Sensory Processing Disorder in Adults: When Felt Feels Like a Four-Letter Word

Next up in the basics of neurodivergence (a.k.a., Neurodivergence 101), let’s take a look at sensory processing disorder (SPD). 

As with the other posts, this is not an exhaustive list of possibilities you may experience.

Nor is it meant to be a textbook definition.

It is, however, based on my lived experience as a late-diagnosed woman.

You'll learn how it has impacted me, and information to help guide you on your unique path.

What Is the Experience Like?

To me, having sensory processing disorder means always being aware of what is directly touching me as well as what is going on around me. 

I can't not continuously notice if my underwire or pants waistline are cutting into my sides.

That's why the clothes and shoes I wear are so important.

Growing up, this meant not wanting to wear turtlenecks or anything scratchy, such as wool. 

Much to my late Irish grandmother’s dismay, I'm sure.

Fast forward to being a new teacher working with a fantastic mentor in training classes.

It meant conspicuously opting out of one activity in particular. 

She had made amazing manipulatives to use with younger students. 

These help to develop music literacy skills, which echo (see what I did there) basic skills like reading from left to right.

I’m sure most kids love them.

The plan went like this. 

The teacher would prepare a display, usually on a ground-level easel, out of felt. 

(Ugh, just the thought gives me actual shivers.)

Take for example a pumpkin patch theme for fall literacy activities. 

The teacher would have prepared the bottom half of the board with green felt.

(Oh my gosh, it is actually a four-letter word.) 

This represented the pumpkin patch.

Do you see where this is going? Sigh.

The students would get to hold an orange pumpkin, each with a basic rhythm drawn on it. 

After singing the chorus, students would take turns placing their rhythms on the board.

The class would chant the patterns aloud, clapping and later playing instruments. 

The thing was, I couldn’t make the board and I couldn’t hold the sweet manipulatives that my incredible mentor made for us. 

I could do the rest of it easy peasy. But it bothered me.

At the time I didn’t know about ADHD or sensory processing disorder.

I just knew that I had a strong aversion to touching that particular fabric. 

The inner critic part of me doubted myself because of it.

What kind of teacher, I thought to myself, can't even hold some basic felt?

I remember joking about it with my fellow teacher cohort.

We chuckled, saying how everyone has their stuff they deal with. 

Someone noted that they felt that way about something else.

Or they had a friend who did. 

The problem was that this was just one small example of the ways in which sensory sensitivities showed up in my everyday life. 

And still do to this day.

So, What Exactly Is Sensory Processing Disorder?

The way I understand it is this.

When someone has SPD, their brain responds to both internal and external stimuli in unpredictable, less efficient ways.

The body involuntarily over- or under-reacts to internal and external events.

By event I mean something that causes one of your senses to react and tell your body to respond.

This is a communication signal that tells you something important.

For example, imagine you’re walking by a trash can that hasn’t been emptied recently. 

That same banana is still sitting in there from last week, loud and proud. 

Your colleague who put it there didn't notice or stop to think if that was the best place.

And you can't blame them.

It's not their fault they're neurotypical.

I jest, I jest.

But in all seriousness, SPD makes teaching even more exhausting than it already is. 

Let's say you're focused on sorting students into groups.

No matter how hard you try, though, your mind keeps getting jerked back to the hole in your favorite socks.

You've worn them out because, well, SPD.

And it’s not a choice. It’s not needing to ‘toughen up.’ 

It’s not about discipline or personal integrity.

Unfortunately it’s also not something that someone gets used to over time, as in the case of habituation. 

It's not anxiety, although for sure that is also part of it.

Have you noticed the children who cover their ears during fire drills? 

Someone who does not have SPD may still not enjoy the sound. I mean, who does, right?

But for the adult or student who wasn’t expecting the drill and didn’t have their earplugs, it can cause a complete short-circuit overload and shutdown.

It can then take an inconveniently long time for the nervous system to get back to a more relaxed state.

You might feel restless, foggy, or incredibly irritable after that.

You might spiral in despair because you feel that it is embarrassing.

It's not your fault, though. And you don't need to feel ashamed.

Your brain detects, analyzes, and responds to the noise in a different way. 

The opposite can happen for someone who is considered sensory-seeking.

The proprioceptive sense is related to our ability to feel where our body is.

Sometimes people with a weaker sense will be clumsy, slamming into tables by accident.

A child who needs extra pressure may not notice how hard they are gripping their pencil.

That is, until the paper tears or the graphite cracks. Again.

For adults this kind of hyposensitivity can also show up as poor interoception. 

This is the ability to notice and respond to what your body is telling you that you need.

Is it giving you cues that you are hungry or thirsty? 

Sometimes you might miss the signals entirely until you’re completely ravenous, right? 

I’ve been there, too many times.

Side note: pretzels, carrot sticks, potato chips, anything similar that gives that same crunch, can be calming at meal time. 

Just not on public transportation.

Please, for the love of all that’s good.

I recently sat next to someone who, on an early morning commute with very little legroom, proceeded to demolish an entire bag of an extremely fragrant, savory snack mix.

Never mind that it wasn’t a traditional breakfast item.

Or the fact that we were all pressed together like a deck of cards.

She really got in there. 

I’m talking tilting her head allllllll the way back and repeatedly patting the bottom of the bag.

Many times.

I'm sure there were crumbs that fell on her face, clothes, and chair.

I couldn't tell just using my peripheral vision in my too-small seat where I sat directly next to her.

But this was pure, unadulterated, no-holds-barred chow, onlookers be darned.

She would then, not kidding, lick (!) her fingers and go back for more, getting every last ounce of that bad boy. 

It was absolutely, positively way too much for me. 

The scent of ranch-flavored crackers wafted straight up my nose and made me want to gag. 

This combined with the disgusting eating sounds and inability to move away was, let's say, stressful.

Luckily it was a short trip and I didn’t have to bust out my signature what-in-the-world-are-you-actually-thinking look. 

But it was a close call. Very close.

The bus mercifully stopped and I hurriedly stumbled off, catching a sideways glance at the now empty monstrosity on her lap.

What is wrong with people, I thought to myself.

What Can Be Done to Help?

Okay so we know that having sensory processing disorder is tough.

The question then becomes, what can we do about it?

Here's what I have done that has been the most helpful for me.

You might very well be different.

For me it mostly comes down to clothing and audio wear.

It may sound simple at first glance, but if you're anything like me you know it's not.

This can mean shopping at second hand stores to find the softest clothing possible. 

Or finding that one brand of shoe that feels the best for you, and buying a few pairs. 

This again involves actual shopping in an actual store… Unless you don't mind repeated returns.

There are Loop earplugs for example, that are lightweight yet effective.

I wore the Loop Experience for Concerts the most at work, but they have apparently been discontinued.

The Loop Experience 2 appears to be the closest replacement, but I haven't used those.

I did try the Quiet line and thought they were okay, but honestly better for taking naps.

While teaching, I found wearing just one was actually pretty helpful and still let me hear what I needed to.

With one earplug you should be able to speak without it sounding quite as strange. 

It still takes some getting used to though, for sure.

How did I decide to wear just one? 

It was part of my quest for glasses to help me with some other symptoms I was having. 

(Check out my article about the lenses I got in “ADHD Glasses: Help Boost Focus with Special Lenses.”)

Of course it can be a good idea to get seen by an occupational therapist who understands SPD.

Bonus points if they work with adults! But even if they don't, you may still be able to get good support.

Together you can develop a plan with targeted exercises to help ground your nervous system.

I’m just saying that for me in the day-to-day grind, those are things that have helped me. 

Oh, and workarounds for felt?

Magnets, baby.

Laminated cardstock manipulatives and magnets all the way.

Got the job done without the heebie jeebies.

Going Forward

These are a few experiences you may notice if you have sensory processing disorder. 

This condition often accompanies ADHD as well as autism, but it can also occur by itself. 

It’s an ongoing issue that involves tenacity, patience, really listening to your body, doing what it tells you to do, and doing your best.

It's not for the faint of heart.

But I do think it’s possible to modify at least some of your environmental triggers and find some relief that way.

I really hope you do.

What do you think?

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