The other day Hannah's speech therapist told me that she had learned something new.
She asked if Hannah routinely engaged in carrying objects everyday. Favorite things that she liked to carry around.
When I told her it was typical for her to choose some sort of object every day, she told me that many autistic children use this as a way to regulate themselves.
Hannah's daily choices are usually some sort of stuffed toy but some days it can be lego blocks or small hard plastic animals (she loves her animals). Whatever she chooses she is rarely with out some sort of object in her hands. A way to regulate herself ,mmmm... As her speech therapist and I did not get a lot of chance to talk about this new information I started to do some reading.
I was aware that people from all walks of life have ways of dealing with likes and dislikes where their senses are concerned. I myself do not like dry hands or touching rough surfaces (think sand paper or terracotta ). My older daughter only likes shoes and socks when its needed and has a hard time with certain clothing choices.
I know that many autistic children have sensory awareness on overload. Whether it be an over reaction or under reaction to the various senses.
I thought more about Hannah and how this idea may be related to her. When she is read to or rocked for bedtime she loves to be wrapped in her favorite flannel, very soft quilt. She also usually holds a stuffy that she rubs between her fingers. I've also seen this happen after long therapy sessions when she has some down time watching her favorite TV show.
When we go out somewhere and she has her favorites with her, she's always very concerned that their still with us when we leave the store/restaurant or where ever we may be at the time, as sometimes we put them in the diaper bag for safe keeping.
I'm still trying to figure out what she may be regulating for herself. I believe her actions are calming and soothing to her and they give her comfort. Perhaps that's the whole intention for Hannah and it need not be more.
Non-the-less ,its very fascinating to me to read this.
And the more I know the better aware I am at being able to help not only Hannah but to help my family better understand how we can help Hannah process and deal with various situation. Knowledge is certainly power.
And FYI some of these over or under loads of the senses may deal with melt downs of varying natures, so I will keep reading and see if anything will pertain to us there. Any new way to help Hannah deal with transition times and calming that frustration is worth a look to me.
Below are great sites that I found pertaining to this info.
I feel we all could use a better understanding
Helping Your Child Cope with his Sensory Needs By Lauren Lowry
Hanen Certified Speech-Language Pathologist
Have you ever been bothered by a tag in the back of your shirt, feeling desperate to cut it out the minute you return home? Is there a food that you really dislike because of its texture or taste? Are there certain sounds that you find intolerable, like nails on a chalkboard or the drill at the dentist’s office? Do you flick your pen cap or play with your hair while you are thinking about something? If you have experienced any of these things, then you know what it is like to have a “sensory preference” – a dislike or desire for a specific sensation. While this sensation may have preoccupied you at that moment, you were likely able to avoid it or do enough of it that you felt satiated and able to go about your daily life. READ MORE HERE
Autism Teaching Methods: Sensory Integration Therapy
All children learn about the world through their senses. Children with autism spectrum disorders, however, often have unusual responses to the senses of hearing, sight, touch, smell and/or movement. These responses can interfere with learning and affect behavior.
Children with autism spectrum disorders may over-react or under-react to things they hear, see, taste and touch. "Thus, they may be suspected of being deaf or visually impaired. It is common for such young children to be referred for hearing and vision tests. Some children avoid gentle physical contact, yet react with pleasure to rough-and-tumble games. Some children carry food preferences to extremes, with favored foods eaten to excess. Some children limit their diet to a small selection," according to the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities. READ MORE HERE
ACCOMMODATION CHECKLIST FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
Courtesy of: Occupational Therapy Associates - Watertown P.C.
Sensory Processing: Each of us is continually taking in a processing sensory information (touch,smell, taste, visual and auditory information and movement) from both the environment and our bodies. The nervous system must scan this information and quickly determine which sensations are important for self-organization and for acting on the environment. At the same time, the nervous system must filter out and ignore unnecessary input. Children with autism frequently have difficulties with this filtering process, resulting in extreme sensitivity to sensory information. The child may respond by demonstrating fear, avoidance, or by striking out at the bothersome input. Repetitive stereotypic movements, often seen in children with autism, may be a means of shutting out irritating sensations or of providing organizing input. Sensory accommodations can assist in regulation and organization and can help to decrease negative reactions to sensory input. READ MORE HERE
http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2011/12/13/26-sensory-integration-tools-for-meltdown-management/ For those melt down moments some great insight here
http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/resource-library/sensory-tools-products These are the different types of sensory products out there to help support the various needs of our children.