Aspergers Syndrome

Imagine a world where things around you just bugged you to death!  Well, that is a reality for many people with Aspergers Syndrome.  Sensory sensativity is a symptom of Aspergers and can range from minor to severe.  There is a large variety of sensory sensativities as well.   Everyday experiences with sound, light, touch, taste and overall comfort can be such a challenge.   Identifying sensativities can allow you to work with or even modify your environment to make each day a little easier to get through. 

In our experience with our Aspergers daughter we have found that sensory issues have to be identified and addressed.  We have found that at times when she “shuts down” or will “act out” we can trace it back to a sensory sensativity.  We find this especially in school situations.   Our daughter is sensative to crowd noise.  It is like she can not think or compute with all the noise.  She might act out, but usually will retreat into herself and shut down.  She also is fearful of loud noises and will cover her ears.  Especially with fireworks.  We have found that in situations where she is unsure about what is about to happen she will still cover her ears as a way to protect herself from sensory issues.  During quiet work time in class she is easily distracted by noises and movement.  She will not be able to focus on work until she is able to stop focusing on the sensory issue.  She can be distracted by a clock ticking, light bulbs buzzing or blinking and even someone tapping a pencil.  We have worked with her to identify these moments on her own and she has ways to help herself re-focus.  Sometimes counting to ten, breathing, or re-focusing techniques work. 

Re-focusing techniques we have used might be to take a paper with words on it and circle all the “a’s” and then underline all the “b’s”.  She has even asked to go to the bathroom or leave the room until she can feel comfortable and refocus.   We have also realized that giving her a little space or corner can help.  Even in a classroom situation she can ask to move to a desk or table in the corner, or even face a corner or wall if there is too much going on to focus.   Her teachers are aware of her disability and she knows she can let them know when she is in “sensory overload” and needs help.   

I like using the term “sensory overload” when describing those moments where they have reached a breaking point.  Obviously multiple issues all at once will lead to sensory overload.  Crowd noise or commotion alone can be overwhelming and a major sensory overload moment.  Help them describe their sensory level.  We use the “volumn control” theory.  Based on the television or radio volumn where is their sensativity level?  

Like everything with Aspergers not everyone will have sensory sensativity or the same sensory issues.  If you suspect sensory issues may be the cause of acting out or shutting off the world take the situation apart to see what is going on that might be the sensativity.  Discuss ways to block out or remove sensory sensativites from their environment and find some re-focusing techniques that can be used as well.  Here is a list of other sensory issues I have found during my research that have been associated with Aspergers Syndrome:

1. Intense staring or may avoid eye contact
2. Standing extremely close to others or objects
3. Covers ears with certain sounds or has extreme fear when unexpected noises are occuring.
4. Will leave or withdraw to avoid noises
5. Needs to smell or touch food before eating it
6. Difficulty when being touched by others (even lightly brushed by another) and my display anxiety when touched
7. Needs to smell materials before using them
8. Complains about the way clothing feels especially with tags or seams.
9. Underreacts or overreacts to pain
10. Limited on their food choices and may only tolerate foods with particular color or texture.
11. Cannot have different foods on plate to touch eachother or may have to eat all of one item before moving to the next.
12. Oversensative or undersensative to environmental stimulation such as change in light, sound, smell, or even location of objects.
13. May engage in self-stimulatory behaviors like rocking, chewing, hand movements, playing with object.