You Have No Idea: A Song Explains Sensory Processing Disorder

by Joanie Calem

We all wear many different hats. 

With two of my hats on my head, as the mother of someone with autism, and an educator, I long ago realized that the sensory overload that caused my son so many challenges was something that I saw in many of my students, even though they were not diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  

I started a deep dive into learning about Sensory Processing Disorder, and then began leading professional development training in 2013.  I was, and still am, passionate about teaching parents, general education teachers and other professionals about the invisible disabilities caused by Sensory Processing Disorder, and this has become a third hat on my head.  

After a short time giving these workshops, I realized that there was a missing piece that was essential for communicating about the difficulty that people experience when they are constantly dealing with sensory overload – I had not included my songwriter hat, and I knew that to help listeners really begin to comprehend how debilitating sensory overload is, I needed to put my son’s words into a song.  

This song has become a useful tool for me as an inclusion advocate.  In speaking to communities that think they are doing everything they can to be inclusive, this song has helped to explain how so many aspects of our community environments can end up being very non-inclusive for so many people – despite a community’s best intentions.  Though the triggers are so often invisible, the solution can be very visible and intentional – in our attitudes of acceptance and welcome despite unexpected responses in our public spaces, we open the door to people who may struggle with sensory overload in our communities.  To that end, I hope this song helps reach more hearts. 

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Learn more about musician and educator Joanie Calem’s work here.