4.3 Unique Trauma Responses

Trauma manifests differently in neurodivergent individuals, often in ways that are not immediately recognisable as distress. These unique responses require careful consideration and understanding. Have a look below to understand some of the ways that signs of trauma may show themselves:

Sensory overload: Neurodivergent individuals often have heightened or different sensory processing, making them more sensitive to sensory overload. Trauma can exacerbate sensory sensitivities, leading to an increased likelihood of experiencing overload. During sensory overload, the individual may feel overwhelmed by stimuli such as loud noises, bright lights, or crowded spaces. This can result in physical symptoms like headaches or nausea, as well as emotional responses such as panic, anxiety, or irritability. People with differing sensory experiences often find the world a hard place to inhabit.

For most of us, the sound of a fire alarm, a siren, or a ringing mobile phone wouldn’t even register; we’d forget about it the minute it passed. However, these sounds can be completely overwhelming for those prone to sensory overload, causing their nervous system to move into fight, flight, or freeze. This is especially true if the sounds are linked to trauma triggers.

This is compounded by the fact that these experiences are often invalidated or not accommodated by others around them. As a result, people often learn to mask their threat response because they don’t want to show fear or embarrass themselves, which does not allow the nervous system to complete the threat cycle.

Shutdowns: In response to overwhelming stress or trauma, some neurodivergent individuals may experience shutdowns. A shutdown is a state where the individual becomes unresponsive or minimally responsive to their surroundings. This can involve withdrawing from social interaction, avoiding eye contact, and becoming non-verbal or selectively mute.

Shutdowns are often misunderstood as laziness, defiance, or lack of interest, but they are protective mechanisms, where the individual’s nervous system is attempting to protect them from further sensory or emotional overload.

Sensory overload is often misunderstood and is labelled a meltdown, temper tantrum etc. Self-injurious behaviour is a common feature of sensory overload which is unique to neurodivergent individuals.

This is especially true for those who struggle with uncertainty. What might come across as a neurodivergent being inflexible, rigid, or stubborn could very well be them attempting to remain in a state where they feel safe. This can result in misunderstandings and people being labelled as difficult and can also be a barrier to receiving proper treatment and care.

Hypervigilance: Hypervigilance is a survival response, where the individual is trying to protect themselves from future harm. In social situations, this can manifest as difficulty trusting others, reluctance to engage, or over-analysis of social cues.

Hypervigilance can manifest differently across various neurodivergent conditions, often influenced by the unique cognitive and sensory processing characteristics of each condition.

For individuals with ADHD, hypervigilance may present as an increased sensitivity to environmental changes and social cues, leading to a heightened state of alertness. This can result in rapid speech, impulsive reactions, and a constant scanning of the environment for potential threats. The need to stay alert can also exacerbate restlessness and distractibility, making it difficult for individuals to focus or relax.

In those with dyspraxia, hypervigilance might manifest as heightened anxiety around physical coordination and movement. The constant worry about potential clumsiness or the fear of making mistakes can lead to increased rigidity in movements, as they may attempt to control and predict their actions more meticulously.

For individuals on the autism spectrum, hypervigilance may manifest as an acute awareness of sensory inputs, such as lights, sounds, or smells, leading to a state of heightened anxiety. Changes in routine or unpredictability can amplify anxiety, leading to withdrawal or increased sensory avoidance behaviours.

Reflection exercise:
Have a look at the table on the next page that shows some of the differences between how a neurodivergent person may respond to trauma. Make a few notes on anything that might be new information to you.

Reference: Brown, L. X. Z. (2016). The Autistic Self Advocacy Network: A Community of Self-Advocates. In S. K. Kapp (Ed.), Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement: Stories from the Frontline (pp. 105-116). Palgrave Macmillan.