×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.

image

Autism, 4.03 (V) What are Sensory Regulation Differences?

In this lesson, you will hear from Dr. Temple Grandin as she describes her sensory issues. And Elizabeth Morgan as she describes her child's sensory challenges and how her family has learned to deal with them. In this video, Temple Grandin shares personal insights and information about visual and tactile sensory issues. » One of the things that are really big problem for people on the autism spectrum is sensory problems. We need to be doing research in sensory problems. And I talked to a whole bunch of people at the Mind Institute today about working on sensory problems. I do not have visual problems, but there's some people who when they look at something, visual images break up, like a mosaic. This picture's actually from Oliver Sacks' book Migraine, and the images break up and how can they see. People who have severe visually processing problems, I'll tell you right now, they're not gonna be a photo-realistic visual thinker. Because the visual system's goofed up, and they can't get that information on the hard drive. People that have this problem are often helped by things like Irlen colored lenses, where they may have problems with fluorescent lights, with a rapid flickering that drives them crazy. And they may find a laptop screen a whole lot easier to use. When they go to read, the print may jiggle on the page. Now this isn't everybody with autism. The problem with autism is, is it's so variable. One person will have this problem, another person doesn't have it. I had problems with sound sensitivity. I can't stand scratchy clothes. And they seem to be really cheapening up the jeans. » [LAUGH] » Because I'm having more and more time, more and more difficulty buying new jeans that don't itch. And I'm going to be really sad. I get these old ragged ones, where I go, I can't wear those. These are pretty good, but they itch more than some of my old jeans. I don't know where they're getting the cotton from these days, but it's just not the same. When I was a little kid and the school bell went off, it hurt my ears like a dentists drill. It was terrible. Now how can you tell if a persons got a lot of sensory problems? Take them into Walmart. » [LAUGH] » If every time they go in a Walmart's giant big meltdown, big fit. They probably feel like they're inside the speaker at the rock and roll concert. And you can have people that are non-verbal that have this problem, and you can have a brilliant engineer that has this problem, and we need to be working on therapies for these sensory problems. They're some of the most debilitating things that can just make it impossible to tolerate a normal environment. » In this video Elizabeth Morgan describes some of her son's sensory experiences and how her family helps him to adapt and regulate his sensory issues. » For our son the sensory experience was, in his sensory needs had to be one of the besides language was the second most greatest factor for him. So we always, he's had a language delay, but what really set him apart was he had a lot of sensory seeking type of behaviors that he will engage in. And they were very noticeable, and so that would be something that when it came to in our everyday interactions we have to really be mindful of what could be a trigger for him and what could set him off. And namely smells, in particular were really hard for him. And I remember there was one point when, just even where I shopped. Grocery stores wise, I had to be mindful of where I shopped and if he was with me. There's one store in particular that he just wouldn't go in. And it had a really, really strong smell. And it wasn't something that I noticed right away, but then he had a visceral response to the idea of going in there. And I realized it was the smells that were happening there. So as a result, if I had to go in there I would leave him at home or solely introduce him to different smells and then bring him in. So we had to do some changing and I think really doing a lot of priming and thinking about how to prepare him for new situations that might not be easy for him. I think also loud sounds were something that could really be a trigger for him. So what's funny because he's a very loud kid. So you would think, oh you know, how would this kid not like loud sounds? But for him, if it was a high pitched scream, or a baby crying, that would spark a fear in him. And so those are things you can't predict, and you can't avoid. So, we had to do a lot of social stories and giving him type of calming affirmations when those things happened. To try to get him down where he could self-regulate, so it was, for us, I think it was changing of our minds, cuz we understood that he had a certain need. So we had to, you know, be very sensitive to the environments that we introduced him to, and to the environments that we were around. And then if we knew, or could anticipate anything, try to support it on that area, but then if it was things that were unavoidable, try to give him supports to overcome them.


In this lesson, you will hear from Dr. Temple Grandin as she describes her sensory issues. And Elizabeth Morgan as she describes her child's sensory challenges and how her family has learned to deal with them. In this video, Temple Grandin shares personal insights and information about visual and tactile sensory issues. » One of the things that are really big problem for people on the autism spectrum is sensory problems. We need to be doing research in sensory problems. And I talked to a whole bunch of people at the Mind Institute today about working on sensory problems. I do not have visual problems, but there's some people who when they look at something, visual images break up, like a mosaic. This picture's actually from Oliver Sacks' book Migraine, and the images break up and how can they see. People who have severe visually processing problems, I'll tell you right now, they're not gonna be a photo-realistic visual thinker. Because the visual system's goofed up, and they can't get that information on the hard drive. People that have this problem are often helped by things like Irlen colored lenses, where they may have problems with fluorescent lights, with a rapid flickering that drives them crazy. And they may find a laptop screen a whole lot easier to use. When they go to read, the print may jiggle on the page. Now this isn't everybody with autism. The problem with autism is, is it's so variable. One person will have this problem, another person doesn't have it. I had problems with sound sensitivity. I can't stand scratchy clothes. And they seem to be really cheapening up the jeans. » [LAUGH] » Because I'm having more and more time, more and more difficulty buying new jeans that don't itch. And I'm going to be really sad. I get these old ragged ones, where I go, I can't wear those. These are pretty good, but they itch more than some of my old jeans. I don't know where they're getting the cotton from these days, but it's just not the same. When I was a little kid and the school bell went off, it hurt my ears like a dentists drill. It was terrible. Now how can you tell if a persons got a lot of sensory problems? Take them into Walmart. » [LAUGH] » If every time they go in a Walmart's giant big meltdown, big fit. They probably feel like they're inside the speaker at the rock and roll concert. And you can have people that are non-verbal that have this problem, and you can have a brilliant engineer that has this problem, and we need to be working on therapies for these sensory problems. They're some of the most debilitating things that can just make it impossible to tolerate a normal environment. » In this video Elizabeth Morgan describes some of her son's sensory experiences and how her family helps him to adapt and regulate his sensory issues. » For our son the sensory experience was, in his sensory needs had to be one of the besides language was the second most greatest factor for him. So we always, he's had a language delay, but what really set him apart was he had a lot of sensory seeking type of behaviors that he will engage in. And they were very noticeable, and so that would be something that when it came to in our everyday interactions we have to really be mindful of what could be a trigger for him and what could set him off. And namely smells, in particular were really hard for him. And I remember there was one point when, just even where I shopped. Grocery stores wise, I had to be mindful of where I shopped and if he was with me. There's one store in particular that he just wouldn't go in. And it had a really, really strong smell. And it wasn't something that I noticed right away, but then he had a visceral response to the idea of going in there. And I realized it was the smells that were happening there. So as a result, if I had to go in there I would leave him at home or solely introduce him to different smells and then bring him in. So we had to do some changing and I think really doing a lot of priming and thinking about how to prepare him for new situations that might not be easy for him. I think also loud sounds were something that could really be a trigger for him. So what's funny because he's a very loud kid. So you would think, oh you know, how would this kid not like loud sounds? But for him, if it was a high pitched scream, or a baby crying, that would spark a fear in him. And so those are things you can't predict, and you can't avoid. So, we had to do a lot of social stories and giving him type of calming affirmations when those things happened. To try to get him down where he could self-regulate, so it was, for us, I think it was changing of our minds, cuz we understood that he had a certain need. So we had to, you know, be very sensitive to the environments that we introduced him to, and to the environments that we were around. And then if we knew, or could anticipate anything, try to support it on that area, but then if it was things that were unavoidable, try to give him supports to overcome them.