"sensory issues"

[Hamandcheese]

My DS1 (age 3) has SN, generally considered AS though no dx. He doesn't like noisy busy environments and is difficult with various other things. A couple of people (other parents) have used the phrase 'sensory issues' or 'sensory problems' or something like that. As DS1 is quite a mixed bag in many ways, I'm not sure how well it might fit (no problems with clothes except actually getting dressed in the morning, food, lights). Can someone explain what it does mean, whether me understanding what 'sensory issues' are might help my and my son, and recommend a book (as always, there seem to be several on Amazon)?

many thanks!!

Hi, Hamandcheese I work at a junior school that has a resource for children with ASD, and though I don't work directly with the children myself, I see them all when they use the ICT suite where I work, and part of my job is also to input the responses to a sensory questionnaire that all the parents fill in. The questions (over 200) cover all aspects of the senses - asking questions like -does s/he have problems hearing or listening while looking at something, do they become 'absorbed' in a taste, sound etc. It also covers things like balance and the child's idea of where they are in the world, and where parts of their body are, which can be a particular problem for a child with ASD.

On a practical level, you might find that a child with ASD has trouble concentrating at school because of a sound or smell - often one that no-one else is really aware of because they just take it for granted - like a hum from computer equipment. The TA's at our school are trained to 'check out' a classroom for problems like this - often they can't actually remove the problem, but it does help a lot for them to be aware of it, and to know that it might be stressing a child, so if necessary they can remove them from the environment for a while before they flip.
I'm really only starting to learn about this sort of thing myself, but there are others on MN who will know a lot more than me about it and may be able to recommend reading.

I remember one little girl who had enormous problems with toilets - when you look at this from the sensory point of view you can see how they might be a challenge - smell, bright lights, noise, slippery feel etc.
A big thing to remember with children with ASD is that they have great difficulty in deciding which of the sensory inputs they are getting is important - the fly buzzing at the window is just as 'important' as you telling him to eat his breakfast.
Sorry I didn't mean to turn this into an essay -hope it helps a bit and that some of the experts (ie those who have children with ASD) can help you more

I found that understanding the sensory problems my 2 boys have was one of the main turning points for me. Suddenly a lot of things began to make sense.

Senses can be under-sensitive as well as over-sensitive. My ds2 (3.5yrs) dislikes wearing clothes because his body is very sensitive. Ds1 (6yrs) is the opposite and doesn't seem to have much feeling in his body at all, so he doesn't care much about clothes.

Ds2's vestibular sense means that he is something of a thrill-seeker. He likes spinning around and lots of general movement because it's what he needs to 'feel' anything. He also loves to hang upside down. Again ds1 is the exact opposite. Swings and even slow spins now make him feel sick and dizzy. He avoids movements that involve him moving his head too much.

I think body awareness is also a part of the sensory system. Ds2 seems to know exactly where he is and has the agility of a cat. Ds1 is more like a human pinball. He is always bumping into people and things because he can't quite seem to work out where they are in relation to his body.

Noise can also be a big problem. It's not always the actual volume that is the issue but also the pitch. Both boys hate the sound of other people singing in a normal voice but don't seem to mind deep voices at all.

The OT gave us a good book about sensory issues. It's called "Asperger Syndrome and Sensory Issues - Practical Solutions for Making Sense of the World" by B.Smith Myles, K.Tapscott Cook et al.

Thanks CT and rusty. That's helpful.

DS1's playschool are just working out that certain particularly noisy times cause him most difficultly - as soon as they told me, I thought 'of course, that's what he's like', but 'who he is' is normal to me (esp as a first child) that I really find it hard to know what to tell them.

In many ways DS1 is more like your DS1 than your DS2, CT: he's fine wearing any clothes - but has only recently started noticing pain: he used to be pretty much immune to knocks and bumps. Also he often bumps into people like he's not quite aware of where they are in relation to him.

He often dislikes people singing ("stop that horrible noise"), but other noise issues passed about a year ago. He does comment on smell (dislikes me wearing perfume). Sounds like it might be worth me understanding better ...

My dd2 has a lot of sensory issues (noise, feel of clothes, texture of food etc) which made Reception a nightmare. I found a website about sensory processing disorder useful and a few MNetters recommended a book called "The Out of Sync Child" which I am going to get. Dd2 is coping a lot better in Yr 1.

can I ask why DD1 is coping better in Yr1 than reception? Was it her changing, or the school sorting things out for her, or just the reception / yr 1 differences? In what way is she coping better? DS1 tends to get violent and I'm thinking that noise / sensory stuff may trigger some of the violence.

DS (ASD, aged nearly 3) has "sensory issues" and I spend most of my time trying to make sense of them. He is "tactile defensive" in that he often needs encouragement to touch new toys and can't tolerate the feel of sand, playdoh, paints etc, but when we're out he has to touch every car, gate, step, swinging sign - no matter how wet or dirty. He loves his bath and is happy in the rain but won't play with water in a set up "waterplay" scenario. He wouldn't touch food until a couple of months ago, and even now only bread.

He's really sensitive to the sounds of other children (his age) crying, which makes him cry hysterically, but other sounds that bother him (hoovers, blenders, motorbikes) just make him retreat into himself or put his hands over his ears.

He's starting nursery in a couple of weeks and I'm terrified for him! He has no language and can't tell us what's wrong.

I know I've been no help, but you're not alone in this - I'm glad you posted, and I might try those books too!

I have found that in many areas getting occupational therapy input is quite hard but there are many occupational therapists who are fantastic in regard to helping with 'sensory issues' Try and push for some early support as I am sure that be understanding the sensory issues you can do things to help your ds cope with situations.

Am currently reading 'Building Bridges through Sensory Integration' and it's brilliant. Well worth looking for on Amazon

My ds1 preferred Yr1 to Reception. I think Yr1 has a lot more structure to it and the work tends to be quieter. Reception was more about children going off in different directions and learning through play. (I spent a couple of mornings there with ds1). If you have a child who 'polices' other children to make sure that rules are being followed it can seem chaotic because the other children are given a lot of leeway in the first half of Reception. We had a few incidents where ds1 pushed or hit other children because they weren't following the class rules.

CaptainPlump - have you been contacted by the SENCO to talk about support for your ds at nursery? Ds1 was tactile defensive too and wouldn't even use his hands to break his fall when he tripped over. The pre-school staff did a lot of work with him and helped to desensitise his hands.

CT, yes we are going to be getting some support from PRESENS in the nursery, 6 hours a week 1-2-1 and they'll be training the staff to work with him. The ASD support group people have also promised to give staff training if required, so I think we're as well supported as we can be. I think our area's quite good for this kind of thing!
In the long run we're hoping to begin a full time ABA program, and as the therapists will be able to work with him at the nursery he should get all the support he needs. I hope!