Imagine this.
You walk into a room where the lights are too bright.
There’s a buzzing sound you can’t turn off.
Someone is talking to you, but their voice feels loud—almost painful.
Your clothes itch.
Something smells wrong.
And no matter what you do… you can’t escape it.
Now imagine someone asking you to stay calm, listen, and behave appropriately.
This is what sensory overload can feel like for a child.

“It’s Too Much, But I Don’t Know How to Tell You”
From a child’s perspective, sensory overload isn’t just discomfort—it’s overwhelm in their entire nervous system.
They may not say:

• “The fluorescent lights are overstimulating me.”
• “I’m experiencing auditory overload.”

Instead, it might look like:

• Covering ears
• Yelling or crying
• Running away
• Refusing to participate
• Shutting down completely

What looks like “behavior” is often a child saying:
“I can’t handle this right now.”

What It Feels Like Inside My Body
If a child could explain it, it might sound like this:
“Everything feels loud. Even things that shouldn’t be loud.”
“My body feels tight and buzzy.”
“I can’t think.”
“I want it to stop, but I don’t know how.”
“When people keep talking to me, it makes it worse.”
In overload, the brain shifts into survival mode:

• Fight (yelling, hitting, pushing)
• Flight (running away, escaping)
• Freeze (shutting down, going silent)

This is not a choice.
It’s a nervous system response.

Why “Just Calm Down” Doesn’t Work
When a child is overloaded, their thinking brain goes offline.
That means they can’t:

• Reason logically
• Follow multi-step directions
• Explain what’s wrong
• “Use their coping skills” on demand

So when we say:

• “Use your words”
• “Make a good choice”
• “Calm down”

…it often increases frustration—because they physically can’t access those skills in that moment.

What Actually Helps
From a child’s perspective, support might feel like:
✔ Reducing the input

• Dim the lights
• Lower noise
• Move to a quieter space

✔ Saying less

• Fewer words = less demand on their brain
• Calm, simple phrases work best

Try:

• “You’re safe.”
• “I’m here.”
• “Let’s go somewhere quiet.”

✔ Giving space (but staying nearby)
Some kids need distance to regulate—but not abandonment.
✔ Co-regulation first, problem-solving later
Connection helps the nervous system settle.

What I Wish You Knew
If a child could leave you with one message, it might be this:
“I’m not trying to be difficult.
I’m having a hard time.
When my world feels too big and too loud, I need you to help make it smaller and calmer.”

A Gentle Reframe for Adults
Instead of asking:
“Why are they acting like this?”
Try asking:
“What might be overwhelming them right now?”
That one shift changes everything.

Final Thought
Sensory overload isn’t a behavior problem—it’s a nervous system in distress.
And when we respond with understanding instead of correction,
we don’t just stop the moment…
We build trust, safety, and long-term regulation.

Autism societies in Wisconsin have some exciting updates!  
Instead of affiliate Autism Societies throughout the state, varying by region, there are now two larger regional autism societies --

Autism United of Wisconsin: Supports Milwaukee and their surrounding counties (Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha, Ozaukee, and Washington)
Autism Society of Wisconsin: Supports the remainder of the state (see post below for specific chapters that merged)

Many of the regional chapters still maintain their Facebook presence, featuring local events. If you are an Autism parent or have a child with any cognitive disability, please subscribe!  They provide amazing resources, connect like-minded families to feel supported, and hold many sensory/disability friendly events throughout the year!!

Within the world of disability, wandering is a tremendous concern!  Unfortunately, wandering is a dangerous reality that is constantly on the mind of many families with a loved one with a cognitive disability, such as Autism, Down Syndrome, or Alzheimer's Disease.  

Project Lifesaver is a nationwide program that assists public safety officials with necessary tools and training to quickly locate individuals with a cognitive disorder who may have wandered from the safety of their caregivers.  The Project Lifesaver program is run at the municipal level, typically by county law enforcement agencies.  

Project Lifesaver provides training to officials that includes training on the use of location equipment, and community policing courses that provide a basic understanding of the cognitive conditions that may lead to a lack of safety awareness and how to best engage with those individuals with a cognitive condition.  Project Lifesaver also provides the individual with a disability with a wearable (ankle or wrist) tracking device that law enforcement can use to quickly track the wearer.  The tracking device is typically low cost or no cost to county residents. 

To learn more about Project Lifesaver, visit their website!  Check to see if Project Lifesaver is available in your county!

Empty tank. Short fuse. Full plate. Bucket overflowing...There are endless ways to describe the feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed!

Adults, kids, teens, and in between, we all handle stress differently. When we feel calm and safe, it’s easier to pause, think things through, and manage challenges. But how do we learn to do that? Sometimes it’s because someone taught us, maybe they talked us through a difficult moment. Other times it’s because we watched how others cope. Those around us can be very powerful models. We may have even seen a t.v. show that provided coaching and guidance through characters and catchy songs (Think magic neighborhood with talking puppets...).

For many people though, coping strategies don’t come naturally. They may be “taught” skills like deep breathing or going to a calm space, but in the moment of stress, unexpected changes, or an overwhelming environment, those strategies can be very difficult to access and use, especially if there hasn’t been enough practice to make them feel automatic.

That’s where we can step in to help. Practicing or role-playing coping skills during calm moments can help them become more natural and comfortable. Just like we run safety drills, we can do “practice drills” for calming strategies. Turning practice into a game and offering encouragement or small rewards for trying out strategies can strengthen these skills even more.
Regular check-ins throughout the day can also make a big difference (Think, “Hey, how are you doing: Thumbs up, down, to the side?”). By noticing early signs of stress or overwhelm, we can encourage our family to use coping tools before the situation escalates, catching a spark before it becomes a fire.

Practicing our own strategies when we are calm and comfortable can also help us prepare for those inevitable curve balls our families throw us. In fact, why not take a quick moment now to check in with yourself and practice a coping strategy. Don’t forget a little reward after!