Sensory Issues

[Sally44]

My son has sensory issues. He used to need to wear headphones. Now he doesn't seem to need them so often. And his school keep commenting on the fact that he is growing out of it.

 

I have sensory issues. I have not grown out of them. But I am also not on the spectrum.

 

I am assuming there could well be some accommodation occuring as he grows up, but who really knows. Sometimes I wonder if it is like pain. After some time your pain threshold increases and you just manage to cope.

 

What have other adults on the spectrum found as they have grown up. Did their sensory issues remain the same, become easier, or did they evolve and some things were no longer a problem whilst new sensory issues came to light.

[Meethoss]

I'd like to comment but I'm not sure I have anything useful to add - I was only diagnosed recently and never really noticed my sensory issues. Well I did, but I didn't know what I experienced was different to others, but I was always called a hypochondriac. I would always comment/complain when I had the tiniest of scratches and that was all my parents noticed. However I did notice myself that I'm more sensitive to sunlight than others, feel temperature differences more than others, smell things others don't and often the same with hearing.

 

I've not noticed it change SINCE I've noticed these differences, and beyond that I don't remember much. What I will say though is that as it is all in the mind, the mind can naturally adjust - so yes you may be right in the sense that your threshold for that sensory experience may alter with age but that must surely stop at some point as mine hasn't "gone away".

[bid]

I have a sensory integration disorder, but it has lessened a bit as I've got older.

 

Interestingly I experienced quite pronounced synaesthesia when I was a child, and that has definitely reduced.

 

Bid

[Mumble]

What have other adults on the spectrum found as they have grown up. Did their sensory issues remain the same, become easier, or did they evolve and some things were no longer a problem whilst new sensory issues came to light.

For me, society and technology have changed alongside me moving to a much more sensory stimulating area (empty farmland to central London ) so things have got worse as there is simply more input of all the types I find difficult: bright/fluorescent lights, sirens, mobile phones/iPods, people just being generally noisier and competing against each other/background noise to be heard.

 

I think issues like clothing I cope with better, but I think the sensory issues are the same but my responses have changed as I'm more socially aware of what's acceptable and will try to dress 'normally' whereas when I was a child I would wear and get away with wearing (as in my Mum had no idea about appropriate clothing) what was comfortable/copable even if not what peers would wear (and you can get away with more as a kid anyway).

 

It's an interesting comparison to pain and to be honest I don't know. I think (my instinct is to say) no, because it's a different basis in terms of the location of the reaction and whereas with pain to a certain extent there is an element of thinking about it making it worse, and repeated pain hurting less, I can't get rid of my sensory reactions say to fluorescent light in the same way. I can't think 'don't be silly, Mumble' and the bouncing flickering lights stop and I can't sit under one for longer and get more comfortable - I actually get less comfortable. With pain (at least some types) I can rationalise it and so get used to it. Blood tests for example, I used to not be able to cope with, but now having to have them and other similar things very regularly, I hardly feel them - but I think that's more about experience and finding the way for them to hurt least, and also because it is predictable now - whereas other sensory stuff is less so, because I don't know when a police car is going to go driving past with it's siren going and it's the change/shock that can cause problems.

 

However, it's great that your son is coping better without - or maybe his class have got quieter The only little thing that did cross my mind reading your post and without wanting to worry you at all was that maybe he's choosing not to wear them for fear of being different - I don't know if this is a possibility?

 

[Suze]

Hi Sally, my son was DX with sid when he was 7 , he had OT sessions, but these never really made a whole lot of difference.His areas were taste/smell, noise ...........however 7 yrs later he is definiteley improved .At 7 he would vomit at a smell and could,nt open the fridge door, now he has none of these problems.He is still careful around food but does,nt gag any more.Tactile wise he still loves his fleeces etc , but I would say he has de-sensitised over the years......

[chris54]

My son dont like any sound much above normal voice level, other than if he is making it himself that is.

If we put the washing machine on, for example, he would run away to the other end of the house.

But now his fascination with mechanical things is over riding this and he now likes to set the controls and sit and watch it go through its wash cycle.

 

He is also starting to like singing (at school at least) He use to put his fingers in his ears now he joins in.

 

But this has not made any difference to noise levels tolerance in other situations.

[baranigirl]

I have food sensory issues and I am not on the spectrum (well I don't think I am haha) and these are still the same as when I was a child driving my mother to despair as I would not eat meat (too chewy) fish (too smelly) or green vegetables (green) plus the other issue of also gagging on many types of foods

 

I do eat green vegetables now, but only cos I make myself say the green is fine!

 

DP is very sensitive to smells and noise and often comments on things nobody else has picked up, I have no idea what he was like as a child, but I will ask his Mum and it is looking increasingly like he is on the spectrum

[Ian Jordan]

 

very simply put - assessment as early as possible -interventions time may be critical

[Sally44]

very simply put - assessment as early as possible -interventions time may be critical

 

I've finally taken the plunge and have made an appointment to come and see you.

The journey is going to be nearly 6 hours long and involves two changes of train!!

Do I need to send you details of things that maybe related to sensory/visual issues?

[lynne]

 

 

My sons sensory difficulties still exist despite lots of interventions. But he is able to manage them better (sometimes).

[Ian Jordan]

I've finally taken the plunge and have made an appointment to come and see you.

The journey is going to be nearly 6 hours long and involves two changes of train!!

Do I need to send you details of things that maybe related to sensory/visual issues?

 

 

bring everything - but we don't want to see till end - it could influence us unduly. comparisons are then ok

 

When we assess you should see the effects immediately - there should be no doubt as to the efficacy of intervention - it should be obvious