Neurodiversity & the Window of Tolerance

Written by Maria Sammut 

Throughout life, we are presented with moments that require us to move outside of our comfort zone and challenge our abilities. These moments start happening from a very young age, and because of this, we grow to forget that we are continuously challenging ourselves, no matter the circumstances. That is, however, until one of these challenges pushes us so far out of our tolerance window, that we become either hyper- aroused (angry, anxious, wanting to fight) or, hypo-aroused (shut down, freeze, or depressed in our state of mind). In the mental health field, we call this being outside our window of tolerance. 

     The window of tolerance refers to an individual's ability to manage stress and challenges with minimal adverse effect. When a person is challenged and it falls within their tolerance, the person is able to learn and grow from the experience. For example, a baby learning to crawl once they learn to sit. When completed at the right developmental age, the task of crawling would be within the baby’s tolerance window; it is challenging but not too challenging. However, if the baby was only at the stage of laying down and the caregiver was pushing them to walk, this would push them outside of their tolerance levels, most likely causing them to cry or potentially even hurt themselves. A person’s tolerance level in this instance refers to their capacity and skill to meet a challenge thrown at them. In the previous example, the baby does not have the capacity to walk as their physical body has not yet developed the muscle or bone structure to support this skill, hence, this skill outside of their capacity. 

     Now, let's consider neurodiverse individuals. Neurodiverse young people and adults may experience sensory sensitivities, executive functioning challenges, restrictions in social engagement, and have higher vulnerabilities towards physical and mental health conditions. When thinking about the window of tolerance, all these factors and more can contribute to this window being impacted, hence neurodiverse individuals presenting with a small window of tolerance. This smaller window of tolerance can be seen as them going from “zero to one hundred” very quickly or without warning. However, instead of perceiving their response as this, it is important to see it from a lens of “Do they have the capacity and skill to manage this challenge?”. When we follow this train of thought, and perceive the response as the individual communicating their are outside of their capacity and tolerance, we are able to empathetically support the person. By adopting this mindset, it also assists us in implementing additional supports and modify approaches to improve capacity and increase the person’s window of tolerance. 

     A smaller window of tolerance does not mean the person should not be challenged. Neurodiverse individuals still deserve the chance to grow and learn. It may simply mean that they require additional support or alternative approaches to build their tolerance to life challenges.