If you've seen your autistic child seeking out deep pressure, it may be because they are seeking out proprioceptive feedback or input. They may show a strong preference for tight clothing or prefer to sleep under heavy blankets and pillows. Tactile input of this nature may leave them calm, relaxed and focused.
As sensory processing challenges are an issue for most people on the autism spectrum, deep pressure touch is often recommended as a tool to reduce anxiety and induce calm.
For some autistic individuals, deep pressure can be calming. It can help the person balance their proprioceptive sense – this is the sense that helps a person work out where they are in space. It can be applied in two ways: Through touching someone by hugging or squeezing them.
“The gentle pressure activates touch receptors, producing a calming effect by boosting serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin.” The sympathetic nervous system triggers the body's reaction in stressful scenarios.
Research shows that applying firm, gentle pressure — aka, deep touch pressure — can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, effectively putting your body into “rest mode.” The result is a feeling of calm and contentment that makes it easier to cope with anxiety.
Another behavior with dental consequences is chinning. This refers to the tendency of the autistic patient to press the chin into an object or another person's leg to apply pressure to the mandible or temporomandibular joint.
As mentioned earlier, sensory issues are a common reason children with autism have difficulty sitting still. Thus, one way to help them is by working with an occupational therapist to build them a sensory diet, a group of activities designed to help your child manage their sensory processing to learn more effectively.
Tactile (or perceptible to our sense of touch) defensiveness is a symptom that is often found in children with autism. Common signs include frequent mouthing of non-food objects, strong preference or aversion to food with specific textures, and these kids may prefer to touch others rather than being touched.
The weighted blanket's therapeutic use for autism came about as a result of sensory integration theory. It suggests deep pressure has a calming effect on the nervous system for some people who are sensitive to touch. Sensory differences are common in autism. You may crave touch or shy away from it.
While many children with autism feel averse to hugging, some children with autism like to be hugged.
Understanding the Response to Affection
Individuals with autism can also have an aversion to touch. Touch can cause a lack of emotional response or may even cause emotional stress and turmoil.
Touch is an important component of many social experiences for many people. Autistic children commonly avoid social touch more than non-autistic peers. It is generally thought that this is due to autistic individuals experiencing hyper- or hyposensitivity of touch.
Many autistic people enjoy spending time alone and consider it important for their wellbeing.
People with autism often experience love differently from neurotypical people. Their expression of love is less straightforward, as they tend to rely heavily on non-verbal communication.
Physical touch can present complications for an autistic person. They may abhor all types of physical interaction, they may crave certain kinds of physical contact, or different intensities in certain situations. Knowing your loved one is key.
Deep Pressure Stimulation (DPS) is firm but gentle squeezing, hugs, or holding that relaxes the nervous system. This pressure can be applied with the hands, special massage tools, or products that your child can wear or wrap around themselves to provide pressure.
For some children, sensory toys such as squeeze balls and fidget toys, weighted blankets, their favorite videos, or activities can help them manage their emotions. You can set up a calming routine that the child practices on a regular basis, and make it part of their daily schedule.
Meditation is fantastic for many people with autism, though it can be a challenge to learn. When someone meditates, they're able to quiet their mind and focus on their breathing instead of the stimuli around them.
In addition, autistic people often have different sensory and perceptual experiences than non-autistic peers, which can include more intense emotional experiences.
Many autistic people experience hypersensitivity to bright lights or certain light wavelengths (e.g., LED or fluorescent lights). Certain sounds, smells, textures and tastes can also be overwhelming. This can result in sensory avoidance – trying to get away from stimuli that most people can easily tune out.
Many people with high-functioning autism have unusually intense emotional reactions when compared to their peers. For example, a frustrating experience like spilling coffee on their shirt or taking the wrong turn on the way to work can cause irritability and difficulty concentrating for the rest of their day.
Yelling at a child with autism can cause chronic levels of stress in the child and is not helpful in working towards a solution or strategy for change.
Most of us don't think twice about where to stand when talking to another person. We just know what's right. But for people with autism, this may not be automatic. They may stand too close to others and walk between people who are talking.
For parents of such children, communication is a problem that compounds the stress & anxiety of parents. Parents face the challenge that their child is unable to communicate their needs and wants. With children at times unaware of nonverbal communication and cues, the challenges of parenting get compounded.