Those sensory sensitivities were believed to be hallmarks of autism for decades, until new research began to reveal that sensory processing disorder (SPD) may be a condition all its own.

Clinically, it’s a disorder that affects brain development and causes social communication and behavioral differences. With such a wide range of traits, autism truly is a spectrum.

When people hear the word autism, it’s often associated with a specific set of traits. But in reality, autism spectrum disorder is just that—a spectrum, encompassing a broad range of differences in ...