Sensory Gating
Your brain's bouncer — deciding which sensory signals get in and which ones get filtered out.
The brain's ability to filter out unimportant sensory information so you can focus on what matters. Like noise-cancelling headphones for the brain. In SPD and autism, sensory gating can work differently — letting through too much (sensory overwhelm) or too little (sensory seeking). It is a filtering issue, not a sensitivity issue.
How it works
Your brain continuously filters incoming sensory information, letting important signals through and dampening background noise. When sensory gating works differently, too much unfiltered input reaches conscious awareness, leading to overwhelm. This is why busy environments can be exhausting for some neurotypes.
Think of it like
It's like noise-cancelling headphones for your brain — when they work well, you hear what matters. When they don't, everything comes through at full volume.
What it feels like
You hear the clock, the fridge, the traffic, and the conversation all at the same volume. Your brain's 'noise cancelling' isn't filtering the way others' does.