It's hard to be a teen! It's even more challenging when we have sensory differences.

People with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), a newly identified neurological condition, as well as those with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), are frequently misunderstood by others when they over- or under-react to sounds, sights, smells, tastes, touch, movement, balance, and feelings within their bodies. When we're wired differently in teenagehood and aren't always able to understand what it is that we're sensing, the world – and the future – can feel big and scary.

In this guide for teens and the people who love them, Rachel S. Schneider, M.A., MHC, SPD advocate and award-winning author of Sensory Like You and Making Sense: A Guide to Sensory Issues, breaks the challenges of a sensory teenage hood into hilarious, thoughtful, and manageable chunks. Through personal anecdotes about her own experiences as an undiagnosed sensory teen, as well as tips and tricks to survive and thrive during these years, Rachel reminds us all that we're not alone.