The Teen Guide to Sensory Issues

It’s hard to be a teen! It’s even more challenging when we have sensory differences.

People with sensory processing disorder (SPD), a newly identified neurological condition, as well as those with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are frequently misunderstood when they over-or under-react to sounds, sights, smells, tastes, touch, movement, balance, and feelings within their bodies. When we’re wired differently in teenagehood and not always able to understand what we’re sensing, the world—and the future—can feel big and scary.

Rachel S. Schneider, MA, MHC, is an SPD advocate and the award-winning author of Sensory Like You and Making Sense: A Guide to Sensory Issues. In this guide, written especially for teens and those who love them, she breaks the challenges of sensory teenagehood into hilarious, thoughtful, and manageable chunks. Through personal stories about her own experiences as an undiagnosed sensory teen as well as tips and tricks to survive and thrive during these years, Rachel reminds us that we’re not alone.