The Nervous System Knows Before the Story Does: Autism, Sensory Overload, and the Hidden Architecture of Vulnerability (opens in new tab)

One of the more important findings in a new study is that the vulnerability was not simply tied to diagnosis itself but to sensory reactivity. That distinction matters enormously. Because the modern world has a nasty habit of moralizing physiology. If someone becomes overwhelmed easily, we tend to describe them as “too sensitive,” “dramatic,” “socially awkward,” “emotionally reactive,” or my personal favorite, “a lot.” Entire human nervous systems get reduced to adjectives normally used for w...