Hi everyone, I’m raising funds to help my sister, Moriah. She’s autistic and often experiences sensory overload, especially during family gatherings or stressful situations. In her own words, she sometimes needs to step away from family gatherings to protect herself from getting overstimulated. When she’s very overwhelmed, she may experience what’s known as a shutdown. For those who don’t know, a shutdown is generally thought of as an overload response. When an autistic person’s brain has been pushed beyond its capacity to process information, instead of becoming outwardly explosive (a meltdown), the system starts conserving resources and pulling inward. For Moriah, this can appear as speaking much less, withdrawing, or a lowered mood. In the worst cases, she’s completely physically incapable of speaking. Biologically, it’s the nervous system’s response to overload, and her body responds by reducing non-essential functions like speech to conserve energy. It’s not a choice or something she can control. When that happens, she just needs a calm environment and time to herself.

Noise-canceling headphones would make a huge difference for Moriah’s comfort and well-being. The funds raised will go directly toward purchasing these headphones, helping her create a calm environment and reduce sensory input during challenging moments. This will also make her work life a lot easier and allow her to spend more time with her nieces and nephews, who are very noisy but whom she loves very much. Any support means the world to us. Thank you for helping Moriah find comfort and peace.