We have a number of family members with these sensitivities - some on the Autism spectrum.
We handle it by having a quiet space for those who need to have hit their limit - for my daughter & nephews, this includes a quiet, companionable activity like a jigsaw puzzle. They wander in and out of the larger gathering as their comfort allows. We are still adjusting with our grandson, but he is usually happy with a quiet spot, a box of crayons or markers and some paper. We have a 3 season porch that we heat for the holiday with a space heater, and a door that closes.

We also have a number of people who easily get audio overload, including me, and some who are hearing impaired and can't deal with the background noise. So no background music and NO TV at gatherings.

Sue

I understand how that may seem confusing or backwards, it did to me, too. From my experience having CSS and learning from Mayo's pain rehab center, totally avoiding sensory or pain triggers can make someone become more sensitive. While it's human nature to want to avoid something that causes hurt - aka "fight or flight", with CSS hurt doesn't equal harm because the pain stems from false signals to the brain, therefore complete avoidance may never allow a build up of tolerance levels or retraining of the brain.

For a basic example, I don't do well with abrupt (flooded) exposure to bright light but by gently and slowly allowing my eyes to acclimate to a lit room if coming from a dark room, I give myself a better chance at acclimating and being able to stay in that room. My husband used to flick the bedroom lights on or turn them off at night and it would cause instant pain. Now he announces first so I can prepare by closing my eyes and funneling small bits of light in or out gradually. All in all, CSS and sensitivities will always be a part of me but with graded exposure I've been able to work towards somewhat desensitizing sensitized sensors and give myself ways to manage other than complete avoidance. Does this make sense, Twinkie?