If you've seen your autistic child seeking out deep pressure, it may be because they are seeking out proprioceptive feedback or input. They may show a strong preference for tight clothing or prefer to sleep under heavy blankets and pillows. Tactile input of this nature may leave them calm, relaxed and focused.
For some autistic individuals, deep pressure can be calming. It can help the person balance their proprioceptive sense – this is the sense that helps a person work out where they are in space. It can be applied in two ways: Through touching someone by hugging or squeezing them.
“The gentle pressure activates touch receptors, producing a calming effect by boosting serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin.” The sympathetic nervous system triggers the body's reaction in stressful scenarios.
Research shows that applying firm, gentle pressure — aka, deep touch pressure — can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, effectively putting your body into “rest mode.” The result is a feeling of calm and contentment that makes it easier to cope with anxiety.
Full-body compression garments may significantly improve the posture and behavior of some individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), according to a new study.
While many children with autism feel averse to hugging, some children with autism like to be hugged.
Autistic people's love for Sonic
Just as Sonic is proud of his racing ability, autistic fans of this character celebrate his speedy journeys into uncharted territory - it's a metaphor for those on the spectrum paving their own path in life.
As mentioned earlier, sensory issues are a common reason children with autism have difficulty sitting still. Thus, one way to help them is by working with an occupational therapist to build them a sensory diet, a group of activities designed to help your child manage their sensory processing to learn more effectively.
Another behavior with dental consequences is chinning. This refers to the tendency of the autistic patient to press the chin into an object or another person's leg to apply pressure to the mandible or temporomandibular joint.
Touch is an important component of many social experiences for many people. Autistic children commonly avoid social touch more than non-autistic peers. It is generally thought that this is due to autistic individuals experiencing hyper- or hyposensitivity of touch.
Tactile (or perceptible to our sense of touch) defensiveness is a symptom that is often found in children with autism. Common signs include frequent mouthing of non-food objects, strong preference or aversion to food with specific textures, and these kids may prefer to touch others rather than being touched.
The weighted blanket's therapeutic use for autism came about as a result of sensory integration theory. It suggests deep pressure has a calming effect on the nervous system for some people who are sensitive to touch. Sensory differences are common in autism. You may crave touch or shy away from it.
As deep pressure is applied to the body, the parasympathetic nervous system comes online, calming your child and bringing a sense of well-being. In tandem with this change comes a release of dopamine and serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitters of the brain.
These preliminary findings support the hypothesis that deep pressure may have a calming effect for persons with autism, especially those with high levels of arousal or anxiety.
A tight hug provides deep pressure, which helps them feel calm and secure. A long bear hug may help them feel better.
Have a plan beforehand of what to do if the person feels anxious, such as a calming playlist to listen to at the shops or a stress ball in their pocket. Build relaxation time into the routine. The person will generally feel calmer and therefore better able to manage when something that could trigger a meltdown, occurs.
Some children with autism smile to show they're happy but don't share their enjoyment. Others show little facial expression or have flat affect and rarely smile so you may not know when they're happy.
People with autism have difficulty making appropriate facial expressions at the right times, according to an analysis of 39 studies1. Instead, they may remain expressionless or produce looks that are difficult to interpret. The new work is the largest yet to explore this issue.
What Is High-Functioning Autism? People with level 1 or high-functioning autism are often able to function far more independently than those with more severe autism. They too have challenges with social communication, but typically have strong language skills.
Yelling at a child with autism can cause chronic levels of stress in the child and is not helpful in working towards a solution or strategy for change.
People with ASD have a reduced perception of their body movement or shift relative to their own postural orientation and equilibrium. At the clinic we often hear of issues such as fatigue, awkwardness, clumsiness and instability of their foot, ankle and hip joints.
Most of us don't think twice about where to stand when talking to another person. We just know what's right. But for people with autism, this may not be automatic. They may stand too close to others and walk between people who are talking.
Many autistic people experience hypersensitivity to bright lights or certain light wavelengths (e.g., LED or fluorescent lights). Certain sounds, smells, textures and tastes can also be overwhelming. This can result in sensory avoidance – trying to get away from stimuli that most people can easily tune out.
We autistic people can't always control our voices so we can speak too loudly or softly and use incorrect pitch tone and speed. Talking normally can require a lot of conscious effort.