Sensory Overload From the Perspective of a Child with Autism

Sensory overload, the reaction this causes kids and the negative reaction received by on lookers, parents of children with autism know it all too well, The National Autistic Society decided to showcase sensory overload from the perspective of a child with autism experiencing it. They brought 10-year-old Alexander Williams and his mom to a mall. The clip shows all the things that can cause Alexander to have a meltdown-from bright lights to loud noises. In the video, Alexander is unable to control himself and experiences many dirty looks from strangers. In a behind the scenes additional clip, Alexander explains that he wants people to know that he is not “naughty,” he is autistic. The behind the scenes clip also explains how Alexander was cast to be the face of this campaign. The campaign’s mission is to “bring about a lasting change in the public’s understanding of autism.” The National Autistic Society hopes that seeing how others treat Alexander and his mom will cause them to think twice when they see a child with autism experiencing a meltdown. The distribution of this video will hopefully lead to fewer dirty looks and to more compassion.

You can watch the two videos here: