When I had my second brain surgery I wasn't expecting to come out of it having a deeper appreciation for what my son with Autism experiences on a day to day basis, but I did. After a few weeks of feeling extreme sensory overload I had a moment of clarity where I thought, oh my goodness, this is what my son has to deal with every day! How does he do it?!
I had extreme sensitivity to light, needing windows shaded at all times, I heard sounds at a new level that made me cover my ears when people were talking to me, without even realizing I was doing it. I smelt smells and tastes in the extreme, which resulted in my husband's sweet attempts to feed my kids french toast one morning followed by my frantic request to have all fans on, doors open, and my bed sheets and clothes washed, because I couldn't faintly tolerate the smell of a typically welcomed breakfast food.
Now I could go on, but needless to say my son's complaints about his brother's voice being too loud for his ears, or his need for noise cancelling headphones when in large crowds, his extreme aversion to foods based on look and smells alone, and the meltdowns that come with these types of situations, all look differently to me now.
I eventually came out of my personal overload, but I realize my son doesn't get to do that. He lives day to day in a world that overstimulates him, and now I actually feel grateful for the brain surgery in my life that gave me greater understanding of his.
If you want to understand what it feels to live a life with Autism take a look at some of the videos that give you an idea of what it's like to experience sensory overload at http://www.theautismshift.com/home/tag/sensory-overload.