Synaesthesia is a neurological processing condition that describes a crossover of one or more of the senses: a single sensory input triggers more than one sensory response. But the full scope of the condition blurs those boundaries to include non-sensory inputs: synaesthesia can be as much about processing concepts and information, and that means it can play a key role in learning and edutcation. While considered to be mostly benign or even positive, some aspects of synaesthesia can be overwhelming and problematic.

Synaesthesia’s anomalous responses are spontaneous, involuntary and usually consistent throughout a person’s life. No two synaesthetes will necessarily experience or process the world in the same way. For some the condition exists as barely noticeable background noise; for others it can be all-encompassing or even overwhelming.

 Synaesthesia and the synaesthetic responses are very much a function of the developing brain: it works as a way of dealing with the world, processing it and learning about it. In the classroom, this can manifest in two ways. Firstly, the crossed-over sensory inputs and responses can quickly result in what is broadly referred to as sensory overload, but a better understanding of synaesthesia can help to mitigate those negative effects. Secondly, synaesthesia can play a key role in understanding and learning about fundamental concepts such as writing, maths and time. An individual’s own perception of these concepts could clash with teaching methods, which could be confusing or distracting. Understanding the condition can help to mitigate those negative effects.

Anyone can have synaesthesia, but recent research has found it to be four to five times more common in people who are autistic. Some manifestations of synaesthesia are in fact key autistic identifiers, and the condition can provide a mechanism to explain why some common autistic traits manifest as they do. A better understanding of synaesthesia and how it presents can help to manage certain autistic issues and problematic behaviours.

Synaesthesia is broadly acknowledged to be a benign or even positive condition, but in some cases it crosses into the realm of sensory processing disorder. Along with its established association with autistic spectrum condition, synaesthesia has latterly been connected with post-traumatic stress disorder. A better understanding of how synaesthesia manifests and how it might have an impact on PTSD could help to explain why why existing conventional PTSD therapies might be less effective for people who experience certain synaesthetic manifestations.