If you have ever had a child, Autism or not you have had the privilege of receiving unsolicited parenting advice, and dirty looks. If you are anything like me you have been on the giving and receiving end of both. And while all kids throw a tantrum or two in their lifetime, it makes it no less embarrassing for the parents when it happens. It’s a hard thing for all parents to deal with, but what if your child wasn’t just throwing a tantrum? What if they were experiencing something called Sensory Overload? Well, that’s what our children experience 3/4 of the time. And we want other parents to understand that our kids are not spoiled brats, that just need a good ole spanking, and that they have a REAL issue. So in today’s post I am going to do my best to explain what Sensory Overload is. And hopefully by the end you will have better knowledge of what these kids go through, and maybe the next time you see a child throwing a tantrum you might think twice about those dirty looks.
We Receive And Perceive Sensory Input Through Sights, Sounds, Touch, Tastes, Smells And Movement.
What is Sensory Processing Disorder?
Sensory processing disorder or SPD is a neurological disorder causing difficulties with taking in, processing and responding to sensory information about the environment and from within the own body (visual, auditory, tactile, olfaction, gustatory, vestibular and proprioception). For those with SPD, sensory information may be sensed and perceived in a way that is different from most other people. Unlike blindness or deafness, sensory information can be received by people with SPD, the difference is that information is often registered, interpreted and processed differently by the brain. The result can be unusual ways of responding or behaving, finding things harder to do. Difficulties may typically present as difficulties planning and organizing, problems with doing the activities of everyday life (self care, work and leisure activities including work and play), and for some with extreme sensitivity to sensory input, sensory input may result in extreme avoidance of activities, agitation, distress, fear or confusion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_processing_disorder
Incase you didn’t understand that, SPD causes your brain to be over or under stimulated by the 5 senses. Just think about a really bad smell, and multiply that by 100, and you haven’t even touched the surface of what SPD is like.
A large percent of children with Autism also suffer from SPD. Add that with an inability to communicate properly, and you have a meltdown waiting to happen.
What is the difference between a meltdown and a tantrum?
(before you watch this video, it is important that you know that this was the end of the meltdown. Before this was shot, C had already jumped up and down, run around the table a few times, thrown the crackers, and refused to accept the item that he was previously denied, and could not be consoled. What I want you to notice is how he keeps his hands over his eyes, and how he acts when he finally calms down)
The meltdown is a common autistic characteristic feared and dreaded by both caregivers and autistics. Not to be confused with a temper tantrum. There are differences that are easy to spot if you are looking.
1. During a melt down, a child with autism does not look or care, if those around him are reacting to his behavior. A child having a tantrum will look to see if their behavior is getting a reaction.
2. A child in the middle of a meltdown does not consider their own or others safety. A child in the middle of a tantrum takes care to be sure they won't get hurt.
3. A child in the meltdown mode has no interest or involvement in the social situation. A child who throws a tantrum will use the social situation to their benefit.
4. Meltdowns seem to move along under their own power and wind down slowly. With a tantrum, it will end suddenly when the situation is resolved.
5. A melt down gives the feeling that no one is in control. A tantrum will give you the feeling that the child is in control, although they are pretending they are not.
6. The meltdown usually begins when a specific want has not been permitted and after a point, nothing can satisfy the child until the meltdown has run its course. A tantrum is thrown to achieve a specific goal and once the goal is met, things return to normal.
What does The Meltdown feel like?
All sensory systems start firing! Everything pierces you like a knife! Every sound, every speck of light, every texture against your skin, and everything you can smell. It surrounds you and cuts right into you. Trapped within your skin, like a caged animal under attacked, you are basically helpless. You thrash, you heave, you scream, you do whatever you can, because you are perceiving something killing you. You need to escape! Everything is hurting you, things that no one else can even believe would be affecting you. The smallest noise makes you want to claw your ears off, the slightest movement of you head might make you sick, and even the dimmest lights in the room make your eyes feel like they are bleeding.
Can you Imagine what that’s like?
If you have ever had a Migraine, or a panic attack, you probably understand a little bit of what is happening to these kids. If not, please try.
Any parent who is raising a child with autism will tell you that meltdowns are very common in public places. Stores, malls, fairs, the circus, wild birthday parties—anywhere there are a lot of people, activity, and noise increases the odds of a meltdown. We commonly avoid being in those environments as much as possible. But we shouldn’t have to. It’s not fair for us to stay if a meltdown occurs, and we see that there will be many more meltdowns, but it’s also not fair for our kids to have to stay home, and never be included just because other’s don’t understand. I hope that through this post, I was able to help at least one person to better understand, because that is one more person in the world that will help someone else understand, and so on, and so on……………….
To the parents of these wonderful kids
For some reason, in public, many people feel it is their duty to point out (sometimes subtly and sometimes loudly) the mistakes you are making in raising your child. This is a common occurrence for parents of challenged children and especially if the child "expert" has no children. Just remember, stay calm and handle the situation in a manner to best fit your child's needs regardless of the disapproving looks or comments. You can't change the world but you can affect your child’s feelings and learning experiences which is far more important than being worried about what outsiders think.
Sure we will have more peace of mind if we can develop a thicker skin. But regardless of how thick-skinned you are, an insult to your child cuts, and cuts deeply. Keep in mind that some people are receptive to learning and you may have a chance to educate someone about autism. You can lightly apologize for the disturbance and politely offer a brief explanation of "he is Autistic," and drop it.
I hope this post has been helpful to you. If you are a blogger participating in this blog carnival, you can link to your post anytime at the bottom of this post. Thank you for taking the time to read, and may God bless you this week.
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1 comment:
Fantastic post Angela! You explained it so well. Looking forward to next week's post.
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