I completely agree with what you’ve said. My question, though, always comes back to the embodied sensory differences we have, which sometimes feel quite disabling to me. The heat, for example. I become quite disregulated when it’s hot and humid outside. There are steps I can take to mitigate this, but in the end it’s the earth doing what it does but I have a difficult time navigating it. How would you define the sensory? I’m very curious.
You’re right at the heart of it—some embodied experiences are just hard, no matter how supportive the world could be. Sensory differences can be made disabling by others, but sometimes they’re just disabling because they are. I’m right there with you on the heat. It’s unlivable because our systems happen to be tuned in a way that makes that kind of environment genuinely overwhelming for us.
Autistic sensory experience is just that: autistic sensory experience. Not “autism” itself anymore than the sensation of tingling pain on your tongue is itself “soda,” but nonetheless an autistically related sensory experience.
And when that experience is disabling, then the disabling aspect is a disability. One deserving of support, recognition, and accommodation.
Thank you, I couldn't have said it better myself and I have tried.
I completely agree with what you’ve said. My question, though, always comes back to the embodied sensory differences we have, which sometimes feel quite disabling to me. The heat, for example. I become quite disregulated when it’s hot and humid outside. There are steps I can take to mitigate this, but in the end it’s the earth doing what it does but I have a difficult time navigating it. How would you define the sensory? I’m very curious.
I see the distinction and it makes sense. Thanks for the thoughtful reply.
You’re right at the heart of it—some embodied experiences are just hard, no matter how supportive the world could be. Sensory differences can be made disabling by others, but sometimes they’re just disabling because they are. I’m right there with you on the heat. It’s unlivable because our systems happen to be tuned in a way that makes that kind of environment genuinely overwhelming for us.
Autistic sensory experience is just that: autistic sensory experience. Not “autism” itself anymore than the sensation of tingling pain on your tongue is itself “soda,” but nonetheless an autistically related sensory experience.
And when that experience is disabling, then the disabling aspect is a disability. One deserving of support, recognition, and accommodation.