Every human has a particular response to sensory information. Some are hypo sensitive, meaning they find it difficult to engage with most senses, especially when the senses are assaulted by an onslaught of information. A busy mall, for example, could send a hyposensitive person into a panic attack or a melt down.  Other people may be hypersensitive and quite willing and able to handle all sorts of sensations, in fact, the more the better. And then there’s the mixed group that craves some sensations and avoids others. I’m in the later group. I crave extremes in temperature (nothing beats jumping in a freezing pool and then lying on a hot pavement), slight shocking sensations (think- licking a 9 volt battery or chewing tinfoil into a filling) and very deep tissue massages (the kind that can make a muscle man screech). I also like to walk hard, ride bouncy horses and the feeling of a ball against a racket or bat. It would seem somewhat logical to think if I could handle those rough sensations, I could surely handle lighter sensations. After all, rough things are tougher on the core than are small tiny things. Wrong. A blouse’s tag against the back of my neck, a tiny taste of slimy okra, a sniff of flowery perfume, a certain blend of polyester sliding across my arm- oh no thank you! I swear, when these sorts of sensations hit my system, I feel like my skin will crawl off my bones just to find relief. It’s easy for me to explain which senses are horrid and easier still to stay away from them, but I’m an adult and have learned a lot about myself in all my 50+ decades. I’m afraid dealing with sensory information isn’t nearly as easy for children and young adults, and even for some my own age and older.

Sensory integration refers to the central peripheral nervous system’s ability to receive and process information. It’s a complex scenario that can baffle parents and people affected by it. It is also a frustrating system because just as one discovers how to handle one sensation, another bit of sensory information can come cascading in and cause a whole different and unexpected response. Figuring out one’s every sensory need and every negative trigger really can be next to impossible. Thankfully there are lots of resources that can provide good ideas for dealing with sensory integration. Listed below are several such organizations.

If Asperger syndrome or autism is part of a diagnosis, I can almost guarantee there will be a sensory integration dysfunction component at play, as well. Learn what you can about sensory integration, but learn with caution. Before you begin your own at-home program, it is always best to have the advise of a professional in the field who can evaluate the person in need and suggest some good starting supports. This isn’t something one should experiment willy-nilly. Get advice, get an evaluation, read all you can, and go slowly when adding sensory integration supports.

The state or regional Occupational Therapy Association

Sensory Integration International (SII)/The Ayres Clinic
Mail: P.O. Box 5239, Torrance, CA 90501-5339
Phone: 1-310-320-2335
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.sensoryint.com

American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA)
Location: 4720 Montgomery Lane, Beheads, MD
Mail: P.O. Box 31220, Beheads, MD 20824-1220
Phone: 1-301-652-AOTA or (800) 668-8255
Web site: www.aota.org

#sensoryintegrationdysfunction #SID #occupationaltherapy

Smooth sailing is an idiom linking back to the 1300s when boats were our best promise for safe passage through calm waters. It’s a nice idiom and an even better message. If only it were a decree we could enforce with the blink of an eye. As a frequent traveler on train above ground and below, in plane, on ship or laid out in the backseat of a car, I can blink but one reality- travel will inevitably hit a sink hole you won’t escape from injury free. I don’t know why this has to be such a hard line fact. Sure, logistics requires executive functioning skills my AS keeps from me, but surely someone somewhere in all the mass travel worlds does poses logistic sense.

Then again, maybe not.

I’m just back from a trip down south. When I made my airline ticket, I fully expected my 5 hours scheduled for traveling to turn into, oh, say about 7 hours give or take an hour. Things happen. Weather curses the skies. Parts of planes often need a repair. Flight crews can easily be delayed. I get it. I even fully understand the fact my 5-7 hour trip turned into a 20-hour journey. What I cannot and never will understand is why travel blips have to turn into an utter frenzy colored with chaos and sink holes.

Thankfully, my daughter was with me when the first blip in my travel plans popped up. Bad weather was derailing my take off time, meaning I’d miss my connecting flight to home. Seeing me fail in my attempts to find a new way home, Daughter took the lead. She is a savvy logistics thinker and a heavy handed negotiator who, by the grace of her tenacity and protective nature toward her mom, was able to negotiate new flight plans for me. Mind you, the plan wasn’t full proof and in fact, my daughter did predict half of the plans the airline made for me, would in fact, not happen. She told me what I could and could not expect to find during the travel and even though I was warned and given a list of things to do, “just in case”, I nearly broke down every time her foreshadowing came true maybe because I’m an Aspie who sets her mind to a path come hell or high water, or maybe because I’m a beyond middle aged female traveling with personal safety worries thrown in the mix. Whatever the reason(s), I can tell you this, no matter how much my daughter prepared me for the inevitable mix ups, no matter how hard I tried to stay calm and collected, no matter how many times this sort of thing has happened to me in the past, I barely kept my calm during the whole ordeal.

If it weren't for my Ipad to surf the web and play some silly games, and my IPod to play some soothing sounds, and my IPhone to keep me connected to my family, I would have lost my calm and gone straight to security to ask for serious help. Either that, or I would have stuffed my face with more *Cinnabons than an elephant could down.

What’s the lesson? Carry at least one thing to help you forget the stress of your travels, a book, an electronic devise, etc. Plan ahead for the worst, but expect unforeseen difficulties that may trump any worst-case scenario you can imagine. Know the hotels near the airport in case you have to stay overnight or call the airport ahead of time and ask if they have safe areas in which you can park yourself until your travel resumes. Bring a healthy snack to keep you from stress eating, a condition that will only make you groggier and more uncomfortable. Keep your electronics charged or get an extra battery charger just in case you need it. Carry your “I have autism” card with you and don’t be afraid to show it and add that you are protected under whatever law your country offers for people with disabilities. Yep, I know we aren’t supposed to say we are disabled, but when I travel, I am in fact, emotionally disabled when I’m under too much stress. Protect yourself as best you can and please do check out my book, Safety Skills for Females with Asperger Syndrome- there are more than a few ideas for staying safe while traveling. Redefine “Smooth sailing” to mean “I’ll get to my destination, someday” and then give a silent shout out to the rest of us Aspies, as a reminder you won’t be the first of our kind or the last to curse the course of your path. And finally, do go straight to security if you find yourself breaking to bits. There is no shame in asking for help, in fact, it is often the smartest thing you can do!

*Cinnabons: lovely, gooey cinnamon rolls sold in all kinds of sizes at most US airport fast food courts.

#safety #travel #meltdown