Autism awareness: See with the eyes of autistic people
03/07/2022
People with autism are the best at describing their situation. They see autism from a different their own perspective, just like Ricky Zehrer does.
"Autism is defined as a profound development disorder, but it isn't that at all," says Zehrer. "You have autism from birth. Your brain functions differently than a non-autistic person's brain. For me, it's a question of sensory perception and the way an autistic person filters their experiences."
Many autistic people are unable to filter their experiences, or that ability to filter is under-developed.
The brain processes about 11 million sensory impressions per second. We're conscious of about 40 of those impressions. Only the most important information gets forwarded for further processing the brain isn't built to handle all the impulses we receive every minute of every day. So, we select and filter our experiences.
But it's different for people on the autism spectrum like Zehrer.
"I get everything I see, feel and experience, undiluted, and I have to deal with it all," says Zehrer. This overstimulation is permanent stress.
Avoiding the overstimulation
People with autism handle the overstimulation of their brains in different ways. They try to avoid or get out of situations that are simply too much.
That is the first thing autistic people can do to help them get through the day.
Light can be a factor. "I always wear sunglasses and in the car I use anti-glare protection," says Zehrer.
"I'm extremely sensitive to light. But another person could possible look right into the headlights of a car. Some people couldn't look you in the eyes while others stare at the people they meet," says the 44-year-old.
Whatever it is, Zehrer adds, something is always different.
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