Vestibular hypersensitivity is reflected in a low tolerance for any activity that involves movement or quick change in the position of the body (swings, slides, merry-go-round, etc.) People with vestibular hypersensitivity experience difficulty changing directions and walking or crawling on uneven or unstable surfaces. They are poor at sports. They feel disoriented after spinning, jumping or running and often express fear and anxiety of having their feet leave the ground.
Proprioceptive hypersensitivity is reflected in odd body posturing, difficulty manipulating small objects, etc.
Hyposensitivity
There might be times when they are not getting enough information because their senses are 'hypo'. It results in that they do not really see, hear or feel anything. They are just there. To stimulate their senses they might wave their hands around or rock forth and back or make strange noises.
Hypovision: Some autistic people may experience trouble figuring out where objects are, as they see just outlines, then they may walk around objects running their hand around the edges so they can recognize what it is. These children are attracted to lights, they may stare at the sun or a bright light bulb. They are fascinated with reflections and bright colored objects. Having entered an unfamiliar room they have to walk around it touching everything before they settle down. Often they sit for hours moving fingers and objects in front of the eyes.
Hypohearing: We can often see children who 'seek sounds' (leaning their ear against electric equipment or enjoying crowds, sirens, etc.) They like kitchens and bathrooms - the 'noisiest' places in the house. They often create sounds themselves to stimulate their hearing - banging doors, tapping things, tearing or crumpling paper in the hand, making loud rhythmic sounds.
Hypotaste/Hyposmell: Children with hypotaste/hyposmell chew and smell everything they can get - grass, play dough, etc. They mouth and lick objects, play with feces, eat mixed food (e.g., sweet and sour), regurgitate.
Hypotactility: Those with hypotactility seem not to feel pain or temperature. They may not notice a wound caused by a sharp object or they seem unaware of a broken bone. They are prone to self-injuries and may bite their hand or bang their head against the wall, just to feel they are alive. They like pressure, tight clothes, often crawl under heavy objects. They hug tightly and enjoy rough and tumble play.
Vestibular hyposensitivity: They enjoy and seek all sort of movement and can spin or swing for a long time without being dizzy or nauseated. Autistic people with vestibular hyposensitivity often rock forth and back or move in circles while rocking their body.
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