KOCHI: Have you ever seen a child suddenly throw a tantrum for no apparent reason in the middle of a crowded mall? Have you noticed a child behaving ‘oddly’/ avoiding eye contact/ failing to interact with his/her peers? Have you wondered whether it is the result of bad parenting or something more complex?
Most of these children are victims of a disorder called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or in general usage, Autism.
ASD impairs the nervous system and affects the way a person reacts to situations, emotions and people. Children/people with ASD are not stupid or dim. In fact, they have average to above average intelligence. A child with ASD perceives and understands things but she is unable to communicate this and interact meaningfully. This affects his/her emotional, physical, social and cognitive health. Of course, not all children suffering from ASD manifest the same/all symptoms. The variations range from mild to severe, depending on the degree of impairment.
Sensory Integration in Autistic Spectrum Disorders
What does Sensory Integration Dysfunction mean?
Many children with autism experience unusual responses to sensory stimuli, or input. These responses are due to difficulty in processing and integrating sensory information. Vision, hearing, touch, smell, taste, the sense of movement (vestibular system) and the sense of position (proprioception) can all be affected. This means that while information is sensed normally, it may be perceived differently. Sometimes stimuli that seem “normal” to others can be experienced as painful, unpleasant orconfusing by the child with Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID), the clinical term for this characteristic. SID can involve hypersensitivity, also known as sensory defensiveness, or hyposensitivity. An example of hypersensitivity would be an inability to tolerate wearing clothing, being touched, or being in a room with normal lighting.
Hyposensitivity might be apparent in a child’s increased tolerance for pain or a constant need for sensory stimulation. Treatment for Sensory Integration Dysfunction is usually addressed by occupational therapist and they give sensory integration therapy .
How does it feel? “So what happens when sensory perceptions are disorganised?”. It means that the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday life that you may not even notice, can be painful. The very environment in which we live often seems hostile.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is classified into three types -Autistic Disorder or “classic” autism, Asperger Syndrome or high functioning autism, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder or atypical autism. There is no definitive cause for autism though it is widely believed that it is the result of a combination of genetic, biological and environmental factors. In some children symptoms may appear as early as 6 to 12 months.
Any change to their daily routine can be very stressful and they might react to it by resorting to aggressive behaviour. Contrary to popular belief, autism cannot be cured. It is a lifelong condition. However with proper therapy and support, it is possible to reduce the severity and help the child live a somewhat normal life.
People with autism feel love, sadness, pain, joy, anger just like everyone else, but they don’t have the luxury to express their emotions like we can. April 2 is acknowledged as World Autism Day and the entire month is set apart for autism awareness creation. But our attempts to reach out to people with autism should not be confined to a day or a month.