How does the world feel when you have autism?

Autism feels different for everybody, and every autistic person is different. These four films show how a trip to the supermarket might look, feel and sound for someone who has autism. Each film, introduced by the cast of Pablo, represents a different way that an autistic person might experience the world.

In this film, the young shopper can’t process the onslaught of sensory information that’s coming into their brain fast enough to be able to make sense of it. When this happens, a busy supermarket can become a very stressful place.

Here, the child’s view of the world is broken up into little pieces – like pixels – and it’s impossible for them to bring those pieces together to make a clear picture. It’s easy to imagine how the amount of information in a supermarket becomes too much and can lead to overload or meltdown.

In this poem, the speaker struggles to understand the logic behind the way things are organised in the supermarket. Why are there teabags but not with the kettles? Seeing familiar items out of their usual context can be very confusing for someone with autism.

This time, the young shopper becomes so absorbed in a single detail – the grown-up’s bracelet – that the rest of the noisy, busy supermarket fades away. This kind of hyperfocus is something that a lot of autistic people can relate to. Here it’s a helpful thing that creates a calm space for the little shopper in the busy, noisy supermarket.

Find out how CBeebies’ Pablo and his friends use some of the traits of autism to solve problems on their adventures.

Listen to stories about autism on CBeebies Radio.

Discover more about autism from the National Autistic Society

Learn about relaxation methods for children