self regulating a sensory overload
Many autistic people use stimming as a form of sensory seeking to keep their sensory systems in balance. Repetitive movements, sounds, or fidgeting can help people with autism stay calm, relieve stress or block out uncomfortable sensory input.
For someone who is hypersensitive, it can take a lot of effort to spend all day under LED or fluorescent lights, navigate a crowded space or process conversations in rooms with background noise. This can be incredibly physically and emotionally draining and can leave the person feeling too exhausted to do other important tasks.
However, constant movement can sometimes seem inappropriate or disruptive in certain settings (like the workplace), so autistic people often feel like they need to suppress their stimming. When this happens, it becomes more and more difficult to self-regulate, leading to sensory overload, exhaustion or burnout.
If someone is having a meltdown, or not responding, don’t judge them.
People who witness an autism meltdown will often regard it as a "tantrum" or assume that it came out of nowhere. This is because the responses are not always the same and can differ from one situation to the next.
Having unique sensitivities to certain types of sensory input can create challenges in everyday situations like school, work or community settings.
Sensory overload happens when an intense sensory stimulus overwhelms your ability to cope. This can be triggered by a single event, like an unexpected loud noise, or it can build up over time due to the effort it takes to cope with sensory sensitivities in daily life. Sensory overload can feel like intense anxiety, a need to escape the situation or difficulty communicating. When the brain has to put all of its resources into sensory processing, it can shut off other functions, like speech, decision making and information processing.
Many people with autism show certain behaviors when they are experiencing a sensory issue:
- Increased movement, such as jumping, spinning or crashing into things.
- Increased stimming, such as hand flapping, making repetitive noises or rocking back and forth
- Talking faster and louder, or not talking at all
- Covering ears or eyes
- Difficulty recognizing internal sensations like hunger, pain or the need to use the bathroom
- Refusing or insisting on certain foods or clothing items
- Frequent chewing on non-food items
- Frequent touching of others or playing rough
- Difficulty communicating or responding as the brain shifts resources to deal with sensory input (shutdown)
- Escalating, overwhelming emotions or need to escape a situation meltdown.
How Does Autism Affect The Senses
When you’re on the autistic spectrum, it’s almost as though you have some of your senses turned up too high, whereas others seem to be too low.
Autism Sensory Issues
Our bodies have 5 senses which include vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste and also two more that affect balance and body awareness. These senses can all be easily overloaded. Even more challenging, it can be difficult for people with autism to "just ignore" sensory information as it comes in.
Autism can either overwhelm or underwhelm all of the 5 senses. For example, signs of autism people might see objects as very dark or blurred. Other times, the objects might appear to jump around or fragment.
Autistic people may also find smells overpowering and unbearable at one time yet might have no sense of smell at another. In addition, a hyposensitivity might cause children with autism to eat non-edible items, like dirt or stones, while a hypersensitivity might cause some flavors and foods to be overpowering and inedible.
The types of stimuli that trigger sensory overload can also vary from one person to the next. They may include:
- Sounds- Especially persistent sounds like lawnmowers, washing machines, ticking clocks, or dripping water
- Sights-Such as a flickering fluorescent lamp or curtains that flutter
- Smells- Particularly heavy or distinct smells such as cleaning supplies, perfumes, new carpets, or foods
- Textures- Such as eating slippery foods or touching a slimy gel
Ensuring the right amount of sensory input—not too much and not too little—is important to the physical and emotional well-being of a child or adult with autism sensory.
There are things that you can do to help autism sensory issues. Often, small changes to the environment can make a difference. Creating a sensory profile may help you to work out what changes are needed.
Three points to remember are:
- Be aware - Look at the environment to see if it is creating difficulties. Can you change anything?
- Be creative - Think of some positive sensory experiences.
- Be prepared - Tell the person about possible sensory stimuli they may experience in different environments.
Observe what your child looks like when calm: What does your child like to do when they are left alone? What activities are relaxing? Some children love being near a family pet. Others love music or video games. Some can really relax reading their favorite books.
Home Therapies
Make a calm activities list and share it with your child: Include the activities you see your child gravitate to and other activities you’ve seen work in the past, like swinging or jumping on a trampoline or taking deep breaths. Keep this list in a form that is easy for your child to use. Use pictures for young children and words appropriate to their reading level.
As the parent, guardian, or caregiver, it is important to recognize signs of autism and symptoms of sensory overload. That way, you can act swiftly or appropriately when it occurs.
This includes:
- Being watchful of the signs of distress before your loved one has a meltdown.
- Encouraging your loved one to communicate what is causing frustration, anger, or agitation so that you can remove the offending trigger.
- Asking what would help them feel calm, such as a change of environment or even a nap. Consider getting a weighted blanket or vest that may provide a sense of calm and security. Even a favorite stuffed toy or pillow can help.
- Making time for regular exercise to help burn off pent-up energy or stress. For children, an outdoor swing not only offers stimulation but can also be used as an outlet for stimming behaviors.
- Teaching older children meditation or other self-calming techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, yoga or guided imagery.
Everyone enjoys some alone time every now and then, but for many autistic people it's an essential part of their day. Allow them to choose by reading or coloring pictures in activity books with our crayon rocks. This will help the recharge and get back to normal. When they get to choose, they are learning to help themselves.
NOTE: If any of these suggestions don't help you may need to seek professional occupational therapy.
maintaining eye contact WITH AUTISTIM
Difficulty with eye contact
Explain the importance, and offer options
Should you force eye contact
A child may have difficulty maintaining eye contact. Keeping eye contact with someone else may cause extreme anxiety, pain or be a huge distraction to an autistic person trying to focus on what is being said. Difficulty with eye contact can be seen as rude and unengaged when it is actually required to enable the autistic person to focus on listening and to avoid becoming stressed and suffering pain. They may need to keep looking in a certain direction to avoid seeing things that cause them pain, such as large expanses of bright white space. This can be a major issue in formal settings such as interviews for employment or education if the interview panel do not understand the issue.
Should you force eye contact
Explain the importance, and offer options
Should you force eye contact
Should we insist on eye contact with those who find it uncomfortable? As with many complex questions, the best answer is probably “it depends.”
First and foremost, begin by exploring what the issue means for your child. How does making eye contact affect your them? Does it help them pay attention to the conversation or make it more difficult?
It may be that eye contact is so stressful for your child that they pay less attention when you ask for it. In this case, it’s appropriate to look for alternative ways for your child to indicate to others that he is interested and paying attention to them.
Explain the importance, and offer options
Explain the importance, and offer options
Explain the importance, and offer options
For example, you might explain the importance of indicating their interest in some nonverbal way and then offer some of these options:
- Suggest that your child show his interest by fully facing the person and staying within a conversational distance. This includes working on any tendency to wander away in the middle of a conversation.
- Help your child learn some socially appropriate comments that they can use to indicate their attention. For example: saying “yes” or “okay” or even “hmm-hmm.” It’s important to help them understand that these little comments should come when the other person pauses – not while they are speaking. The two of you can practice the timing together.
- Your child might even tell someone “I am paying attention even though I’m not looking at you.”
At the same time, making eye contact clearly improves attentiveness for many children who have autism. If you notice that your child doesn’t pay attention unless he’s making eye contact, then encouraging this skill may be important for his success and independence in life.
Encouraging eye contact with sensitivity
Encouraging eye contact with sensitivity
Explain the importance, and offer options
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Listed are some general strategies you can practice. We caution that these strategies can’t replace an individualized therapy program under the guidance of a qualified professional. Behavioral therapists use a variety of approaches to encourage and increase eye contact. These can include reinforcing natural and spontaneous occurrences of eye contact and increasing the duration of eye contact during conversation.
When introducing a new skill, it’s important to teach it in small steps, while slowly advancing your expectations as your child's progresses. It is recommended practicing in casual and private situations with few other demands on his attention.
Also keep in mind, that in some situations, there are more-important priorities than eye contact. For instance, most of us tend to break off eye contact when we’re trying to remember something.
Strategies you can practice with them
Encouraging eye contact with sensitivity
Strategies you can practice with them
- The first step toward eliciting eye contact could be to pause before responding to your child. So, if they ask a question or asks for something, pause before responding or offering it to them. This may be enough to get them to glance in your direction to see whether you heard them. When they do, respond immediately and praise them for making eye contact. This can be as simple as saying, “I like how you’re looking at me” or simply “Nice looking.”
- Next you want to build up the length of their eye contact. Ask them to maintain eye contact with you and wait a few moments before giving them what they want. During this pause, you might tell them how their making eye contact encourages you to respond to their requests.
- Special interests can be another way to encourage eye contact. Does your child just love to talk about a particular show or a special collection they have? Are they more likely to look up at you when you engage them on these subjects? This is a wonderful way to encourage them.
Try visual supports
Encouraging eye contact with sensitivity
Strategies you can practice with them
It may be that your child doesn’t make enough eye contact for you to be able to reinforce it on a regular basis. In that case, you might try some strategies to “catch their eye.” This can be as obvious as us using a visual support or touching the corner of your eye with a motion that starts within their range of sight and then reinforcing.
Research – and clinical experience – suggest that many children with autism respond better to visual cues than to spoken directions.
Visual supports can be particularly useful in reinforcing expectations. In this case, you might use a picture of eye, or the word “look” written on a cue card. Eventually, you’ll want to do away with these prompts. They are teaching tools.
Children may struggle with places brightly lit or lots of activity
Visual sensitivities are very common among children with Autism and SPD. A visual sensory overload can happen rapidly, be disorganizing, upsetting, as well as elicit a strong and often painful response. This is typically seen in the form of physical tantrums and meltdowns. Children may be prone to shutting down, often protesting to avoid common situations and daily routines.
The environment plays a significant role in vision for our children. Think about all the places our children go. Most of their time is predominantly spent at home and in school. But those trips to the grocery store elicit increased visual demands, from the car ride to the lighting inside the store. Think about how visually stimulating a grocery store is for someone without special needs. Know that being aware of lighting and making available modifications, when possible, can be super simple--yet super beneficial for our little ones.
Flashing or blinking lights, places which are almost entirely white or very light colors can be extremely difficult to cope with and may cause discomfort. As a result of lighting exposure, children with autism are more prone to mood swings. If the child is exposed to mellow colors like blue, he or she will be more relaxed and creative. Many children, especially those with Autism have heightening senses. Oftentimes, these children can easily hear the flicker or humming of lights. This can quickly create disruption, disorganization and sensory overload.
Broad recommendations for reducing light sensitivity
Light Reflection
Light Reflection
Light Reflection
There are different ways that light can reflect off of the floor. If possible, be in a room that has a rug or carpet as opposed to tile on the floor.
Dull Colors
Light Reflection
Light Reflection
Using colors such as blue elicit relaxation and creativity. You want more dull, muted colors as opposed to shiny and bright. Bright colors tend to be alerting and elicit excitatory reactions.
Hat or Visor
Light Reflection
Hat or Visor
Using something to block unavoidable bright light is often helpful for visually sensitive children. Wearing any type of hat or visor as well as sunglasses is effortless and helpful.
Lighting
Reduce Visual Stimuli
Hat or Visor
Create an environment that enables the child to have more visual control; install a dimmer on the light switch to allow him/her to adjust it to their liking.
Depending on the child's preference, it is very easy to use colored light bulbs-again blue is ideal for calming and focusing.
Or having a variety of colored light bulbs from which the child can choose. Sensory light toys such as a lava lamp or a light projector with a variety of calming images and colors is often visually pleasing for children.
Reduce Glare
Reduce Visual Stimuli
Reduce Visual Stimuli
When using a computer, tablet or any screen, keeping it away from a window reduces the glare, which will improve visual tolerance. Ideally avoid any screen for at least one hour prior to bedtime.
Sunglasses are a great option when outdoors (and a variety of lenses are available to reduce glare). Another option for sensory lighting is to use car shades on the windows.
Reduce Visual Stimuli
Reduce Visual Stimuli
Reduce Visual Stimuli
Having less is more in this situation. Having clutter free rooms (walls included) will diminish visual overload. Reducing other visual clutter and environmental stressors
WE MUST FIRST UNDERSTAND THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON THE SUBJECT
Simple household appliances or the din of a city street or a mall can be too much. When overwhelmed, people on the autistic spectrum may cover their ears to try to block out the noise. They may also start up self-soothing behaviors such as rocking or shaking their hands. The key is to find a balance that works for your child.
There is no definitive answer to this question as every individual is unique and experiences things differently. Some autistic people may find certain noises to be overwhelming or bothersome, while others may not be as sensitive to noise. Some autistic people may even enjoy or seek out certain noises. Ultimately, it varies from person to person.
As with much of the wealth of knowledge we have about children with autism, their sensitivity to sound has not been fully explained. Yet we do know that it is one of the most common symptoms. Sensory sensitivity is common in itself but an overreaction to sound in particular is often the most obvious and severe struggle that ASD children face.
Sound can have a profound effect on children with autism sensory issues, both in terms of their ability to communicate and their overall development. For children with autism, sound can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it can be used as a tool to help them communicate and interact with the world around them. On the other hand, too much sound can be overwhelming and cause them to withdraw into themselves.
Hyperacusis (HY-per-uh-CUE-sis) is a characteristic of autism that most people have. If a noise is distressing to a child, he or she may feel discomfort by covering their ears, attempting to turn off the source of the sound, or leaving the noise. If your child plays with a favorite toy, an iPad, a puzzle, or a special bubble, it may distract him from the distressing sound. Furthermore, you may find that taking a noise break (such as a ride in the car going to the grocery store in quiet) can assist. Write down the places where your child would feel most at ease if they were naturally quiet.
To understand why children with autism may be loud, we must first understand their perspective on the subject. Some autistic adults explain that they can hear all noises in their head at the same time, even background noises such as wind blowing in the trees or a plane flying over. It makes perfect sense Hyperacusis is a characteristic of autism that is commonly associated with sound sensitivity. As a result, certain noises, such as classroom bells, radio waves, or the television, may be difficult to hear for your child.
Beware of your child's sensitivities
If your child is nonverbal, you can use sound to help them communicate. There are a variety of apps and devices that allow children with autism to make choices and express their needs using sound.
Some children with autism are sensitive to certain types of sound. Others may be bothered by loud noises or certain frequencies. Pay attention to what types of sounds bother your child and try to avoid them when possible.
Pay attention to how your child reacts to different sounds
Some children may become agitated or upset when exposed to certain sounds. Others may become withdrawn and unresponsive. Sound is an important part of life for children with autism. By being aware of your child’s needs and using sound to your advantage, you can help your child thrive.
Use sound to help your child focus or relax
Many children with autism have a hard time focusing on tasks. However, some find that certain types of sound help them focus and concentrate. For example, some children may benefit from listening to music while they work.
Some children with autism find that certain types of sound help them relax and feel calm. A fan may create a white noise, this can be helpful when trying to avoid meltdowns or tantrums.
Noise canceling ear plugs or headphones
To reduce environmental noise, noise-cancelling headphones produce white noise, which reduces it. Earplugs made of foam or wax are more effective for reducing environmental noise, especially for some people on the autistic spectrum who find these materials more comfortable. Some people find that stroking or spinning helps to stimulate them, so the best way to do so is to get to know each person individually.
Why autistic people may reject social touch
Why autistic people may reject social touch
Why autistic people may reject social touch
Understanding Why Autistic People May Reject Social Touch
One of the hardest challenges for families facing autism is the problem of touch. Often, autistic children resist hugging and other types of physical contact, causing distress all around.
People with the syndrome suffer from 'tactile defensiveness' and become anxious and socially withdrawn.
They don't look in people's eyes, they won't hug their parents or other family members, and they are hypersensitive to touch and sound. All of this causes anxiety for family and friends as well as for the child themselves.
Many children with autism are very sensitive, so affectionate acts, like hugs, can feel painful or uncomfortable for them.
However, not all children with autism experience affection this way. Just like there are a variety of symptoms, there are a variety of ways children with autism express themselves. One behavior that can be in flux is that of showing affection. Some children with autism can comfortably show and express affection to a small number of people they feel very comfortable with, such as parents and siblings.
What Touch Aversion Might Look Like
- Your child tells you on no uncertain terms that all the tags MUST be cut out of her clothing, or they won't wear it because of the feel.
- Your child may resist having his hair combed or teeth brushed because of the very uncomfortable sensations.
- They might pull away from you when you try to hug her or kiss them.
- Children, teens, and adults on the autism spectrum may only be able to tolerate foods with certain types of textures (e.g., crunchy versus smooth, hard versus "slimy").
Another possible symptom of autism is that a child’s show of affection is indiscriminate. He or she may show affection for a total stranger as well as a parent. Because autism causes problems in social development, this over-affection may be caused by an inability to correctly receive and give social signals. In this scenario, it’s possible that a child with autism you know may like to give hugs. He or she just happens to be one of the children that express affection.
Further, showing affection is not a sure-fire way to determine a child does not have autism. If he or she displays other symptoms of the illness, repetitive behavior, delays in speech development, oversensitivity to light, pain, etc., it is still important to have the child evaluated by a physician.
What is tactile play
Why autistic people may reject social touch
Why autistic people may reject social touch
Engaging In Textures
Play activities enable children to engage with different textures as the child discovers their surroundings. Tactile play is a form of play that engages the touch senses. A child can be sensitive to certain materials, or certain food textures. The degree of tactile sensitivity varies for each child and the experience is unique especially with autistic children.
Tactile play encourages the child to explore those sensitivities to enable engagement in a fun and familiar way. Sensory sensitivities can impact how the child plays, playing on their own is common with these children, hence tactile play is an effective medium to combine interventions with activities.
Since children with tactile defensiveness are sensitive to specific textures, these forms of interventions set goals and teaching programs that are specific for the child.
One of the great benefits of tactile play with sand is that it not only engages the touch sense but also involves senses such as sight, hearing, smell, and movement. This helps the child gain a holistic experience as their sensory system is engaged, therefore strengthening their sensory modulations.
When playing with sand, other items can be added to the sand such as shells, toys, etc. By doing so, the child is not just engaging with one form of texture i.e., sand but also other textures including those the child is defensive towards. However, some children may not like the texture of sand and can take a long time to acclimate to it. Buying new sand toys each week may entice them to play with the sand. They may not touch the sand but instead use the sand tools. Slowly lead them into the touch of the sand. It is important to teach your child its ok and safe to handle the sand. Lead by example, Keep giving positive reinforcement.
Sensory play is an effective tool for children with all kinds of sensory sensitivities. If your child is sensitive to certain types of tactile (touch) stimuli, applying interventions such as tactile play with sand can be a useful strategy, provided that you take it step by step. Put happy rocks on top of the sand... allow the child to touch or pick them up... let them know that the sand particles have not hurt them... repeat over and over in time with more sand. It would not serve a purpose if your child were overwhelmed with the sudden exposure to the sensory input.
Break down each session, and don’t hesitate to consult your child’s occupational therapist for ideas on how to diversify sensory play with sand.
"Make the interventions work for your child to Rock-A-Smile".
For the Sensory-Seeking child, certain smells may distract them
For the Sensory-Seeking child, certain smells may distract them
For the Sensory-Seeking child, certain smells may distract them
For some children on the autism spectrum, a foul smell can be detected from longer distances, and the reaction will be avoidance. While others will actively seek out strong smells from people or things they enjoy. Children with autism may need the comforting smells of caregivers or a toy to maintain calm. This can cause limitations in the ways children interact with others, as they crave only specific smells.
It can be difficult for children with autism and a heightened sense of smell to go to a restaurant because there are so many different scents in that space.
From the unfamiliar smells of strangers to the variety of foods and beverages being served, it can be overstimulating for a child with hypersensitivity to smells.
The type of restaurant, how busy it is, and the environment should all be considered when going to a new restaurant. These factors can impact how the child will react to being in the restaurant.
Strong unfamiliar odors, perfumes, or cleaning products may cause the hypersensitive child to act out due to sensory overload and lack of communication skills. In a classroom setting, the child with autism may have trouble focusing while their brain is processing smells no one else notices.
For the sensory-seeking child, certain smells may distract them as they seek to get closer to the scent.
Entering a new space with unfamiliar smells, such as a friend’s home, doctor’s office, shop, or restaurant, may bring an intense reaction in the child with autism.
He or she may be extremely bothered by the strong-to-them scents and react by stimming (repetitive behavior such as flapping arms), lashing out, or running away.
TASTE- Getting a child to eat healthy
For the Sensory-Seeking child, certain smells may distract them
For the Sensory-Seeking child, certain smells may distract them
Many people diagnosed with autism have highly sensitive taste buds wherein we find a number of flavors and foods too strong and overpowering to tolerate.... this can create a sensory overload.
Sweet, sour, bitter or salty are the four main taste areas on the tongue. Some people may prefer foods from one of these groups, or foods of a certain texture or temperature. Others may only eat foods of a certain color.
Tastes and flavors could be too strong for a person. Their diet may be limited to what they can tolerate. It may be that odors from certain foods are too strong for them to cope with, so they limit their food to certain textures, appearances and tastes.
Forcing your child to eat a new food can make things worse, because your child might refuse to eat altogether. So, it's almost always best to use strategies that encourage a varied diet and help your child gradually get comfortable with new foods.
Introduce new foods to your child by telling them that it may taste sweet like something they know or like... or sour like a pickle. Combine the food with a dipping sauce of something they already like. IE: Yogurt is a good dipping sauce because of the sweetness.
Now you may have a better understanding of what goes wrong in the brain of any child or adult.
Have your child watch You tube video stories about foods In our Wellness Foods and Nutrition section.
Encourage your child to eat 10 healthy foods and receive Rockin Happy Rocks Certificate of Achievement Award.
PEER INCLUSION - WE ALL HAVE HOPES AND DREAMS
We are grateful for people like you. Partnering with us can play a role in helping with Autism Awareness and Education. Help facilitate the lives of every autistic child to thrive for a better tomorrow.