BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Autism Spectrum Disorders Article on Sensory Disorders

I wrote an article that could have been expanded into a few, but I have more to say that will be suitable for other articles.

I am interested in any feedback on the terms and definitions I found and if you have any sites that you think would make a good addition, please post here and I can visit them and consider adding.

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Speaking of sensory issues, a few weeks ago Tom Bergeron from America's Funniest Home Videos was on Oprah celebrating 18 years of the show and brought along some memorable clips.

One that stood out for me and was hard to watch - a girl bathed her brother at the kitchen table in peanut butter. That is an example of over stimulation of the senses.

I cannot get that image out of my head and it was not pleasant to watch at all. Personally I cannot handle tags on clothing and am sensitive to smells. I just got my catalog today for a sun sensitive clothing store -BellaOnline ALERT: Raw URLs are not allowed in these forums for security reasons. Please use UBB code. If you don't know how to do UBB code just post here for help - we will help out!

I find the topic of sensory perception in autism fascinating. I think, most individuals on the spectrum have differences in their sensory perception, that lead to development of different cognitive mechanisms and different ways of language acquisition.

I�m curious � what do you mean by �sensory issues�? From your examples � they seem to be hypersensitivities, but what is even more important when dealing with �sensory issues� in autism is to identify the way they process information that they get through the senses. And their sensory-perceptual profiles are so different! One or several senses can be affected. How do you identify your son�s sensory perceptual difficulties? Does he mono-process? Do you use what Donna Williams calls �indirectly confrontational approach� or can he cope with a direct one? Which are his most reliable sensory channels?

Thanks

Alex AS

When my son (now 16) was little - his biggest sensory overload was always hearing. I still feel guilty about not taking him seriously when he would run out of the bathroom with his hands over his ears after he flushed the toilet or would go berserk when I would vacuum.

But we had no idea he had Asperger's until he was 8 yrs old. We knew something was not right, but didn't get the correct dx until much later. And I certainly never thought that his hearing could be that sensitive - when half the time he acted like he couldn't hear us!

But I've been thinking about sensory underdevelopement - and Michael has always had a taste for hot things - jalapenos (really any kind of pepper, wasabi, tobasco, etc. And now I';m wondering if the reason he likes such spicy foods is because his taste buds do not process enough?

It's really academic though, because he does eat very well. Just kind of a "hmmmmmmm" thought I had.

Hi, Michelle

Have you read this book?
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I have that one on my wishlist. I am not sure what mono process is. I really think that my son is a sensory seeker and always wants some deep pressure. I really need someone to assess him at this point in his life and give me guidance on why he is banging his elblows around the walls everywhere and then he has to touch several items in each room - almost like an OCD symptom.

I am not real famiiar with the terms you used and after putting one of them into a google search I got this info:

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Bonnie,

I know a lot of Michael's issues are OCD type behaviors.

Matter of fact, that was one of the dx that he was originally given before we were lucky enough to get a counselor who was doing her dissertation on Asperger's Syndrome.

But many of his issues today probably arise from his OCD nature.

Bonnie

Your approach to sensory issues seems to be behavioristic! The terms you use, for example - 'sensory seeker', 'sensory defensiveness', etc. - all refer to BEHAVIORS! not the causes of these behaviors. And one and the same behavior (e.g., flapping) can be triggered by different causes. It's vital to understand how each particular individual with autism perceives the world (and not just to try eliminate/accommodate his/her reactions.
This is a very common problem when people attempt to address 'surface behaviors' (what they see) and do not bother to find out why's.
In your article you write about reactions to sensory stimuli. But do you think if you could accommodate their sensitivities you'd solve the problem???

About the terms 'monoprocessing' (and there is another one as well - 'monotropism') These are very common and important features of sensory perception in autism. Try the books by Donna Williams and Wendy Lawson. They explain it very well.

And a few more ideas - to look at the causes, not the behaviors - are here (of course, it's better to read the books about these issues but...):

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Hi Whatever

I was just curious, you sign "Alex AS" at the bottom. Is this your name, and signifying that you also have Asperger's? Or is this your son's name?

And I am probably going to look at that book - although it looked a little "technical" from the excerpt on Amazon. Is it all psychological-speak, or does it bring it down some to laymans terms?

I'll be honest, Michael's sensory issues have not been our biggest concerns for some years. His rages and paranoia and certain OCD aspects are what mostly worry us now.

I was just curious, you sign "Alex AS" at the bottom. Is this your name, and signifying that you also have Asperger's?

- Yes