Physiological needs

• Physiological needs are biological requirements for human survival. If these

needs are not satisfied the human body cannot function optimally.
• Maslow considered physiological needs the most important as all the other
needs become secondary until these needs are met.
• Physiological needs are the most fundamental needs as they are essential
to maintain life such as eating and sleeping. These basic needs dominate
an individual, and drive behavior; once the need is satisfied, another higher
need arises.
• Physiological needs include: Homeostasis, Health, Food, Water, Sleep,
Clothes, Shelter
 Autism and Basic Needs
Basic needs becomes a issue for someone with autism because of
challenges such as 
• Children with autism have been described as having limited food
preferences and “picky” eating habits. 
• They might have difficulty expressing their food preferences and
their feelings during mealtime due to potential language delays or
impairments 
• 70 percent of children diagnosed with ASD have sensory processing
disorders, which means that typical levels of sensory input are
perceived as being too much or too little. This can create stress and
anxiety for children who are challenged in processing their
environment and trying to learn and make meaning of it. 
• For example, children with ASD may be hypersensitive to the smell of
an unfamiliar food. This difficulty in sensory processing can lead to
development of ritualistic or repetitive behaviors. 
 Autism and Basic
Needs (Contd.)
• Sleep problems are very common, reportedly as high as 80% in
children with ASD. 
• In typically developing children sleep problems and insufficient
sleep can result in daytime sleepiness, learning problems and
behavioral issues such as hyperactivity, inattentiveness and
aggression. 
• The most common sleep problems in children with ASD are
difficulty falling asleep and repeated awakenings during the night.
Some children have very prolonged awakenings or awaken very
early for the day. When a child has difficulty sleeping, the sleep of
other family members is often impacted. 
• Intolerance to textures and certain clothing: some children with
SPD cannot stand the way certain clothing feels on their bodies.
They need simple styles with very few seams, and have to have to
labels taken out. They may not be able to wear certain fabrics like
wool. 
Examples
1. The fact that Nathan is not comfortable with the presence of a new individual makes him stressed and anxious, causing
poor sleep quality at night. To ensure the child's well-being, during the first few days I would try to build our relationship
based on the child's interests. Many autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests. The pursuit of such interests
is fundamental to their wellbeing and happiness. For example, Nathan's mother talked about his intense interest in
Dinosaurs. So, she gave me a book about dinosaurs that Nathan never knew. After introducing myself I would work in that
book together. Another strategy would be to alternate reading the book with other exercises related to dinosaur themes in
order to the child feel more self-assured in social situations helping to relax and feeling happy. 
   
2. Nathan's parents wants to introduce fish to his diet because he has lack of Omega-3 fatty acids. However Nathan is unable
to eat fish because of the texture. He is very selective and display strong negative reactions against certain foods. Is a
challenge for Nathan makes accepting new foods or foods with different tastes or textures. Nathan's mother told me that
he loves nuggets. Knowing that Nathan would have trouble eating baked fish, I would introduce the new food making fish
nuggets. 
  
3. Kids on the spectrum can be overly sensitive to clothing tags, seams, and textures that are not comfortable for them. Many
times during the day Nathan feels very uncomfortable and anxious and removes his clothes. Nathan speaks a few words
and responds to itchy or rough clothing. Many times during the day Nathan feels very uncomfortable and anxious and
removes his clothes. Nathan speaks a few words and responds to itchy or rough clothing. 
References
file:///C:/Users/Moniza/Downloads/NebGuideEnhancingmealtimes.pdf
https://www.verywellhealth.com/autism-overview-4014759