Sensory intregration study | Autism PDD

I have always attributed it to his need for 'sameness' ... we have a ritual for just about everything we do, and seeing certain things everyday at the same time is one of them.  I always assumed "this is just the way he does things" and if we miss it (or god forbid change the order), it puts him "off" for quite some time (sometimes all day).  He doesn't do any visual stimming or anything like that, so I always considered this to be his way regulating himself, do you know what I mean?  It sounds like it's kind of the same thing for Jeffrey....that need for sameness, as far as I've experienced it, is definitely a sensory thing....because I don't know WHAT he gets out of it.  Example, it's not like we spend hours looking at the creek or that there's some big revelation!  ...he just sees it, looks to the left, sees the bridge, and off we go...life is good.

You are right about one thing....it sure makes it hard to do things!  (he'll be a great navigator some day!)

Can't wait to hear other takes on this...
~Lesley

For my DS his vision sensory issues comes in the form of not being able to handle sun light, not liking the dark (he needs to be able to see a certain amount of light).  For others I think it may also include having to see certain colors.  Not sure if the landmark falls into that catagory or not, I would think it would fall more into a ritualistic behavior and not a sensory thing (for example kids that must see colors can see anything that color it doesn't have to be the same thing or in the same order)  We think that the combination of the sound of fireworks and the lights of them is too much for him to handle (and hence why he spent the night once again with his head under a blanket despite ear plugs.. we are going for full blown noise blockers for next year).

My son has other sensory issues as well and the school pans to do an OT evaluation for a sensory diet on him at the start of school (basically feeding his sensory stuff to help him deal with the stress fo school and not getting his way all the time).  He has had problems with hair washing, hair cuts, hair brushing, tags in clothes, lights, hairdryers (sound and air combined bothers him), going under water and a few more.  Many of them we have been able to work through like all the hair stuff, some tags, going underwater, and the sunlight does not bother him hardly at all.

Does this study cover sight related issues?   For example Jeffrey has to see his landmarks everyday.  Which makes it real hard to do things.  His social worker wants to do a social intregration study.  So what is the difference between an obsessive like quality and a sensory issue ie sight issue?  Or is it hard to tell?  I find this very interesting.  I just never knew that sight related issues would fall under sensory issues.

Feedback please!!!!

Tammy

Tammy,

I think i found something.  On this website it (it's a aspergers website) is talking about sensory integration dysfunction and in the list of things....one of them is

STARING OR FIXIATING ON PATTERNS OR OBJECTS.

http://www.as-if.org.uk/perception.htm

Anyway so far that is what I have found.  Still looking

Karrie

Oh Cyndie that's funny!  It's a small (internet) world afterall!

Yes Tammy it's yahoo (sorry)...and I did pose the question to the OT that Cyndie is talking about...it's peaked my curiousity so I thought I'd give it a try.

Tammy

Oh god..I'm sorry to hear that...I've been planted in front of MSNBC for the last 2 hours.  I hope she's OK...so awful that this happened again.
We'll be thinking of you.
~Lesley

Thank you.  Just heard the security level was raised for subways and rails here.  Okay, Jeffrey has been wanting to ride on light rail.  Don't think I want to do that today.  And the train here does go out to the airport.   But they won't raise the security level on the airlines.  Oh well have to make sure Jeffrey understands today is not the day to ride the train.