Bat Report post Posted June 9, 2007 Now I've mentioned this in other posts and it's got me wondering.... How does walking in barefeet help Pipsqueak cope, and why exactly can't she cope with stickers? If she's had a rough day, or we're in a new environment (so she's stressed), or she's excited, Pipsqueak immediatly takes off her shoes and socks and walks barefoot. It calms her right down, and she says it feels good - even on sharp gravel . We've managed to get around some places I never thought she would manage, as long as she is barefoot, and she coped brialliantly at the theatre yesterday because she was barefoot and could bang her feet. At other times, holding her very tightly has a similar effect . And then there's labels and stickers . We don't do labels, in fact we don't do anything with writing on because she can smell the writing on a label or a sticker, they smell of old things and make her sick. Hence the breakdown over the new towels this morning, they had been stacked in the bathroom, and some of them still had labels on and one of them had a sticker on. Dad mentioned the sticker word and all hell broke lose, she was in a dreadful state by the time I got up the stairs, she was in a cold sweat, sobbing and hiccuping for breath, we threw the towels out of the bathroom, and asked Dad to leave too, calmed her down and reassured her she was ok. But if I had touched the sticker, I would have had to have washed my hands, because I am not allowed to touch her if I have touched a sticker first, she can't explain why. Most of her things I can work out, and even these don't cause me any angst, I just deal with it for her, but I',m just wondering if anyone can shed any light to help me understand her a little better! Thank you! Bat Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
summertime Report post Posted June 9, 2007 both seem to me to be hypersensitivity issues (although I could easily be wrong) maybe the bear foot thing is a little bit like stimming, and when things get stressful the stimulation she gets from being bear footed may block out what else is over stimulating her at the time, giving her something more pleasurable to focus on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hev Report post Posted June 9, 2007 bat on your signature it says atypical asd,what does atypical mean? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted June 9, 2007 Fascinating Bat. We can often ideas that might help you to understand but the only person who can really know is Pipsqueak herself - maybe one day she will be able to explain and the would be fantastic. The shoes issue first - now I used to do this and would hardly wear shoes at all (caused all sorts of problems when my mum didn't notice as I got in the car and only found out when we got where we were going that I didn't have any shoes ). But for me it's not an issue of liking bare feet but an issue of not liking wearing shoes. Shoes feel very constraining to me - as for all my clothes, I can feel them on me all the time. Hence, I have very few pairs of shoes so at least it's the same experience each time, I don't have any 'ladies' shoes (high heeled or pointy things), and I do tend to take them off wherever possible. Stickers is a harder one - smells interesting - maybe the smell of the glue. Or maybe it's linked to a past experience that's she's expecting of all future stickers she encounters. Again the smell thing - has she encountered a 'scratch 'n' sniff sticker' - that's when I stopped collecting stickers becuase my album became 'contaminated' with a strange smell. Or maybe she's linking stickers to rewards in school. Or maybe she's experienced one being pulled off her skin and is scared another might get on her and need to be pulled off . . . It's really difficult, because we just can't know. Would be really interesting if you found out the cause. Mumble Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bat Report post Posted June 9, 2007 bat on your signature it says atypical asd,what does atypical mean? Hi Hev, It's the 'diagnosis' we've been given, when they assessed her, they said she was 90% on the spectrum, but that her social interactions didn't fit, in that she wants to be friendly with others (she can't manage it, she doesn't understand social conventions or play but they missed that), so they couldn't diagnose her as typically asd, but she has enough traits and beahviours to describes her as atypical - she doesn't fit the usual pattern, but her overall behaviour is autistic (confused yet? We are!!!). The Comm Paed reckons they'll dx her around 9, she was assessed at 4-5yrs. She's an utterly gorgeous, hellishly complicated little bunny! Bat Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bat Report post Posted June 9, 2007 Mumble, that's brilliant, thank you! That would make sense about the shoes, though I think summertime has a good point too, she could be using this to overcome other sensory input, I know CAMHS have referred to it as 'grounding'. The sticker thing, we think it might be linked to lots of medical tests and treatment she had when she was smaller (much, much smaller) - every time they took bloods they gave her a sticker, and when she needed op's they used stickers with cream to numb the veins. Now when they give her a sticker in school, she'll tolerate it until she reaches me, and then she sort of shrinks away from it until I pull it off her clothes (and wash my hands and then we're ok as long as she can't see it any more. The really big breakthrough was on Thursday, I actually got her into a shop (we don't do shops, so I could see where you were coming from earlier), and she adores green banana's, but they had stickers on, so I was 'allowed' to move the sticker to the back of the bunch so the cashier could deal with them, but she won't eat the one that's had the sticker on. Some other stuff she has been able to explain, and it makes perfect sense, maybe we'll just have to wait for this one Bat Back to the shoes again...I've learnt to check we have shoes, at least a pair in my bag, before we get in the car now as she's done that one! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Lya of the Nox Report post Posted June 10, 2007 stickers are not good for her, they mean pain poor hunny i like being barefoot, all the time, think of reflexology, they can sort our body via our feet? home made instinctive refelexology?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lorryw Report post Posted June 10, 2007 My son is 21 and he has his shoes and socks off at every opportunity. I find it a very useful way of calming him when we are out and about. If you ever see a 6 foot young man having his feet rubbed by a demented looking woman, come and say hello. I even carry oils and a footspray in my handbag, just in case. If its something your lttle girl finds soothing its a brilliant strategy to have up your sleeve for stressful situations. I agree with the reflexology connection, having bare feet is very soothing, especially if you can find someone to rub them.for you!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
