Need help with Article

[Stephanie]

Hi

 

I am writing an article for a magazine on how to spot autistic traits in the under 5's and an account of my personal experience. I believe strongly in early intervention and dx and therefore am writing the article to raise awareness of the condition and of my local support group.

 

I will cover the three triads of impairment but how relevant do you think it is that I mention sensory issues??

 

I cant find a lot of sensory stuff specifically related to the under 5's. What was your experience?

 

If anyone has done a similar article/seen a similar article or would like to help me out in any way, I would welcome it.

 

Cheers!

[phasmid]

Try having a look at the following; Birth to three matters, Curriculum Guidance for the foundation stage and Autistic Spectrum Disorders:good practice guidance. The benefits of early intervention are also mentioned in the CoP as well. The right quotes will show that 'offical guidance/policies' also advocate early identification and intervention as being of the utmost importance.

 

HTH

[sue1957]

Stephanie,

 

I've done a few seminars at BIBIC which included early intervention, hyper and hyposensitivity etc for ADD/ADHD and AS and I've done a fair bit of research. PM me if you would like anything.

 

Sue

[bettybiscuit123]

I have started reading a book "The Autistic Spectrum" by Lorna Wing and that contains alot of interesting information on Bahaviour in babies, and babies with autistic spectrum and the early signs to look for, I thought this might of been an interest to you for your article.

Best of luck with it anyway!

[oracle]

I personally believe that sensory issues impact on the child just as much as the triad so I think that they are very important.

 

Carole

[LizK]

We've just started Earlybird and on that they've said that the triad should really be a square with sensory issues being the fourth component as they have a massive impact on lots of kids with ASD.

 

The Early Bird booklet might be very useful for you as it is aimed at children under five

 

Lx

[Klou]

LizK that is really interesting as the reason we are where we are is that ds is more affected by sensory issues than the other three elements, although he has the traditional 3. It is probably the response to sensory things that alerted us to the fact that he wasn't like other children.

[MumTee]

Another good book is 'The out of synch child' - it has some really useful tables to help you gauge what a childs sensory needs are.

The book helped me make sense of maybe 90 per cent of my 2.5 year olds behaviours and obsessions within a few hours reading.

 

Do let us know where you'll be published and when, cant wait!

[Bullet]

Ok, first of all I'd better make it clear that Ds1 hasn't had an official diagnosis yet (is due to be assessed soon we hope) but the GP, the health visitors and the paediatrician who saw him at the hospital all think he has an ASD along the lines of Asperbgers or Semantic Pragmatic disorder. He's only two and a half, so here's a list of things about him:

 

Can repeat long sentences and passages back, even after not hearing them for a while, but (with the exception of about five or six words said once each time since he was 18 months ) no spontaneous words.

 

Is not bothered about showing me things or pointing things out. Will happily play by himself for ages. The exception is if he wants to be swung about and he'll sometimes try and join in with singing. When he does join in, even if he knows the tune he will stick to familiar actions. Eg today at Toddlers all the other children were stamping their feet to "If you're Happy and you know it" and he was touching his nose, because that's the action he was taught for the second verse and no matter how hard you try and show him it can be different, it takes him ages to change an idea. This means when we go to the supermarket I have to avoid passing the checkouts if he's walking as when he sees them he thinks it's time to pay and go home.

 

Will ignore other children and not bothered about imitating them. Good with significantly older children though.

 

He can't follow instructions apart from a few he's heard every day and often then only with gestures. Most instructions are beyond him if he has nothing visual to connect them with and two step instructions are a "no -no".

 

He never showed any inclination to dance, to wave his arms and legs as a baby, and makes no attempt to jump. He loves climbing, but is very cautious at the same time.

 

If he wants help he will get my hand and use it as a tool.

 

He does not like pretend play. Occasionally I can get him to copy me pretending to feed a toy, but most of the time he just throws the "food" on the floor and goes back to studying the toy. If unprompted he just studies the toys, presses buttons and focuses on parts of them. Eg with his trains he will look the magnets but not drive them round the track.

 

He rejects crunchy food or anything with a hard, wet texture (eg ham or beetroot).

 

Does not understand the concept of taking turns talking or of directing comments to a person. He repeats things back for his benefit and does not seem to care if you hear or not.

 

Does not make much eye contact.

Edited February 8, 2006 by Bullet

[Lynden]

Logan is only 2.5 and has been formally diagnosed as autistic and sensory issues have always been asked about in all his assessments as they affect everything, ie lights and noise going shopping, his overreaction to slight touch but not feeling when he really gets a bang on something, things he eat have to be crunchy etc etc We actually got a questionaire type thing to fill in to see where he fits in terms of sensory issues which was very helpful.

 

Lynne x

[baileyj]

Bullet, you are describing my son at 2 &3 to a tee, the likeness is amazing. He's 5 now and lots of the things you describe are different and better.

 

Regarding sensory issues, I agree its vital to include, for Max they are the source of lots of his problems, often his behaviours when I look at whats behind them are due to sensory issues, particularly noise, and sense of space. I often find if I can alleviate his problems with those, that other things improve. Ive recently got him some Peltor Kids ear defenders....marvellous, he loves em.

 

Good luck with our article, it sounds good.

 

Jo

[Stephanie]

Great, what sensory issues should I list down then, which are the most important ...?

 

I think the limited foods is a defo - as that usually shows really early on.

[baileyj]

Steph, how about:

 

Sensitivity to noise, particularly high pitch

Taste

Sense of Space....lack of awareness of their own body size

Clumsy

Sensory confusion, covers eyes when doesn't want to hear something, and vice versa

Touch, under or over sensitive, eg. likes deep pressure hugs/hates hugs

 

Jo

[Stephanie]

Great thanks, brilliant!

 

I wish I lacked awareness of my body size!!!

[jb1964]

My daughters 12 and only recently diagnosed. But I know from a very early age (probably around 15mths) that she was not quite like all the other little ones I knew. The major things I can remember when she was little was:

 

Sensory:

Noises - anything with a humming, or buzzing noise, such as fans, equipment, alarms etc. Didn't like school parties or disco's and shopping.

Touch - only liked very 'comfortable' clothes and shoes, mega sensitivity to hair (screaming if I washed it) and skin.

Feeding - from birth a problem. Both liquids and food. Very picky eater, would only eat finger food or things she could control i.e. cereal with no milk, fishfingers, toast, cheese etc. Would not eat mashed potato (or anything of a similar texture) or chips. Would request same food day in day out and then move onto maybe another for long periods. Difficult to take medicines (not just didn't like it - would be physically sick after it).

 

Things she found difficult - buttons, zips and shoe-laces, couldn't ride a bike (still can't), hopping on one leg, jumping with two feet (especially over something like a skipping rope) and general running.

 

Sleeping or lack of it. Very difficult to switch off/relax, posture never looked relaxed. Precise speaking, very grown up talking even at a very young age.

 

I would read her a story or she'd watch a video over and over again. If I read the story and missed a word out (because I was trying to finish the story quickly) she would make me go back to the beginning and read it all again. Same with conversation actually, she would go back to the beginning if she got stuck during a sentence. Repetitive questioning, the answer had to be so she fully understood.

 

At her 2nd birthday party - the video shows her aimlessly walking around non stop just looking at things and babbling to herself - there must of been around 10 other little ones there and didn't play with any (always preferred much older children and adult company).

 

Never joined in with other childrens games in playgrounds, would stand still if anyone was running round - didn't move out of the way (same now really). Hated lining up in the yard before school and at breaks - even now will always try to walk alongside rather than behind me if in a queue or trying to get through a narrow space, doesn't seem to be able to know when it's her 'turn' at anything.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited February 8, 2006 by jb1964

[Bullet]

Can I hijack this thread and ask a question please? I took Ds1 swimming today and due to a combination of events had to put him in a swim nappy on the way home (a clean, dry one). I had forgotten they are not waterproof and left him for his usual time for nappy changing. Of course, he was wet through, his jeans were wet through, he was cold and soaking. But had shown no reaction. I can understand this in a normal nappy that draws the liquid away, but he was definitely rather damp in the swim nappy 8). Does this sound like it could be connected to hyposensitivity?