What is overload ?IN BRIEF
When the senses receive too much information simultaneously and cannot process it effectively in real-time, an autistic person may feel very unwell, which is called sensory overload. If emotions receive too much information, arrive too quickly, or come unexpectedly, causing the person to feel overwhelmed, it is called emotional overload. Both types of overload can happen at the same time, adding to the challenge. In every case, it is an overflow that the brain needs time to process.

Sensory overload
Sensory overload occurs when there is too much information coming from the senses, and the brain can no longer coordinate them effectively. To perceive, the body sends information to the brain. To understand the world, the brain translates this information into sensations and then sends it to another section to make sense of it. This process requires significant coordination.
The Double Sorting Task
In addition to sensations coming from the environment, the brain must also interpret other information coming from within, such as emotions, intentions, and mood. This also requires substantial coordination.
Definition of emotional overload
Emotional overload occurs when there is an excess of information coming from emotions, and the brain cannot sort them. Sometimes, this results from an accumulation of emotions, an overwhelming variety of emotions, or even an emotion arriving suddenly, even if it isn’t particularly intense under normal circumstances.
Attention
Emotional overload can amplify sensory overload, and vice versa.
Scenario
Ludo played outside and was hot all day. When he comes inside, the noise from the ventilation irritates him, the cool air feels uncomfortable on his skin, and his damp, sticky shirt annoys him. He isn't fully aware of these sensations because he is focused on following his friends indoors. When a friend criticizes him for bumping into them, Ludo explodes in anger. Normally, he might have been able to respond calmly, but the accumulation made receiving a negative emotion too much for him.
As they grow older, autistic people may learn to better identify the warning signals of an impending emotional overload. This varies from person to person. Here are some examples:
- Tight throat
- Urge to cry
- Higher emotional sensitivity than usual
- Chest, thorax, or neck pain
- Tightness in the chest
- Feeling like something wants to escape from the throat
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty speaking
Going Further
There is a difference between emotion and mood. Emotion is what we feel in the present moment, in response to an event that just happened or a thought we had. Emotions can change moment to moment as events unfold. Mood, on the other hand, is the background tone of emotion. It is like an emotion but less intense and longer-lasting. Mood influences how we perceive events. When we are in a bad mood, we might feel angry about a comment that wasn't actually negative.
How is Sensory or Emotional Overload Experienced?
For autistic people, it feels like an overflow. Sensations become aggressive, even painful or frightening for some. For others, they cause confusion. Moving the body becomes difficult. Simply knowing how to position oneself or respond to sensations becomes challenging.
Some sensations we feel in our bodies come from our emotions. Additionally, sensory or emotional overload can bring about emotions that add to those already present. In an overload moment, autistic people often feel stress, fear, frustration, or sadness. These emotions create sensations such as stomach pain or tearful eyes. Sometimes, it is the emotions themselves that cause the overload.
This can become very intense because the emotions caused by the overload mix with the emotions that triggered it. And all these emotions bring additional sensations.

Social Context Overload
Contrary to popular belief, autistic people are capable of understanding social relationships. Their way of engaging in social interactions is simply different. Like everyone, being in relationships with others can evoke a variety of emotions, both positive and negative. These emotions can trigger sensory overload, even when they are positive. This happens more often to autistic people, but it can happen to non-autistic people too. For example, it is common to see videos of people unable to control their tears after receiving joyful news. These people are happy, but their brain experiences a form of emotional overload!
Situational Overload
An important event can also cause overload. For example, receiving a surprise can trigger overload. Sometimes, autistic people experience overload due to an event that feels significant to them but not to others. It could be a change in routine, an unexpected situation, a problem to solve, or an unexplainable sensation. Mood can influence sensory overload linked to emotions. If several negative events occur in a short time, it can create a bad mood. If something significant happens, a bad mood can increase the chances of experiencing unpleasant sensations from emotions like sadness, anger, or frustration.
Understanding Through Example
An autistic person might experience sensory overload because their favorite box of cookies isn’t in its usual cupboard. This event may seem trivial to others, but it is significant to them. Autistic people use routines to regulate their senses. Routines help them stay coordinated. If the box isn’t in the usual place, they must step out of their routine and find new strategies to achieve their goals of eating and comfort. The goal of eating might help manage sensations caused by hunger, and the goal of comfort might help focus on pleasant sensations to recover from unpleasant ones. The sensation of hunger and the memory of unpleasant sensations might already require coordination effort from the brain. With the cookie box gone, an entire strategy for managing an almost-overflow of sensations disappears. That’s why the missing box of cookies becomes an important event.
Consequences
Sensory overloads are felt in the body and trigger emotions. When the overload becomes too intense, it can lead to a meltdown or a shutdown. In both cases, the autistic person may struggle to communicate or even be unable to do so. In both scenarios, the autistic person experiences an explosion of emotions and sensations. In the case of a meltdown, the explosion will be visible externally through behaviors showing frustration, anger, or sadness. In the case of a shutdown, the explosion happens internally. Others may notice that the autistic person in this situation is no longer communicating, moving, or responding to their name.
When I lived in shared housing, someone would often eat what I had planned to eat. Most of the time, it was fine because we did groceries together, so they had the right. But sometimes, it was the meal I had planned to eat after work or a big activity. In those moments, my roommates knew they had to help me find something else to eat. Otherwise, I would shut down. Not cry or yell because I was an adult. I would just sit on the couch, not speak, not move, not eat, not even scroll through Facebook mindlessly. Nothing. Absolutely nothing, for one or two hours. I was shut down.
Catherine, autistic
Avoiding overload
An autistic person experiencing an overflow can try techniques to reduce sensory input, such as changing rooms or wearing noise-canceling headphones. Some may benefit from using weighted blankets, closing their eyes, or focusing on a single point of reference to reduce incoming information. It can also help to step away from overwhelming environments, take deep breaths, or use stimming tools like fidget toys. In the case of emotional overload, expressing feelings in a safe way—through journaling, art, or talking to a trusted person—can also provide relief.
It’s important to remember that avoiding overload isn’t always possible, even with the best strategies. Autistic people might notice the signs of an impending overload too late to prevent it. Learning to recognize early signals and having a personalized plan in place can make a significant difference in managing these situations more effectively over time.