Stimulus Overselectivity

A phenomenon observed in some individuals with autism where attention is focused on a limited subset of available sensory information while other relevant stimuli are neglected. Sometimes described as a form of "tunnel vision," stimulus overselectivity means a person may attend to only one aspect of a multi-component stimulus, missing other important features. In digital accessibility, this has implications for web and interface design: users experiencing overselectivity may miss important navigation elements, calls to action, or contextual information that falls outside their narrow attentional focus. Designing interfaces with clear visual hierarchies and minimal competing stimuli can help mitigate these challenges.