'Can you make it to the end?' – National Autistic Society ad lets viewers experience sensory overload
The National Autistic society has created a film designed to put viewers into the shoes of a young autistic boy to experience the world through his eyes.
Developed alongside Don't Panic London, 'Too Much Information' was produced in collaboration with the autistic community. Asking viewers if they can 'make it to the end' the minute-and-a-half long spot raises awareness of what it feels like to experience sensory overload; a key issue for many autistic people.
The creative shows how a seemingly everyday visit to a shopping centre can be overwhelming for someone with autism. It was launched on World Autism Awareness Day (2 April) in order to bridge the gap between the number of people who've heard of autism and those who really understand what it it is and what it can feel like for some individuals.
“Most ‘neurotypical’ people have a filter between themselves and the world, one that allows them to choose which sounds to listen to or which visual stimuli to focus on,” said Richard Beer, creative director of Don’t Panic.
“Many autistic people lack this filter: their senses can be overwhelmed by the number, volume and intensity of the tactile, visual and auditory stimuli around them," he added.
"Even a seemingly innocuous situation can contain too much information. We wanted to challenge viewers to experience 90-seconds in a familiar location like they’d never experienced before. And, perhaps, understand a little better what it’s like to have this sensory sensitivity next time they see someone struggling to cope.”
The video stars autistic actor Alex Marshall and was directed by Joshua Trigg and produced by Great Guns.