Sensory differences

Sensory differences

  • varying degrees of sensory discrimination
  • typical children can process information selectively
  • audio and visual discrimination (a noisy room and a cluttered environment)

Touch

  • heightened sense due to sensory overload
  • sensory differences can cause discomfort and frustration
  • result of too much emotional or social stimulation
  • avoidance of being touched
  • gentle touch can hurt more than a firm handshake

Behaviours

Students may:

  • respond strongly to a change of clothes
  • stiffen when touched
  • take off their shoes or clothes
  • roll sleeves up or down
  • resist to being held or hugged

Hyper-sensitivity vs. hypo-sensitivity

Sensory disturbance as a primary deficit

Hypersensitive:

  • finds hair brushing or hair washing unbearable
  • finds certain textures and material against the skin insufferable
  • shies away from gentle maternal embraces

Hyper-sensitivity vs. hypo-sensitivity

Hyposensitive:

  • oblivious to temperature
  • high pain threshold
  • self injury

Eating linked with hypersensitivity

  • super sensitivity to food texture
  • boiled against raw vegetables
  • liquidised food
  • colour

Visual

fluorescent lighting
white boards
sunshine

Auditory

85% of ASC children have auditory sensitivity
auditory processing rather than traditional
hearing problems
intact hearing ability - inability to interpret information

They can be both hypersensitive and hyposensitive

hypersensitivity vs. hyposensitivity

hypersensitivity:

  • loud noises can be painful
  • fright, flight, fight
  • small noises can be painful
  • background noises

hyposensitivity:

  • staring into space
  • oblivious ‘off somewhere’ with their special interests (advantages)

Tips

 

  • keep a diary of behaviours to identify problem areas
  • ask parents or carers to do the same and meet frequently to compare findings
  • remember, when overloaded or uncomfortable students won’t be able to focus - this may lead to tantrums and outbursts
  • physical pain will make them tired and confused
  • the hardness of a chair can make a difference
  • personalised cushions
  • changing for PE can be a problem