Sensory Perceptions Related to Autism Today’s world presses in on us from every side, with various noises, actions, and sensations all vying for our attention. For most people, the task of filtering through these stimulations becomes an unconscious daily action. For people with autism, though, it becomes a “shrieking, blinding hurricane of sensory acid rain” that never stops tormenting them (Notbohm 7). Author Ellen Notbohm illustrates the complexity and stress of living with autism as like leading a meeting, teaching a class, writing a report, cleaning the house, and acting as a dinner guest all at the same time as riding on the world’s wildest roller coaster (7). Indeed, children and adults with autism daily wrestle with altered sensory …show more content…
In her book, Understanding Autism through Rapid Prompting Method, Soma Mukhopadhyay outlines some of the more recent research done in the field of brain research and autism. A brief summary of this research follows below. Although small and helpless, an infant is actually a complex system of sensory organisms, including over 100 billion neurons which work continually in order to perform diverse and important functions. With time, these varied functions begin to connect into organized systems that allow for the growing child to develop and perform expected age-appropriate activities. A child with autism, though, experiences these developments differently, or not at …show more content…
Even the “classroom or home setting that appears orderly to the casual observer is in fact a confusing minefield of clatter” (Notbohm 11). Some people even report hearing subtle sounds such as a heartbeat in another room. With so many different sounds vying for attention, it becomes very difficult for a person with autism to function in a relaxed manner.
Tactile Hypersensitivity: All people experience some degree of physical touch at any given time, but for an individual with autism, temperature, light touch, vibrations, and textures can cause great discomfort. Any tactile experience ranging from getting a haircut to brushing ones teeth can cause great irritation. Thankfully, with time and therapy, the discomfort of tactile hypersensitivity can be relieved.
Olfactory Hypersensitivity: Odors that most people find pleasant or even refreshing often feel disturbing or even nauseating to people with autism. Some examples of offending odors include laundry detergents, scented soaps and shampoos (even those designed for children), bathroom air fresheners, hand lotions, and after