Sensory differences are well documented in autistic individuals. However, early sensory experiences have not been fully explored, particularly from the perspective of autistic people. We sought to understand early sensory experiences in autism from the perspective of autistic adults (some of whom also had autistic children) and caregivers of autistic children (some of whom also had a personal autism diagnosis). Using a qualitative descriptive design, aligned with a constructivist paradigm, focus groups were conducted with 3 autistic adults and 12 caregivers of autistic children. Data were analysed with reflexive thematic analysis. Five themes were generated accounting for early sensory experiences in autism: (1) Acknowledging the uniqueness of sensory preferences, (2) Negative impacts of different sensory experiences, (3) Feeling different and the pursuit of belonging, (4) Controlling sensory experiences to support daily function, and finally (5) Overcoming the challenges of the sensory world. The findings highlight the specific sensory needs of autistic children in early childhood and the adaptability of caregivers. This information can help young autistic people and caregivers advocate the importance of recognising the uniqueness of each autistic child's sensory preferences when seeking support.