Neurodiversity and Trauma: When the World Feels a Little Too Loud

Picture this: you’re trying to focus in a busy café, but every sound, light, and smell seems magnified. Now imagine living in a world that feels like that most of the time. For many neurodivergent people, this heightened sensitivity is simply part of their sensory experience - but when the environment repeatedly overwhelms or invalidates them, it can quietly accumulate as trauma.

From a theoretical standpoint, the overlap between neurodiversity and trauma makes sense. The polyvagal theory reminds us that safety is physiological - when environments feel unsafe or unpredictable, the body stays on alert. For neurodivergent individuals, this can happen not only during overtly traumatic events, but through a lifetime of being misunderstood, masked, or excluded.

Healing begins when we shift from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you - and what do you need to feel safe?” Trauma-informed, neuro-affirming approaches honour difference, reduce shame, and help people reconnect with their natural rhythms of regulation and rest.