1. Sensory Processing Differences (Vestibular System)
Travel sickness (motion sickness) happens when there’s a mismatch between what the eyes and the inner ear (vestibular system) sense. Autistic children often have differences in sensory processing, including the vestibular system (balance, motion, body position). This can make them more prone to motion sickness, car sickness, dizziness, or nausea.
2. Autonomic Nervous System Regulation
Autistic people often show differences in autonomic regulation (the system controlling heart rate, digestion, nausea). This can make them more sensitive to physical stressors like motion, heat, or smell in a car, amplifying travel sickness.
3. Anxiety & Lack of Control
Many autistic children experience high anxiety in unpredictable or uncontrollable situations. Being strapped in, not knowing where they’re going, or not being able to stop the journey can cause anxiety. Anxiety itself can cause physical symptoms very similar to travel sickness (nausea, sweating, stomach upset). So sometimes what looks like travel sickness may actually be anxiety-induced nausea.
4. Overlap
For some autistic children, both factors combine:
Vestibular hypersensitivity makes them more vulnerable to motion sickness. Anxiety about the trip (noise, smells, lack of control, transitions) intensifies symptoms.
✅ So the answer is:
Yes, autistic kids may be genuinely more prone to travel sickness due to sensory and vestibular differences, but anxiety and loss of control can also trigger or worsen it.
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