Vision

For many children with autism is the visionsensitive sensor system. This is both good and bad news: we now know what is mainly based our children in the training and movement in space, but the visual images are all around us, which makes the system more vulnerable to overload. Bright lights and shiny objects, reflective surfaces, too many objects in the visual field, fast-moving objects or moving jumps - all can cause distortion of space and a touch of chaos. These disorders are so common among children with autism that they require a separate and more detailed discussion.

Hearing

Our auditory system provides us with a hugeof information. We perceive and subjected to immediate treatment, not only such sound quality as volume, pitch and frequency, but also the direction. We turn around to the voice on the steps at the passing cars. If your hearing is calibrated properly, only deafeningly loud sounds will make you shrink, hold hands or ears to protect themselves in any other way. Disturbances of perception of auditory information is often found in people with autism. Hypersensitivity hearing can cause really excruciating pain. Hypoactive auditory system reduces opportunities for learning and social interaction; what looks like laziness or obstinacy, and sometimes may not be able to filter and / or treatment of a variety of conventional everyday sounds.

For a child with hypersensitive hearingthe surrounding area is too loud, it is full of unexpected and woven into a deafening cacophony of sounds. And, in addition, children with autism are able to hear sounds that are inaccessible to a person with ordinary hearing. Many of them can not be cut or filter »extra» sounds so at home or in the classroom, where the outsider all seems quiet and calm, they feel the way we would feel, being in the midst rattling minefield.

What this means for the child: it is obvious that a »too loud» include suchplaces like cafes with thundering music, the gym, where they play ball, play areas in shopping centers and many other components of the daily turmoil. All this can provoke the appearance of symptoms. Sudden loud noises, such as fire alarm or car alarm, can trigger a panic such a level that the child will not be able to recover within a few hours. There are cases of acute hearing so that the child could hear the beating of the hearts of those who were with him in the same room. For such a child is nothing pleasant in the noise of the surf. The word »surf» here does not matter. For him, it's just noise, as in excruciating migraine.

The most common and, in our opinion, does not threaten the sounds may seem very invasive and simply intolerable. Your child may hide m her room, not because he does not like his family, and because that is the only place where he canshut out the noise of the dishwasher, coffee maker, washing machine, dryer, TV, mobile phone calls, as well as to avoid the noisy debate, where everyone is talking at the same time. He may feel that he is at the center of it all the fat mix. At school, children with normal nervous system mighty quietly listen to what the teacher says, but children with autism often can not distinguish the voice of the teacher as the primary sound to which you should pay attention. For him, this sound is not a priority on the background of grinding pencil sharpeners, buzzing flies on the window sill, rumbling lawn mowers coming from the outside, a constant cough student sitting behind, and the stamping of a parallel class of students that go down to the library.

Temple Grandin, who writes and speaks about manyhis human experience born with autism, expressed above all in a brief remark:. »Being in a big mall - it's like listening to a rock concert, sitting in the column»

Tactile sensations

Tactile sewn - it increasedsensitivity to touch. Our skin registers a amazing amount of external signals: a light touch and a lot of pressure, the impact of a wide range of temperatures, different types of pain and irritation, vibrations and other movements, can distinguish the texture from smooth to rough. Children with autism often feel in your own skin in a trap, they are not able to control their response to unpleasant stimuli, such as a feeling of uncomfortable clothes, unwanted touching of other people (the usual hugs can be very real torture), annoying texture of those objects, with which the child faces every minute.

What this means for the child: бирки и украшения на одежде, пуговицы, молнии, эластичная резинка вокруг запястья или шеи могут постоянно отвлекать внимание ребенка. На улице или в помещении ему вряд ли стоит ходить босиком (вы обращали внимание, как часто ваш ребенок встает на цыпочки?). Ребенок может избегать ваших объятий, протестовать против мытья головы, чистки зубов и стрижки ногтей. Такие занятия, как рисование пальчиковыми красками или игры с песком, могут скорее стать причиной стресса, чем доставить радость и удовольствие.

Some experts argue that the tactiledysfunction is prevalent among other sensory problems in children with autism. But do not be discouraged! Today received a lot of evidence to support the effectiveness of specific therapies that reduce the sensitivity of the tactile system. Here's the story my mother, whose child up to five years agreed to wear a favorite it still in early infancy pants and vests, which is very sparingly rewarded arms only specially selected families. By third grade, he was able to get along with the need to wear jeans and even loved them. By fifth grade, he already went camping and spent the night in a tent, quietly, without batting an eye, bringing the neighborhood with night insects (all of these nasty creatures from the touch that chills start to run on the skin). Patience and respect those boundaries, which establishes child at every stage, as well as joint work with »regular» doctors and teachers will help you to overcome these difficulties.

smell

»Um, what it smells so disgusting?»- Was the usual refrain of our neighbor, even when I did not feel anything. Teachers have told me that students with autism often greet them with the phrase: »You smell funny!» - Even if they met them, just taking a shower. Violation of smell - hypersensitivity to smells - is very common in children with autism.

What this means for the child: odors, flavors and fragrances, is regardedthe majority of people as pleasant or almost indiscernible, can cause suffering and even to bring to a disease state of a child with autism. If you ever had a headache from the smell of paint, glue or particularly sharp spirits if the smell of fish, broccoli, garlic, cat food, or blue cheese to the throat or nausea rolls his eyes dimmed with tears,
then multiplying several times these sensations, youYou can at least roughly imagine how sometimes you have your baby. Please do not ask them to change the filler in cat litter - this substance with the scent of lemon, pine sawdust or advertised as »odorless» mixed with you-know-what, it can easily lead to a state of complete insanity.

A few years ago, we came face to face withthis problem. We went to Disneyland. This was our first joint trip on the plane, and to as much as possible to bring the surroundings to the familiar, we rented the same model car, which was in our home. I spoke to Price, that after we land, we get in »the same as we do, the car» and go to the hotel, it is underestimating the moment just how literally he understands me. I realized too late that his imagination painted a picture of how our own car will arrive in Los Angeles with the rest of the luggage. Rent a car really was »like ours» with one significant difference - it was new. Now, most people think of the smell of a new car almost more enjoyable than the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. But it was unbearable for Bryce. »It's smelly car! - He said. - Smelly, smelly car !!! ». We spent ages on it to put it in the car. And then we spent another eternity, listening to the mantra »smelly car!» On the way to the hotel. Needless to say that the park the next day we went on a bus provided by the hotel.

Here are the main enemies of the sensitive sense of smellyour child, with whom he might encounter in your own home: scented powders and conditioners for washing (remember that when the child is wearing clothes washed in them, he can not go anywhere to hide from the smell!), scented soaps and shampoos (can irritate even »children's» flavors, such as chewing gum), air fresheners in the bathroom (they just add a new flavor to the atmosphere), hand cream, deodorants, creams, after shave, body gels, hair styling products, a variety of detergents, especially those containing ammonia, bleach, and other scented cleaners, »kitchen flavors» such as the smell of fish or broccoli, various chemicals for the garden.

The school does not help: grade paint, the smell of ongoing experiments, classmates, scented cologne, burnt oil in the school cafeteria, an open window facing the fresh-cut and lawn fertilizer, a cell with a hamster in a living corner, a bag of breakfast left by someone in the toilet a few days ago . Many students with autism is marked uncontrollable gag reflex in the school cafeteria.

Have you heard the story of a little boy,which first went on nature? Coming out of the tent, standing in the middle of a beautiful pine forest, he wailed: »I really hate here! Everything smells tool for cleaning the floor! ».

Taste

Our sense of taste with sense of smell is closely related. Smell - a hour: if what we were going to eat, suspicious smells (mold, fumes, moldy stuff or something else unpleasant), we are likely to give up the idea to put it in his mouth. This is a natural way to protect against poisons and toxins.

Вкусовая гиперчувствительность - это особенная восприимчивость к едким вкусам, например, к горечи (во многих овощах содержатся фитохимикаты, придающие им горький вкус), или к остроте (в различных видах стручкового перца содержится капсаицин, ответственный за их острый привкус). Ребенок не станет есть еду «неправильной» температуры или текстуры: откажется от очень холодной еды (мороженое или соки из холодильника), скользкой или желеобразной еды (пудинги, консервированные персики), а также еды, в которой смешаны различные текстуры, например, запеканок, бутербродов или супов. Зернистая или шероховатая поверхность пищи тоже может вызвать отторжение, так же как и газированные напитки (хоть здесь можно вздохнуть с облегчением).

At the other extreme - gipovospriimchivost taste. If a child reduced sense of taste, he either eats everything that comes to him by the arm, as it all seemed to him delicious, or he eats very little, as not interested in eating and enjoy it. Maybe so that the child absorbs a tremendous amount of non-food items (dirt, clay, glue, coffee grinds, clumps of dust, paper, etc.); he does it because he wants the feelings that can not give him a normal meal.

What this means for the child: Many autistic children are very picky about food. What they eat only two or three specific product, it may be associated with both hyper and with hyposensitivities taste.

Both are harmful to health. Children with hypersensitivity waive wholesome food, such as vegetables. Children with hyposensitivities soon threaten diseases associated with over-eating, and in adult life - addiction to alcohol or smoking.

Работа со вкусовой чувствительностью требует времени и терпения. С этим сложно справиться самостоятельно дома, лучше обратиться за помощью к эрготерапевту и другим специалистам.

The vestibular and proprioceptive systems

Родителям и неспециалистам сложно оценить значимость этих двух систем. Здесь уместно привести в пример бухгалтерию: на нее никто не обращает внимания, пока все идет гладко. Только когда дача пошли наперекосяк, мы понимаем, какой хаос может возникнуть, если начинает пробуксовывать такой важный элемент инфраструктуры.

The vestibular system regulates the sense of balance and the balance of the signals coming when the position of the eyes and head. »General Staff» of the system is located in the inner ear. proprioceptive system receives signals from the joints and muscles, it allows us to locate parts of the body in space and that any impact on them are at the moment.

What this means for the child: disruption of vestibular and proprioceptivesystems may make it difficult or impossible ordinary everyday activities. Children with such problems can literally trip over his own feet, bumping into walls, fall off their chairs. They may experience gravitational instability and feel anxious when they have to doat least one step. They find it difficult to climb the stairs to use the public toilet, ride a bike, sit on a chair or too high stool without footrest. The fact that others are constantly waiting for something from them (new knowledge, social activity), only increases their anxiety. Now you will not be difficult to understand why many children with autism avoid sports activities that require a variety of sequential steps: take a specific position, listen to the instructions and remember to show one or more specific movements, always remember the rules, understand rules and interact with other players in the game (because they still cry, if you're missing something).

Problems in the vestibular andproprioceptive systems are not so easy to recognize the untrained eye. Chances are that, not giving it due importance, we can not identify them and cure, thereby leaving the child alone in its struggle against a hostile and intimidating environment.

Vestibular disorders affect nearly allfunctions of the body. They can cause a dizzying (literally) of the spectrum of symptoms: loss of balance, chronic nausea, hearing distortion (can be a feeling of cotton wool in the ears, or the effect of fuzzy radio), visual perception disorder (surrounding objects or text appear blurry or »galloping» difficult to focus his eyes, light bulbs may seem simply dazzling), chronic fatigue, anxiety increased until the depression. Furthermore, such a child is difficult to concentrate and remember anything. The list is not exhaustive!

Children with proprioceptive disorders canbe strange, heavy gait, it is difficult to use pencils and cutlery, they have difficulty in carrying out activities related to the use of fine motor skills. They lose their balance when turning a blind eye, constantly bump into things or stumble upon them.

In addition to working with psychologists and educators is importantpay attention to the physical training (of course, under the guidance of a specialist). These sessions will help solve problems with gross motor skills, and give the child the opportunity to participate in sports with their peers. Learn about special group of physical development in your area (for example, physiotherapy clinics at).

In development specialists have a very effectivetool, which is called »sensory diet» or »touch card». Identifies the individual sensory needs and create individual training schedule that will help your child organize incoming sensory signals. It will be easier for them to monitor and adjust the degree of their exposure, and consequently, its own reaction. By observing and evaluating the behavior in formal and informal settings, for the development of a specialist will be able to:

-Set the level of touch sensitivity of the child throughout the day (like those or other signals affect his senses);

- To determine the status of the child touch (which of its perception systems are working in emergency mode);

- Identify and mark those special situations or circumstances in which the child's behavior is beyond the scope of normal (any particular activity or location of people, etc.).

This information sheds light on the problem and helpcreate a development plan in accordance with the specific characteristics of each child. Development Specialist will offer to divide the day the baby into pieces and help to thoroughly plan the classes within each of these time intervals. This schedule includes both active games and training sessions or quiet calm game. This combination will meet the sensory needs of the child and entertain him. In addition, it will help the child to gain a sense of confidence and control, as well as to realize their potential, contributing to the rapid development of his cognitive and social skills.

Forget about the Egyptian pyramids and hanging gardensSemiramis. Our feelings - that's the real Seven Wonders of the World! Seven years of touch therapy helped turn my nonspeaking, aggressive kid to a confident, responsive student, artist, athlete and joyful teenager how everyone can see it now. I am ready to put up a monument to this method!