18 Results in Sensory

Autistic responses to pain

Pain is a common cause of challenging behaviour in people with ASD. People on the autistic spectrum may have difficulty communicating that they are in pain, and instead show this by becoming agitated or challenging in their behaviour. People around them may be completely unaware of their pain, instead assuming that they are being difficult or naughty. There are 3 aspects to pain response I'd like to discuss: Pain experience Pain response Pain communication

8 reasons why being in a public environment is so hard

Here are 8 reasons why being in a public environment might be so hard, anxiety-provoking or tiring for people on the autistic spectrum. 1. Increased sensory input Human beings create a lot of sensory information! Every single person has a unique smell, they might create noise (for example: talking, shoe shuffling, coughing, music coming from their earphones, them typing on their laptop...), they might generate visual input (for example: their bright coloured or patterned clothes, their motion...). The more people there are, the greater the amount of sensory input there will be. This sensory input will be absorbed and manually processed by the person with ASD, in comparison to neurotypical people who appear to automatically process this input. Basically, the person will experience greater discomfort and has to make significantly more effort.

Sensory accommodations for food, exercise and sleep

The combination of good diet, good sleep and regular exercise can have enormous benefits for everyone. For people with ASD however, it might be more difficult to achieve these things - primarily due to social challenges and sensory processing difficulties. These three things though, can make the world of a difference to someone's physical and mental well being - so it's really important to take them seriously. Food Lots of people on the autism spectrum have unusual food preferences. Some of this may come down to the desire for sameness and predictability, for example insistence on eating exactly the same brand of item every time or feeling stressed when a brand changes its recipe or ingredients. 

4 golden rules for managing sensations

Having suffered an injury, I've had frequent hospital appointments! That's the inspiration for this blog article. For someone like me who has hypersensitivity, even 'normal' sensations can be extremely uncomfortable. Sounds such as fire alarm tests, sirens, drilling, hammering, the doorbell ringing and lorries driving past are things that can happen every day yet they don't overly bother most people. I personally hate the sounds of live music, instruments, singing and clapping as well, whereas many people enjoy those sounds. Nobody likes the smell of garbage or sewage but - again - people seem to get over them quickly. Feelings such as combing your hair or wearing certain items of clothing can be uncomfortable to some people but not overly so.

The dangers of hyposensitivity

Hypo (under) sensitivity means being under sensitive to the environment (for example, sound, touch and light, etc.). If you are under sensitive to something, that means your brain is not responding to the stimulus - even if your physical body is. Some people with ASD experience hyposensitivity - although from what I've read, it appears that hyper (over) sensitivity may be more common. Only after really thinking about this subject did I realise that hyposensitivity can be very dangerous. This article looks at why, gives some examples, and suggests some helpful strategies to deal with hyposensitivity.

Theories about the sensory system in ASD

Although sensory challenges were not considered to be an aspect of ASD until the most recent diagnostic criteria (DSM-5), I am yet to come across anyone who has a diagnosis who does not have sensory challenges. In fact, many individuals with ASD believe that the challenges they have with their sensory systems are the most debilitating aspect of their disorder. Some individuals also say that most of their daily life struggles do in fact stem from their sensory challenges.

Optimal performance and hard work

At school, children with ASD - in particular boys - are often described as "not putting enough effort in", "could have done better", "not trying hard enough", or "needs to work harder." Comments such as these can be quite damaging for a child who is putting in enough effort and working as hard as they can. Children with ASD typically have low self esteem already, so to be told what they are producing is not good enough, can be harmful.

The reality of the sensory aspects of ASD

This article was inspired by some user comments on the Facebook page, which implied that not enough attention is paid to sensory issues for many people on the spectrum. Up until the recent revision of the diagnostic criteria (DSM-V), the sensory processing aspects of ASD were not considered. As well as the triad of impairments, many people with ASD also have difficulty processing everyday sensory information, such as sound and light. This is sometimes referred to as having 'sensory integration difficulties', or 'sensory sensitivity'. Not being able to process sensory information correctly can have a significant effect on a person's day to day life. Most people think that there are five senses, but there are actually seven: