Beyond Fire Drills and Shirt Tags
Autism and the other sensory sensitivities.
Posted July 8, 2019 | Reviewed by Devon Frye
Hearing. Sight. Smell. Taste. Touch.
These are what usually come to mind when we think of the senses—the five senses.
Notably, it was Aristotle who defined the senses in this way. He even gave them a name: "The 5 Outward Wits." The idea stuck and even today we often think of the senses as these 5 independently operating systems that arise from our interaction with the world outside of ourselves. However, a growing body of research demonstrates that the senses are much more varied and complicated than once thought.
Understanding the workings of our sensory system is crucial if we are to properly understand and support children on the autism spectrum. Difficulty with regulating sensory input is a common occurrence in autism. When the brain cannot effectively filter or organize sensory input, the sensations can break through in a manner that is experienced as harsh and overwhelming. This results in sensory sensitivities .
Why Address Sensory Sensitivities in Autistic Children?
Sensory sensitivities often result in anxiety for kids on the spectrum and it is our obligation to support children in finding relief. The distressing feelings that arise from sensitivities can also contribute to behavioral challenges (which are purely unintentional).
Sensory sensitivities can also lead to avoidance of situations, thereby limiting growth and independence. For example, it is often assumed that kids on the spectrum avoid social situations because they lack the desire to interact. However, in my clinical work, I often find that it is the sensory factors associated with social settings (e.g. noise, crowds), rather than lack of desire, that leads to avoidance of these situations.
My observations are supported by the research. Hochhauser and Engel-Yeger (2010), for example, found a correlation between atypical sensory processing abilities and participation in social, physical, and informal activities.
Moving Beyond the Traditional Model
The traditional model views each sensory channel as operating independently. However, senses often interact in complex and dynamic ways. Take the case of food aversions. A child on the spectrum may avoid a particular food for a combination of reasons, including the way it looks, the way it smells, the way it tastes, and its texture.
In addition, the traditional model only considers our interaction with the external environment. However, neuroscience now acknowledges that our senses also include the ways in which we experience our bodily, internal environment. This includes body positioning and internal states.
In regards to body positioning, our senses include:
Sensory experiences related to our internal states are referred to as interoception . This includes all of the sensations we experience internally including (but not limited to): pain, temperature, hunger, thirst, barometric pressure, and the ability to sense an oncoming illness.
Interoception has drawn the attention of autism researchers and there is data indicating impaired processing in this area for autistic individuals (e.g. Fiene & Brownlow, 2015).
How Can We Tell if a Child is Being Impacted by Sensory Sensitivities?
Fiene, L., & Brownlow, C. (2015). Investigating interoception and body awareness in adults with and without autism spectrum disorder. Autism Research , 8 (6), 709-716.
Hochhauser, M., & Engel-Yeger, B. (2010). Sensory processing abilities and their relation to participation in lesiure activities among children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD). Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders , 4 (4). 746-754.
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Christopher Lynch, Ph.D. , is a psychologist who specializes in stress and anxiety management for children with autism. He is the Director of the Pediatric Behavioral Medicine Department at Goryeb Children's Hospital.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.