Autism Spectrum Disorder

Sensory Integration
HDF 381
Maddie O’Connell
Chelsey Tallada
Sianna Ryan
Amari Cooper
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Sensory Overload?
● Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex
disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by
difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors.
● Autism’s symptoms often include difficulty processing sensory information such as textures,
sounds, smells, tastes, brightness and movement. These difficulties can make ordinary situations
feel overwhelming. As such, they can interfere with daily functions and even isolate individuals
and their families.

Sensory problems – Many children with autism spectrum disorders either underreact or overreact to sensory
stimuli. At times they may ignore people speaking to them, even to the point of appearing deaf. However, at
other times they may be disturbed by even the softest sounds. Sudden noises such as a ringing telephone can be
upsetting, and they may respond by covering their ears and making repetitive noises to drown out the offending
sound. Children on the autism spectrum also tend to be highly sensitive to touch and to texture. They may cringe
at a pat on the back or the feel of certain fabric against their skin.
Sensory Integration
Children with autism may be overly sensitive to certain textures, sounds, smells and tastes.
Wearing certain fabrics, tasting certain foods, or normal everyday sounds may cause
emotional outbursts. The opposite is also possible - the child with an Autism Spectrum
Disorder may feel very little pain or actually enjoy sensations we would dislike: strong
smells, intense cold or unpleasant tastes.

Sensory-motor evaluation – Since sensory integration dysfunction often co-occurs with autism, and can
even be confused with it, a physical therapist or occupational therapist may assess your child's fine motor,
gross motor, and sensory processing skills.

Sensory Integration involves various systems in our bodies:

• The vestibular system responds to movement and gravity
• The proprioceptive system receives feedback from joints and muscles and joints
• Our five senses - sight, hearing, touch, eye-sight and smell.
 Characteristics of Sensory Overload
Following are some signs that a child may have a dysfunction in sensory-motor processing:
• Repetitive behaviors such as spinning, head banging or flapping of hands
• Poor coordination and handwriting
• Poor eye contact
• Short attention span
• Avoidance or over reaction to touch
• Difficulty identifying objects by touch
• Clumsiness and lack of balance
• Repetitive or slow speech
• Lack of body image and awareness
• Raised shoulders
• Fear of movement, avoids motor play
• Fear and anxiety in new situations or changed routines.
 Sensory Integrative Therapy and Autism
● Sensory integrative therapy is a type of therapy designed to help people cope with sensory difficulties.
● Sensory integrative therapy is based on the idea that some people struggle to receive, process, and
make sense of information provided by the senses.
● For example, some people with autism are hypersensitive (oversensitive) to some things such as loud
noises but hyposensitive (under-sensitive) to other things such as pain.
Synaesthesia
Synaesthesia is a rare condition experienced by some people on the
autism spectrum. An experience goes in through one sensory system
and out through another. So a person might hear a sound but
experience it as a color. In other words, they will 'hear' the color blue.

For example, a synesthete (a person with synesthesia) might see the word "plane" as mint green or the number "4" as dark brown.
How Does this Disorder Affect Children in School
and at Home?
Parents who have children just diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum sometimes have a hard time

connecting with their children, and also may find it difficult to make parenting decisions regarding their

child’s…

● School performance (trouble focusing or adjusting to change)

● Poor communication with peers, parents, and teachers (anxiety)

● Disruptive or negative behavior in school (poor self-control)

● Increased irritation
What can Parents do at Home?
When the child has free time or is having a particularly challenging day, try some
of these activities...
● Compression/weighted vest **
● Magic carpet
● Water discovery bottles **
● Sensory bags **
● Water/sand sensory table
● Body sock **
● Chewelry bracelets **
● Ooblick or “moon sand” **
● Ball pits
● Finger paint
● Bubble wrap paint

**on display on our table

Therapy
Some parents choose to use therapy techniques as a coping strategy
● Music Therapy uses instruments and sounds to develop people's sensory systems, usually their

auditory (hearing) systems.

● Occupational Therapy involves designing programs and often making changes to the environment

so that people with sensory difficulties can live as independently as possible.

● Speech and Language Therapy often uses sensory stimuli to encourage and support the
development of language, communication and interaction.
How Does Sensory Integration Help?
● In Sensory Integration Therapy, a therapist will assess an individual’s sensory
difficulties and then develop a personalised treatment program in which they use the
most appropriate techniques, and tools to overcome those difficulties.

● A sensory integration program usually involves a combination of different elements

such as wearing a weighted vest, being brushed or rubbed with various instruments,
riding a scooter board, sitting on a bouncy ball, being squeezed between exercise pads,
and other similar activities.
Helpful Resources and Organizations for Parents whose
Children have been diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum
● www.Autismspeaks.org This site contains a lot of information about Autism from research that has been
conducted by specialists, but also helps connect individuals to Autism awareness walks and events near them. This
gives children with Autism and parents an opportunity to connect with people dealing with similar issues.
● http://www.aaneny.org/ This website is a great resource for families with parents on the Autism spectrum. The
site contains resources such as online support groups for parents, parent workshops and training on autism related
topics, community events such as walks, concerts, and movie screenings to promote inclusion, and also lists a large
variety of parent resources for Autism related questions.
● http://parenttoparentnys.org This site connects parents and children/young people to others that have
developmental or physical disabilities and also helps organize events such as game nights, bowling, movie
nights...etc. for people to get together and make significant connections and also make friends. This helps build a
strong community for children with Autism to meet one another and for their parents to socialize and ask other
parents questions.
 References
Autism Speaks.(2014). How is Autism diagnosed?. Retrieved from https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism

Donkers, F., Schipul, S., Baranek, G., Cleary, K., Willoughby, M., Evans, A., & ... Belger, A. (2015). Attenuated Auditory Event-Related Potentials

and Associations with Atypical Sensory Response Patterns in Children with Autism. Journal Of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 45(2), 506-523

18p. doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1948-y

Schaaf, R., Benevides, T., Leiby, B., & Sendecki, J. (2015). Autonomic Dysregulation During Sensory Stimulation in Children with Autism

Spectrum Disorder. Journal Of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 45(2), 461-472 12p. doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1924-6

National Autistic Society.(2016).Sensory Differences. Retrieved from http://www.autism.org.uk/sensory

Understood for learning & attention issues. (2014). Understanding Sensory Processing Issues. Retrieved from

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/sensory-processing-issues/understanding-sensory-processing-issu

es