We’re not all alike in sensory awareness

‘My stepson would simply not register what we might experience as overwhelming smells or a “disgusting” messy room.’ Photograph: Janine Wiedel Photolibrary/Alamy

The response to the parent concerned that her daughter has “zero sense of personal hygiene” did not include the possibility that the daughter may not possess the same sensory experiences as the mother (My daughter rarely bathes and her room is smelly, but says she doesn’t care, 14 June). The situation chimed with my own, in relation to my stepson’s lack of awareness of hygiene and odours.

Some neurodivergent individuals do not experience sensory input the same way as the neurotypical, and my stepson would simply not register what we might experience as overwhelming smells or a “disgusting” messy room. I am not insisting that the daughter in this case is neurodivergent; I just wanted to raise the idea that we do not all experience sensory information in the same way, and open up the chance for communication about these differences.

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