory issues stable over time? Did you have any as a child you no longer have? Do you have any now you didn't have as a child? Any other changes?

I was hypersensitive to pain as a small child - compared to other children roughly the same age of course - and adults got annoyed about it. However, as a teen and as an adult my pain sensitivity has been fairly normal. I don't know at what age exactly it changed, but it was a gradual shift.

However, now I experience touch, especially light touch (only by people not by animals or objects) as painful and it can leave an itching, burning sensation for more than an hour. It's a bit situation dependent and while touch is usually painful how long and how much depends on circumstances and under some circumstances it isn't. I definitely didn't have that kind of sensory issue as a child. I don't know when it started, but probably between age 11 and 14. I also can't remember if it was a gradual change.



Edna3362
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18 Nov 2020, 6:04 am

In a fundamental sense, mine didn't change. Sensitive is still sensitive, insensitive is still insensitive. No filters, and unreliable regulation.

What changed is my reaction to it and how I took it.
Which I'd sought or avoid, which is painful or tolerable, which I can or cannot ignore, which I could or could not discern, process or comprehend...

Nothing about my case is stable.
Was more of a sensory seeker in early childhood, been very avoidant at late childhood, been very intolerant at early teens, tried to be so tolerant in late teens, and sort of figured something at early adulthood...

I lost some thresholds, gained some tolerance after, trying to regain 'stamina' soon, gained some form of processing glitch recently...
Relearning whatever processing comprehension I may or may not forgot for some reason.


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Dear_one
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18 Nov 2020, 7:59 am

I get a large variation based on my general stress level and the amount of sleep I'm getting.



skibum
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18 Nov 2020, 1:27 pm

Sensory levels can change with time. Mine actually got a lot more severe as I got older but I do know that some people have gotten less severe as they got older. It has to do with how your body and brain respond to stress and what stress factors accumulate or decrease for you as you get older.


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madbutnotmad
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18 Nov 2020, 1:47 pm

I think that generally speaking, people get born with a certain amount of sensory impairment or the brain develops to cause permanent sensory impairment ( ASD being a developmental disorder).

However, the human brain is complex and involves the interaction between many parts, as well as its chemical make up (neurotransmitters).

I would say that some kids may learn to manage their sensory problems as they grow older making their symptoms less severe.

However, I would also say due to sensory problems causing prolonged elevated levels of stress hormones, that it is more likely for people's sensory issues to get worse over time.

As prolonged exposure to high levels of stress hormones, which is inevitable for most people with ASD, causes damage to the stress hormone regulator of the brain, which can make a person more hypersensitive to sensory information than when younger and not damaged by prolonged exposure to stress hormones.

Not everyone however will have abnormalities to the parts of their brain that deal with sensory information, so not everyone will become hypersensitive even if they do become stressed out due to prolonged exposure to stress hormones.

In addition, as people grow older, some of their hormone levels drop (testosterone for example).

This has an impact on the balance of hormones, making the stress hormones increase in level.



Pieplup
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18 Nov 2020, 3:09 pm

NorthWind wrote:
Is it normal for an autistic sensory issue a person was born with or had since early childhood to disappear during later childhood, teenage years or adulthood?
Is it normal for an autistic sensory issue to start at a later time if a person didn't have it as a small child?

Or were your sensory issues stable over time? Did you have any as a child you no longer have? Do you have any now you didn't have as a child? Any other changes?

I was hypersensitive to pain as a small child - compared to other children roughly the same age of course - and adults got annoyed about it. However, as a teen and as an adult my pain sensitivity has been fairly normal. I don't know at what age exactly it changed, but it was a gradual shift.

However, now I experience touch, especially light touch (only by people not by animals or objects) as painful and it can leave an itching, burning sensation for more than an hour. It's a bit situation dependent and while touch is usually painful how long and how much depends on circumstances and under some circumstances it isn't. I definitely didn't have that kind of sensory issue as a child. I don't know when it started, but probably between age 11 and 14. I also can't remember if it was a gradual change.
Sensory issues can vary wildly. It's more than just hyper sensitive or hyposensitive to a sense you can be hypersensitive to some stimuli whihe hypo-sensitive to others. Whether or not you are hyper sensitive or hyposensitive can change as well. As for overtime. Sensory issues can become more noticeable when you are stressed or tired. As far as developing new sensory issues entirely. I'm not sure but it could be that you just didn't notice them. Can Sensory issues change over time? Definitely. As far as completely changing over years like that. I'm not sure about that. But autistic traits change overtime some become less pronounced others become more pronounced. This sounds like it could be like that. I have to point out I used to be have a lower pain tolerance now it's really easy for me to just ignore it. It's kind to tell whether that's just me getting better at dealing with pain or my sensory issues changing.

I think that there's a few things that could make sensory issues appear to change. A. Over time people will naturally learn how to tolerate them better. B. Stress kinda elevates the sensory issues. Also C. Burnout but that's kind of B too. It could also be that they were less pronounced before and that stress si elevating them. Is there any major stress factors in your life?


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19 Nov 2020, 10:45 am

i think that we can have other sensory issues on top of the ones we have (we could go blind or deaf), but i don't think that the ones we were born with could disappear. unless scientists find a cure for them, but i don't think it's going to happen in our lifetime



KT67
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19 Nov 2020, 10:59 am

Mine developed in puberty, at least as far as my main one (light sensitivity).

It's equally bad through the day but if an incident happens early in the day it puts me out for the whole day whereas if it happens late at night, I can sleep so it's better.

Also as an adult I have more freedom to avoid things then I did at school.


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Marshmallows
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20 Nov 2020, 11:30 am

I always have some form of sensory issues but the type and severity change with my mental health I feel like.
I experience a traumatic event and afterwards for a long period of time all my issues were heightened. I’ve also notice some medications affect my sensory issues as well. For both better and worse.


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20 Nov 2020, 1:55 pm

Some of mine have remained consistent, whereas others have not. Primarily they’ve just increased or decreased in severity at different times rather than having any new ones crop up or old ones disappear. For example, I’ve always hated the transition between dry and wet and vice versa (though while immersed in water like in a swimming pool, once I’m in I’m fine) but usually am able to handle a bath or shower, but I had a period of several months recently where I couldn’t handle either without sensory overload and had to use a wet washcloth so it at least wasn’t my whole body at once, and then it eased to the point where I can shower again. Or, it’s a bit of a different kind of sensory input, but I hated anything being done with my hair at all, but now that I’ve shaved my head due to chemotherapy, I love rubbing my head, particularly when I have just enough stubble to be soft (it still grows on my head but falls out really easily, so it looks patchy and I have to clean up hair all the time if I let it grow too long, but I still have to shave my head every couple of days to stay bald).


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Udinaas
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20 Nov 2020, 2:08 pm

Mine have gotten milder but vary with stress. I still have some auditory issues but my light sensitivity has all but disappeared.