What is meant by hyposensitivity in autism?
Mia Smith
Published Mar 20, 2026
What is meant by hyposensitivity in autism?
Hyposensitivity, also known as Sensory under-responsitivity, refers to abnormally decreased sensitivity to sensory input. Hyposensitivity is especially common in people with Autism, and is mostly seen in children. Those experiencing this have a harder time stimulating their senses than normally.
Can you be Hyposensitive hypersensitive?
Autistic people can experience both hypersensitivity (over-responsiveness) and hyposensitivity (under-responsiveness) to a wide range of stimuli. Most people have a combination of both.
What is tactile hyposensitivity?
Hyposensitivity to touch and movement refers to low or abnormally decreased sensitivity to motion and sense of touch. We all crave sensation. We like how certain fabrics feel against our skin.
What is hyposensitivity disorder?
Hyposensitivity is when children are under-sensitive to stimulation. This makes them want to seek out more sensory stimulation. They may want to constantly touch things to feel their texture, love jumping up and down and bumping into things. They may have high tolerance for pain.
Do I have Hyposensitivity?
Fails to notice or ignores noxious odors. Excessively smells new objects, toys, people. Has difficulty discriminating unpleasant odors. May drink or eat things that are harm- ful/poisonous because they do not notice the noxious smell.
How do you treat Hyposensitivity?
SPD treatment often means working with an occupational therapist on activities that help retrain the senses….Treating SPD with Therapy
- Physical therapy using a sensory integration approach (PT-SI)
- Vision therapy to improve eye-motor skills for people who have trouble reading, merging into traffic, or writing.
How do you deal with hyposensitivity?
What’s the treatment for sensory issues?
- Occupational therapy. An occupational therapist can help a child practice or learn to do activities they normally avoid because of sensory issues.
- Physical therapy. A physical therapist can develop a sensory diet.
- Sensory integration therapy.
Do I have hyposensitivity?
How do you know if you have hyposensitivity?
What are the signs of hyposensitivity?
Symptoms of hyposensitivity, or being less responsive to sensory information, may include:
- Clumsiness.
- Fidgeting.
- Difficulty sensing personal boundaries.
- Difficulty understanding strength (may cause unintentional harm to children or pets)
- Indifference to pain and extreme temperatures.
What are the signs of Hyposensitivity?
How do I know if my child is Hyposensitive?
If a child is affected by hypersensitivity, they may have extreme or fearful responses to specific textures, sounds, and tastes. Conversely, children with hyposensitivity may seem fearless, inappropriately touching people and/or objects and putting themselves in dangerous situations due to their under-reaction to pain.
What are the 4 types of hypersensitivity?
(Anaphylaxis):
What are the symptoms of sensory overload?
Abrupt mood changes
What are the signs of sensory processing disorder?
Extra-Sensitive to Touch – They don’t like to be touched or can’t be touched enough.
What causes emotional hypersensitivity?
The Highly Sensitive Person: Emotional Sensitivity May Stem From A Person’s Genes, Enhancing The Way They See The World. New research finds emotional sensitivity can be encoded into a person’s genetic makeup. People are genetically predisposed to their sensitivity, finds a new study published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
