Tactile receptors exist all over our skin and send signals to our brains letting us know when we’ve touched something and providing us with information about what we’ve touched. Our tactile receptors are responsible for our experience of touch, pressure, pain, vibration temperature, and texture.

A person may be under-responsive (hypo-sensitive and sensory seeking) or over-responsive (hypersensitive and sensory avoidant).

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Tactile Under-Responder (Hyposensitive)

A tactile under-responder has a dulled response to the experience of touch. They may bump into things or touch things without awareness of touching it. They may also create extra input (so they may fidget and touch things frequently to get more tactile input). They may also seek deep pressure as a form of sensory input.

Tactile Under-Responder May:

• Not notice when touched

• Have a good sense of pressure (may apply too much)

• Enjoys roughhousing and play that involves deep pressure (wrestling, etc.)

• Accidentally hurt others (unaware of pressure applied)

• Seek pressure

• Not notice when skin is dirty (may be prone to eat messily and be unaware food is on face)

• Not aware when their nose is running

• Enjoys fidgeting and to

• Likes intense temperatures – a hot bath, hot food, chewing on ice

Strategies for Tactile Under-Responder:

• Use fidgets (like Pop It Fidget Toys) (quick tactile input and provide something to fidget with)

• Pressure: Consider constriction clothing (if they like pressure) or a weighted vest or weighted lap pad​

• Explore Textures: Encourage children to explore different textures and talk about how they feel (nature is also a great place to do this).

• Sensory Play: Provide messy play opportunities using bins and sensory play (water, sensory bins, sand, and kinetic sand, leaf piles, water tables, chalk on sidewalk, etc.)

Tactile Over-Responder (Hypersensitive)

Tactile over-responders are extra sensitive to touch. They may be labeled as overly “sensitive” and “overly reactive.”

Tactile Over-Responder May:

• Have strong aversions to touch, clothing tags, certain fabrics, button closures

• Avoid clothing with seams that contact the skin, or foods with certain textures

• Not tolerate stickiness, mess, or dirt on hands

• Experience difficulty touching specific textures

• Appear to “over-react” when slightly touched or bumped

• Be sensitive to temperature changes (and sensitive to heat and cold)

• Have difficulty with grooming (hair care, nail cutting, washing)

• Experience discomfort with food, facepaint, or makeup on the face

Strategies for Tactile Over-Responder:

• Sensory-friendly clothing (find your ideal fabric and stick with it), remove tags, and use seamless socks​

• Consider bathing over showering, use dry shampoo to provide a break from hair-washing

• Model healthy body boundaries and help your child script out boundary statements they can comfortably say, such as “no thank you, I am not a hugger” or “please do not touch me, I have sensory sensitivities)

In the resources you'll hear from young autistic people talking about their experiences and what has helped them. The aim is to offer information and ideas that will empower them to begin to explore their own experiences and understand themselves more.  

The series will cover six topics in total over the course of three years. The first four topics, ‘understanding yourself’, ‘energy accounting’, ‘exploring your identity’ and ‘setting yourself up for success’ are available below.

Fill in all parts including the learner details and share with your Learning Support Lead.

Fill in all parts as applicable and share with your Learning Support Lead.

We want to promote wider understanding that autistic people have strengths and differences in three key areas of development. 

Recognising and understanding these differences leads to better support being available for autistic children and young people in education. 

Key to this understanding is recognising that the autistic spectrum is not a single line from low to high; it is a complex combination of many overlapping characteristics.  

While there may be some shared characteristics, every autistic person is unique, with their own strengths, differences and needs. 

We champion a world where being different is something to be celebrated and where all autistic learners experience a positive education that supports their well-being.  

We’d love for you to do the same.