How to stop slipper sniffing and other bizarre behaviour!?

[Bluesunbeam]

Ds(6) can't resist smelling slippers, food, hands(anyones!), beds, even the dogs behind!

Now moving on to licking door handles, hoping licking the dog doesn't happen!

Apart from howling at him and wearing trainers any ideas how to stop/reduce the sniffing? Not sure the dog will put up with much more!

TIA

Could he eventually be restricted to one "safe" item? (though you will find that the "safe" item will become filthy in no time - we have world war 3 when ours goes in the washing machine - as it comes out smelling of soap - which apparently is a bad thing. Also even at 10 years old we still have battles about where he is allowed to take "snuggles". He would happily sit in school all day with it stuck up his nose!

Would he respond to a reward chart - possibly building up to a real reward - initially getting a reward for having x minutes without sniffing anything (to begin with this feels as though you are making the sniffing more attractive as he will probably spend the entire time watching the clock until he is allowed to sniff - but it may eventually work - it will take time and a huge amout of persistence though - think super nanny then multiply it by several 1000).

He has a hanky to take to school, although they regularly confiscate it as he wafts it around and distracts everyone!

He loves the smell of washing powder so has a clean one everyday!

Reward charts just don't work for him - maybe giving him his hanky after not sniffing for a few minutes might eventually work.

He won't go in toilets/shops etc because of the smells!

Is he on the autism spectrum? (apolgies if I should already know this - I'm hopeless at remembering who's who )

If so...

Many of us on the autism spectrum have a sense of smell that is way, way better than that of other people. (Some have a sense of smell that is hopelessly bad instead - weird but true).

Not sure there's a very easy answer to stopping the sniffing, because he's probably using it to find out what things are. Our eyes and ears don't work in the same way as those of other people, so finding out about the world through touch, smell, texture, heat, cold etc is sometimes the only way we can make sense of it. Our tongues are often highly sensitive too, which is why it's a fantastic way to explore the world for many children on the autism spectrum.

He needs to learn to use his other senses so he doesn't have to use taste/smell so much, so I wonder if specialist work with an occupational therapist or other specialist might be a good idea, if the local charities or organisations know of one that does that sort of thing?

Watching with interest in the hope of picking up a tip that might convince DS not to lick me and other people he also likes to sniff. Has lots of sensory issues as well as these ones. Reward charts don't work for my DS either so I feel your pain bluesunbeam.

Amberlight can I ask you about food issues please? DS has food aversions and won't eat anything hot and wet, anything too salty, herby, spicy, etc. He basically eats dry plain cold food. It's never top of my battles list TBH - should I leave him to it? (sorry for hijack op).

My ds is the opposite, nothing goes in his mouth, not even food! Although he does seek other sensory experiences.

OT help/advice is the best thing. Seen as sensory trained OT's are like gold dust, you are unlikely to get any!

OT explained it to me as it is all to do with sensory processing scroll down a bit, might be of some help

The tongue in particular has lots of nerve endings. It can be over or under sensitive, or can fluctuate between the two. Or certain senses switch off to allow other senses to function. Ds does this a lot, he can only use one sensory channel at a time. for example with lots of sensory input ie a noisy classroom, his ears will switch off and he wont respond when spoken to, so he eyes can work or he can concentrate.

He may use it as a way of waking up his senses. Or a way of calming down, or blocking out other sensory input.
He may use smelling/licking/chewing as a way of keeping himself grounded.

Have you noticed what increases the behaviour ie certain times of the day or certain activities or environments?

That might be a starting point, for trying to improve it.

My ds for example cannot eat, if there is a lot of noise or lots happening visually ie a lunch hall. Somewhere quiet and still and he can eat.

Things like drinking and blowing through a straw are supposed to help to gain more sensory awareness. How about chewing gum?

I have a sensory diet for ds and would be happy to let you know what it includes and you can decide if you think it might be suitable for your ds.

TLOR, food issues are a big big problem for nearly all of us on the autism spectrum, and very related to BSB's ds and his tasting/smelling.

OK...how to explain this... say you've given a child a chicken pie with peas and mashed potato.

For me, there's a choice to be made...and the knife and fork to be picked up and handled properly. I'm hopeless with making choices, and hopeless at co-ordinating cutlery.

I decide to go for a bit of pie. Which bit..eeek....not sure...ok, try to break the crust open. It splits and things spill out of it, so now it's a different pattern and shape, which is sort of scary. Then I put a bit of the crust on the fork and put that into my mouth...
I can feel cold hard sharp fork on my tongue and lips.
I can feel rough sandpapery crust.
I can taste all the different things in the pastry and taste some of the spicy gravy.
I can hear my teeth crunching on the pie. It's louder than thunder.
I can smell the pie and the other ingredients.
I can sense how hot it is, and things that are even slightly hot feel like someonen's burning me with an iron.

Just one mouthful of one thing. There's another few hundred to go...

Children just give up, or panic, or hide, or have a tantrum. It's too much input and too much sensation.

I can really understand how children end up eating foods that their senses can cope with. It's just so hard for them to explain it, because our senses don't really link up to our voices very well.

It's important for children to have the right stuff to grow well, so always ask a GP or health visitor about ways to balance their diet if they panic over some foods. But if they are eating something very routine indeed and the health team are OK with it, don't worry.

Many people here have had some success with letting us try just the tiniest bits of things, with no pressure, no worries, no big displays of emotion. A child might want to just see it, then build up to just touching it, then build up to smelling it, then build up to just putting a tongue on it, then taking a tiny bit of it in their mouth but not chewing it, then experimenting with how it sounds and tastes when they chew. May take many meals over many weeks for us to feel confident that we can handle a new food.

Phew. Does that help at all?

Amber ds has a fairly recent dx of asd also gdd, s&l delay, mld, etc.,etc. Compex little man.

Food wise he only eats highly flavoured foods, won't eat anything bland at all BUT tries very hard not to eat anything at all. He is very underweight. Dietician is a huge help but we did have a mouth de sensitization programme to follow from SALT which seemed to help a little. Sniffs any new foods in a very strange way and will refuse many times before will even tolerate on his plate.

He can't stand his hair being touched or the wind on his skin. Teeth being brushed is extreemly painful, we have had 6 teeth removed so far. Three man job to cut hair so we only occassionally trim his fringe and nail cutting? we try to avoid as much as possible but he scratches himself raw at imes.

I didn't realise all this was linked to be honest. It's difficult when out and people stare when he is sniffing.

He has just been referred to OT and the learning disabilities team so hoping they might be able to help.

Claw3 thanks for the link.

Now I really should be writing my parental response (but hard to know where to start and what to include) for SA but going to do a little reading up as it may be helpful for that!

hair being touched is like someone giving me an electric shock, unless I'm ready for it.
Wind? Eeek - hurts like heck.
Teeth brushing - same thing.

What helps me a lot with hair cutting is

It being in my own house so I don't have to worry about smells, sounds etc.
The person letting me see and touch the equipment first.
The scissors being body temperature.
If there's clippers being used, let us examine them and then gradually work up to being near them when they're switched on, then gradually learning to touch them and feel the vibrations. The noise is louder than hell.
The hairdresser has to work slowly and rhythmically, letting me see what they're doing so it's not a surprise.
No pulling the hair!
Noise from hair being cut is SO loud
Bits of hair on my skin is like being pricked with needles.
Shampoos etc smell like being dumped in a vat of perfume.

Er, that's not in order, but I think it might help.

Nail cutting, similar - it hurts hugely, and the edges of nails then feel as rough as a serrated knife and take ages to settle down again.

I have touch therapy that helps with a lot of this.

Just as well we like his long flowing locks! Will definately try warming the scissors and use a mirror so he can watch. We only trim his fringe when we have too, so traumatic!

Ds is over sensitive to noise and thinks quite noise is loud so I can understand him not liking the noise of the scissors.

He loves smells of soap, shampoo, perfumes etc. Smells like a brothel at times:)

This info is so helpful, thankyou

Wow bluesonbeam, your description of your DS is just like mine only difference is he goes the other way with food (the blander the better) and likes everything cold. Hair and nails cut, teeth and hair brushed, wind. He has never liked anything warm - even as a baby bottles of formula were drank straight out of the fridge.

Amberlight that helps hugely, thank you so so much.

DS eats just enough that I don't worry from a nutritional point of view. He eats a few fruits, one veg, dairy, wholemeal bread, etc but won't eat meat. I give him a daily kids vitamin and try not to worry about his food choices. As someone who loves food I find this hard.

DS had long hair up until last weekend when I insisted we have it cut as the tears at hair brushing time everyday were getting me down. The hairdresser had lots of metal bangles on.... they clanked down her arm to her hand next to ds's ear, he jerked away and she took a chunk out her knuckle! Brave woman got a plaster on it, and carried on and I tipped her far more generously than I ordinarily would.

those of you that use / have used OTs - how do you get to see one?? Referral from GP?

Blue, brilliant you will get some OT help soon. The dreaded parental contribution, good luck.

ThelifeofRiley, Paed referred ds.

Amberlight am always fascinated when you post, it's like having a little insight into my little man's world, sometimes it seems so different and puzzling

"fascinating" is certainly one of the words that people have used to describe me over the years. There have been others but always glad to explain what things are like for me, in case any of it also applies to some other people on the spectrum. Not all of us have major sensory issues, but a pretty big number do.