My Sensory System
All human bodies have sensory systems. Alcohol exposure in the womb can injure the sensory system and cause people to have some sensory disabilities. The sensory system is how our bodies get information from the world around us and send the information to our brains. Our brains then make sense of all the information.
Our eyes give us sight and we learn about the world from the things we see. Our ears we let us hear all the sounds of the world. Our skin, hands, feet and other body parts can feel and through the sense of touch, we learn about textures and temperatures. Our mouth and nose give us the sense of taste and smell. Our body has a sense of our position in the world that helps us sense movement, tell if we are upright or upside down.
When sensory systems are injured by exposure to alcohol in the womb, this can cause people to be over sensitive to sensory information or under sensitive to sensory information. This is because sometimes brains can’t make sense of it all or sort it all out.
Someone that is over sensitive will be more aware of or bothered by things like bright lights, sharp sounds, the feel of a scratchy sweater, large crowds of people, yelling, strong smells, high or low temperature or the movement of a car. A person who is over sensitive or bothered by sensory information might feel sick, irritated, annoyed, may cry, run away or feel overwhelmed.
Other people are under sensitive. This means that they don’t seem to notice the sensory information even if the lights are very bright, their headphones are really loud, the hot or cold is extreme or they have pain from an injury. A person who is under sensitive or does not notice sensory information might be at risk of harming themselves by not wearing boots or mitts in the cold, not noticing the feeling of pain from a serious injury, using too loud of a voice or doing dangerous things.
Do you Want to Talk with Someone about FASD?
Learning about FASD is complicated. If you have questions or want to talk with someone, call the FASD Support Network of Saskatchewan. We are here to help.
1-866-673-3276