The Autism Friendly Life

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The Proprioceptive System Explained

What is The Proprioceptive System?

Another fundamental part of the sensory system is the proprioceptive system which is located in our ligaments, connective tissues, muscles and joints. This is the sense that detects and controls the amount of force and pressure we exert when moving around. The proprioceptive system is the only system necessary to develop body awareness. It is also the only sense that we experience before we are born since our first sensation is movement, which we experience inside of the womb!

The Importance of the Proprioceptive System:

There is a reason the proprioceptive system is also referred to as our hidden sixth sense. Proprioception is the internal sense that tells us where our body parts are at and what they should be doing, without having to look at them. If we had to consciously think about every physical movement we make during an average day, every time we got distracted we would fall down. Our internal body awareness sense relies on data gathered by receptors (called proprioceptors) in the skin, joints, muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues. The data is collected by detecting the pulling, stretching and pressure on the muscles and joints.

The information travels back to the brain through the central nervous system where it is processed, assigned meaning and stored in an unconscious area of the brain. This is how the unconscious area of the brain knows how much tension, pressure or stretching to apply as we move around during the day.

Proprioceptive Dysfunction Signs

We have covered that a normally functioning proprioceptive system allows us to move around freely without having to think about it. If the proprioceptive system is impaired life becomes more challenging, especially for children. The child has to make a conscious effort to both move around and sit still depending on what is being required of them. Often children struggling have a harder time mastering things we normally think twice about completing. This can cause a child t9 develop a short fuse and become frustrated easily.

There are three different areas a proprioceptive system can be impaired. Each of these different have different symptoms and interfere with life in different ways. Luckily, the way you treat and accommodate them are similar.

1.) Sensory Seeking

* Using too much force when trying to pick something up,

* Does not know how hard to press when writing- may often break pencils or tear through paper,

* Does not know their own strength- they may play too rough with others

* While sitting, they have to bounce or shake their leg

* Prefers tighter fitting clothing

* May be observed clenching jaw or biting inedible objects

* Feet stomping when walking around normally

*Bumps into things or people

2.) Poor Motor Planning/Control & Body Awareness

* Difficulty going up and down stairs

* Difficulty riding a bike

* Uncoordinated

* Seems unaware of their body

* Invades other peoples personal space

* Developmental delays with their fine motor skills

* Unable to gauge how hard to press when writing typically resulting in poor penmanship or tired crampy hands.

3.) Poor Postural Control

* May be observed slouching a lot

* Awkward gait

* Struggles with their balance

* Prefers sedentary activities

* Easily worn out

* Places head down on desk while writing

When the system isn’t working properly the brain cannot gauge how much tension, pressure or stretching is needed to go about different levels of activities in the day. If the brain cannot communicate how much tension or pressure is needed, then the child cannot apply the correct amount of force on things. Sometimes the force may be excessive which may lead to the child to accidentally breakthings. Other times the force may not be enough and your child will drop things and/or struggle with their fine motor skills.

Children with dysfunctional proprioceptive systems will typically begin engaging in self regulating behaviors such as crashing into things, excessive running, toe walking or flapping. These behaviors provide the child with the proprioceptive input that they are not getting throughout the day. There are much safer ways to help ensure your child gets the proprioceptive input that they are looking for.

Regulating Proprioception

Most people get the physical movement their proprioception system needs from their daily activities. Heavy work activities are anything that involves pulling, pushing, lifting heavy objects or any other tasks that involve providing heavy resistance and input to the muscles and joints. Heavy work is considered a sensory activity that helps jumpstart the child’s proprioception system ability to know where their body is at and what it should be doing.

Providing the child with heavy work activities each day can help reduce any symptoms associated with an un-regulated proprioceptive system. Heavy work activities can take place anywhere. Even bringing them to the grocery store and have them help push the cart and/or bend and lift the food into the cart. Taking the child to the park or asking them complete age appropriate chores around the house can provide them with the proprioception input they need.

Other ideas for proprioceptive input include:

* Bear hugs or being wrapped up tightly in a blanket

* Weighted vests or blankets (consult with a physician first because there is a formula involved that is based on weight to calculate just how much weight the child needs)

* Rolling around on the belly while doing push ups on top of an exercise ball.

* Yoga (improves flexibility, muscle strength and muscle and balance)

* Activities where your child has to locate body parts or be more conscientious of their body awareness. (Simon says, copying silly poses or dance moves, etc)

* Oral activities like chewy tubes or vibration sticks, sucking milkshakes or smoothies through a straw, blowing bubbles, etc)

Caregiver Advice:

It is important to always consult with a physician anytime you have concerns about your child. Whether or not your child is on the autism spectrum or just showing signs of an unregulated proprioceptive systems it is important to rule out any medical problems. Proprioceptive dysfunction can be caused by serious injuries and medical disorders that affect the sensory receptors either because they have signals misfiring or the brain is misinterpreting the signals. Proprioception loss can happen at any age and the risk of loss only increases as we get older due to a combination of medical issues and the natural age related changes to the body.

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The Vestibular System Explained

What Does the Vestibular System Do?

The vestibular system is not one of the five basic senses we learned about in school, but it’s the most fundamental. It is the first sensation a fetus experiences prior to birth. In order for the other systems to integrate properly, they depend on the vestibular system.

The vestibular system is the part of the sensory system that controls equilibrium, balance and coordination. It also plays an important role with the brains ability to develop auditory language processing skills.

While the research shows a clear connection between vestibular dysfunction and auditory processing, there is no scientifically proven reason as to what that connection may be.

The Vestibular System & Auditory Processing

The auditory and vestibular systems work together to process the sensations of sound and movement. This process first begins in the ear when introduced to auditory input. The ability to hear sounds is not something that can be learned, unless there is injury or illness-our hearing ability is assigned to us at birth. To put it simply, we either can hear or we cannot hear.

Auditory processing is different than hearing. While an individual may be able to hear sounds, that doesn’t mean they will be able to comprehend what they are hearing. The ability to comprehend what we hear is something that is learned. This comes over time as we learn and grow and our bodies start to integrate vestibular sensations from sounds that we hear. Auditory processing has nothing to do with hearing or intelligence. A person with auditory processing disorder can hear you, they can’t comprehend the words you are saying as quickly as the average person.

Over time, babies begin to purposefully interact with their environments. As they do this they learn to interpret the sounds they hear, and associate them with meaning. This is process is referred to as auditory processing and it has 3 subsystems.

1. Auditory Discrimination – The ability to differentiate between sounds.

2. Auditory Figure– Also known as ground disturbance, is the to discriminate between sounds in the background and foreground.

3. Language – The ability to use words, gestures, objects and symbols in a meaningful way to convey your ideas.

The Vestibular System & Speech and Language

Receptive language is the ability comprehend and retain the language you read or hear. Expressive language is the ability to use language in a meaningful way to express yourself through reading and writing. While speech and language are closely related, they are completely different.

Speech is the ability of the ability to produce sound. The skills necessary to do this are dependent upon the ability of the face muscles to produce speech. The vestibular system is influential in the motor control and planning systems that control these muscles. Language is based on communication and conversational skills as well as receptive and expressive language skills and this ability takes time to develop.

Symptoms of a Hyper or Hypoactive Vestibular System:

Difficulties with the vestibular processing system can negatively impact your child’s quality of everyday life. These children may appear unorganized, hyperactive, defiant, inattentive, impulsive, or anxious. Just like the other sensory systems dysfunction can present as hypo or hyper responsive. Recognizing and addressing concerns early in the game greatly increases the odds of overcoming long term difficulties.

Hypo-Responsive Symptoms:

* Prefer more sedentary activities

* Apprehension about climbing, swinging or other activities where there feet aren’t touching the ground

* Issues with balance, may experience frequent falls or injuries

* Appearing cautious when moving around

* Experienced difficulties with object permanence

* Frequently appearing like they are out of place or seeming confused in their surroundings

* Easily becoming dizzy or motion sick

* During infancy they may have became upset when placed on stomach for tummy time

* Bad posture- often slouching, prefers laying down.

Hyper-Responsive Symptoms:

* Never getting dizzy no matter how much spinning they may do

* Impulsively jumps, runs and climbs

* In their surroundings they have no sense of danger

* Difficulty sitting still

* Inattentiveness

* Enjoys rocking, spinning and twirling

* May be observed staring intently at moving objects (fans, spinning wheels on hot-wheels, etc)

* Enjoys swinging, playground equipment, activities requiring a lot of movement

Caretaker Advice

If you notice a combination of these symptoms in your child or are concerned that they may be having difficulties with their vestibular system, it’s important to speak with you pediatrician or occupational therapist. An occupational therapist can help you develop a treatment plan to best address your child’s specific needs.

In the mean time, there are many child-directed movement based activities that you can provide. It is best to keep these activities structured, because too much spinning or swinging activities can cause changes in heart rate or breathing and for some kids nausea or vomiting.

Overseeing your child’s vestibular activities is also important because if left self directed, your child is likely to be over active or not active enough. Over active and unsupervised little ones are much more prone to accidents and injuries. Children who aren’t active enough are more likely to experience a multitude of health problems. Helping your child self regulate with activities that provide them with the vestibular input they are seeking will help support healthy vestibular system development.

At Home Vestibular System Activities Examples:

* Cartwheels and somersaults

* Riding bikes

* Encouraging your child to lay on their stomach while they color or do a puzzle

* Climbing, running and hanging on playground equipment

* Hanging upside down

* Stair climbing

* Jumping on a trampoline

* Homemade crash pad-you can find a cheap (possibly free) and simple tutorial here:

DIY Crash Pad {An Easy No Sew Sensory Hack}

Homemade crash pad for kids: find out how to make a crash mat for kids using materials you likely have at home

* Jumping rope

* Wheelbarrow races- one person holds your child’s legs and the child uses their arms to move around.

* Gymnastics and swimming are also activities that are helpful for the development of the vestibular system

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The Olfactory System Explained:

What is the Olfactory System?

Just like the previous mentioned tactile, visual, gustatory and auditory systems, the olfactory system plays an important role in our sensory system. The olfactory system is responsible for our sense of smell.

How Does the Olfactory System Work?

The sensory receptors inside your nose gather data from the vast array of smells you encounter in your surroundings. Then the receptors share the data along a channel of nerves until the data finally reaches the brains emotional response center.

In humans, the olfactory system can differentiate thousands of variants of scents. Once the rectors use the data to label a certain smell, the brains emotional response center decides how we are going to react to it. For example, if the smell is white vinegar the emotional center may decide it is unpleasant and non edible. The olfactory system does more than just take in then process olfactory input. It also travels to the limbic system where memories and emotions are made. This is where you learn to associate different foods with different experiences. If we use then white vinegar again, a person may associate that smell back to childhood with their mothers homemade cleaning solution. If they hated the smell of the solution, they will have a disgusted emotion. If they associate the smell with their mother, they not mind the smell. It varies person to person. No two people are alike!

A Healthy Olfactory System

A child with a healthy olfactory system is able to tolerate smelling foods and other odors in his environment.  He can even tolerate the same unpleasant odors the average person can without extreme reactions.  A properly functioning olfactory system helps a child know the difference between “good” smells – pleasant, positive emotions as well as “bad” smells – like spoiled food, something they didn’t like in the past, or envoked negative memories.

Problems With the Olfactory System:

Hypersensitivity:

Children with olfactory sensory disorders may be hypersensitive (overly sensitive) to certain smells in their surrounding. They may begin to gag, become nauseated or even throw up when they encounter smells that people with healthy olfactory systems may not be bothered by at all.  They may pick up on and become distracted by smells that most people don’t even notice (e.g. the smell of the cleaner used on their desk the night before or the smell of the detergent one of their classmates clothes had been washed with recently.)

Children with hypersensitivity to smell tend to struggle when food is being prepped because they smell all these different flavors cooking at the same time. They may also have a hard time once dinner is in front of them with processing the smells of the food on their plates and then tasting the food. They don’t experience the positive emotions that certain smells invoke, which makes eating a battle.

It may take some trial and error for you to figure out the specific scents bother your child the most. Keeping a log when your child has a particularly strong negative response to olfactory stimuli, what the stimuli was, what was in it and any other observation or notes you may have in a spiral notebooks

An example of what you may include in the log:

Today Joey started gagging at the smell of the chicken I was cooking on the stove.

Ingredients: chicken, seasoned salt, pepper

Notes: Hasn’t negatively reacted in the past to the smell of unseasoned chicken so one of the two seasoning likely triggered the response.

This type of log can be extremely helpful if you end up utilizing therapy or other treatment options. It can also be helpful in the time spent into eliminating any medical problem.

Hyposensitivity:

Other children may have a decreased sensitivity to smells (Hyposensitivity). They go out of their way to find strong smells that give them that olfactory stimuli they are craving. They may also try to smell non food items (like glue, play dough, crayons, etc).

These children may not have the ability to differentiate between safe and dangerous smells which can lead to a variety of safety concerns. If they rely solely on expiration dates of food, they may unintentionally consume food after it spoils because they cannot smell the telltale signs of bad food. They may also be drawn to strong chemically smelling things like housecleaning supplies or gasoline.

Activities for Exploring the Olfactory System

There are a lot of activities you can do with your child to support their sensory needs that are fun and will make your little one feel like you’re spending quality time with them.

Cooking is a good example of what you can do with your children. It is a fun and helps them build important self care and life skills all while they are experimenting with different smells.

Another way to make your child more interested in participating in these activities is by planning any games or activities around what they are interested in. My daughter loves play dough but started getting tired of me frequently utilizing it to try to teach her things. So one day, I made four different colored batches of homemade play dough.

In each batch I added a single scent essential oil into my yellow, green, purple and pink doughs. I added lemon to the yellow, spearmint to the green, rose to the red and lavender to the purple. It was such a hit, I haven’t made play dough without adding the essential oils ever since.

If your little one isn’t a big fan of the play dough because of tactile sensitivities you could make your own scratch and sniff stickers. This blog teaches you step by step how that process is done https://damasklove.com/diy-printable-scratch-and-sniff-stickers/

A child with an olfactory system that is under responsive (hypo-sensitive) may benefit from a “smell this food then name it” game. Have them sit at a table with a blindfold and ask them to smell different types of food, drink, spices, etc and ask them to guess what it was they were smelling.

For younger kids the game can be adapted to asking the child to smell the food and the caregiver asks them to choose between 3 different predetermined options. Older kids may benefit more if you invite them to smell, describe what they are smelling or if they don’t know ask them if there are any other foods that have a similar odor before guessing.

You may also consider using an essential oil diffuser for small time increments each day or introduce your child to essential oil soaps and/or body washes. Both of these ideas of course should only continue if its positively benefiting your child’s entire sensory system and emotional well being. Remember never to force any activities on your child. It’s most likely going to be counterproductive.

Remember, stronger fragrances such as citrus, spearmint, peppermint, etc are typically going to make your child become alert. If you are wanting the experience to have a more calming on your child than softer scents like jasmine, rose, lavender, etc should do the trick.

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The Tactile System Explained

What is a tactile system?

The skin is the largest organ and is constantly receiving tactile input. The tactile system is a necessary part of the sensory system. The tactile sensory system is the technical term used for the awareness and reaction to the feeling of touch throughout the receptors in the skin. The fingertips and lips have sensitive nerve endings that attach to pacinian corpuscles and meissner corpuscles cells. These cells are responsible for feeling vibration and the sensation of light touch.These cells play a large role in how the tactile system interprets touch.

There are two levels to the tactile system:

1.) The first level is where the brain begins interpreting tactile input data gathered from receptors on the skin. The data gathered by the receptors enable the brains sorting proccess. The brain sorts where on the body the touch was experienced and what qualities the touch had (temperature, texture, pressure and other tactile qualities).

2.) The second level occurs after the data is gathered and sorted. The next process take place in the emotional center in the brain. The information they gathered and sorted is then labeled as a pleasant or unpleasant experience. Once labeled, it is then stored in the receptors memory to make the body react accordingly the next time the tactile input is experienced.

Tactile Defensiveness Vs Tactile Seeking:

Tactile defensiveness is when the tactile system is over responsive to tactile input. Individuals with tactile defensiveness may be extremely sensitive to light touch and actively try to avoid it.

Tactile seeking is when the tactile system is under responsive to tactile input. It presents with people who have extremely high pain tolerances and who are seemingly unaware of their body in relation to space.

Tactile Seeking & Defensive Symptoms:

Tactile Defensive:

Poorly reacts to unexpected or light touch

Certain textures are upsetting to them when they come in contact with their skin. (Like clothing fabrics or tags on clothes)

Becoming distressed, anxious or unregulated anxiety when engaging in messy play. Or has a constant need to keep hands and face clean.

Difficulties walking barefoot on sand, grass or carpet

Difficulties with wet tactile experiences such as getting hair or face wet, shampoo, lotion, etc

Shies away from touch

Struggles to adapt in crowded or noisy places

Frequently anxious and overwhelmed

Avoids touching new objects or textures

Tactile Seeking:

The desire to touch and feel everything around them

Poor balance and coordination

Struggles with their body awareness. They may regularly bump into things or people

Invasion of other peoples personal space

lack of self awareness when their face is messy from food

Not reacting to stimuli that should feel painful

Seeks out messy play

Excessive jumping, spinning, swinging, crashing, squishing and other similiar movements.

Untreated Tactile Disorders

Tactile Defensiveness:

Delayed fine motor skills

Rigid clothing preferences

Oppositional response to getting dressed, showering or teeth brushing

Impaired physical boundaries

Avoidance of tactile sensory activities needed to develop necessary skills

Tactile defensiveness is not easy to manage. The behaviors that develop from tactile avoidence can delay certain developmental milestones. With the proper tools and techniques, you can help your child learn to cope.

Tactile Seeking:

Unintentionally rough during play

Self-injurious behavior

Inability to register temperature changes

Always feels the need to make noise to the point of annoyance

Unaware of parent calling their name

Puts their ears up right up against things that make sound as if they cannot hear it

Advice For Caregivers:

If you are worried that your loved one is experiencing difficulties with their regulating their tactile system, have a conversation with their doctor about getting a referral to have an occupational therapy evaluation. Most parents assume the behaviors they are observing is something their child is going to grow out of or adapt to. I have first hand experience with tactile defensiveness. If I experience light touch at any point during my day I get angry and struggle for hours (sometimes) to regulate myself again. This is something that if dealt with when the tactile system is still developing that can be resolved in a relatively small amount of time.

The activities I am going to recommend next are not meant to be used as a stand alone treatment plan. They are simply ways you can support and encourage your child in learning to cope with their tactile stimuli challenges.

Tactile Defensiveness Activity Ideas:

Below I’ve put together a list of activities you can do with your child to support their tactile system development. My advice would be to start slowly and never force any tactile input that your child resists. If you find that your child has absolutely no tolerance to new tactile experiences, I would advise you to reach out to your family doctor about a referral for an occupational therapy evaluation.

1.) Bins filled with rice, sand, beans or popcorn kernels and colorful dollar tree toys, numbers or letters are a great way for your child to be introduced to dry textures, If your child doesn’t want to use their hands to play in the sensory bin than you can provide them with shovels and cups for playing.

2.) Putting shaving cream on a hard surface and having your child play or finger draw with it.

3.) Playdoh, slime, putty, finger painting

4.) Deep pressure touches like massages, joint compressions, bear hugs

5.) Having your child identify objects with their eyes closed (such as coins, keys, marbles, shapes)

Tactile Seeking Activity Ideas:

1.) Anything that involves jumping. Jumping on a trampoline or even jumping rope

2.) Swinging isn’t just for outside. There are compression swings that you can make or buy that are great vestibular and tactile input for a sensory seeking child.

3.) Weighted blankets or vests, body socks, compression sheets or clothes, carrying around a weighted stuffed animal

4.) Games with lots of movement like tag, red light, green light, hopscotch, homemade obstacle courses, etc

5.) Exercise ball- with adult supervision the child can bounce and roll around on the ball to provide the tactile and vestibular input they are seeking.

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The Visual System Explained

What is the Visual System?

The visual system is the part of our sensory system that is responsible for our sense of sight. This complex system starts a journey with light waves that enter your eyes, then a chemical signal is sent to the primary visual cortex-this is located in the occipital lobe of the brain. Once there, the signal is then processed and converted into images we see and perceive.

The issues with the visual sensory system referred to below have nothing to do with sight damage or other ophthalmic disorders. If you are concerned your child has visual processing issues, the first step is to get their eyesight evaluated to rule out the need for glasses or other interventions.

The Visual Sensory System is responsible for:

1.) visual processing and visual perception,

2.) eye movement control

3.) color, shape, light brightness and contrast, and movement.

The visual sensory system is extremely important for information gathering and learning. Visual sensory disorders can be the culprit behind struggles in school, speech and language difficulties and learning disabilities.

The visual and vestibular systems play an important role when working with and teaching children. Remember, you can always request your school district give your child an occupational therapy evaluation. Working with a qualified occupational therapist in the school setting can help the child improve their visual processing skills and learning abilities in school activities.

A Healthy Visual System

Vision works closely with all of the other senses in our sensory system. As children, when we see a dinner our mom made, we realize we are hungry because the sight of the food made us more aware of the smell of the food (olfactory system) and our mouths may have began to water imagining the taste (gustatory system)! Or if you are walking to the car alone late at night and you see a shadow of someone walking up behind you, you become aware of your surroundings and may develop goosebumps that developed from our tactile system.

Problems With Visual Processing

Even a unproblematic visual system works in a very intricate and complicated matter. There 8 subtypes of visual processing disorder and they can appear in any combination or independently.

Subtypes of Visual Processing

1.) Visual Discrimination

2.) Visual Memory, long and short term

3.) Visual Motor Processing

4.) Visual Sequential Memory

5.) Visual Spatial Processing

6.) Visual Figure Ground

7.) Visual Form Constancy

8.) Visual Closure

Listed below are signs that your student may be having issues with their visual processing skills. I’ve specifically chose to add things you’d observe in a school setting. However, this is no where near an exhaustive list of symptoms since everyone has a unique set of circumstances and may present differently from one person to the next.

Characteristics of Malfunctioning Visual Processing In School Environments:

* Difficulty with sports and physical education

* Falling asleep in class or struggling to sit still in class

* Squints or develops headaches from reading or copying from the board

* Nausea when trying to read or do homework in the car

* Poor math skills

* May complain of pain in eyes

* Difficulty memorizing spelling words,

* May struggle to retain or recall what they have read or watched

* Work performance is disorganized

* Difficulty with writing eye-hand coordination skills like letter spacing, letter reversal or out of order, or copying, sloppy writing for their current grade level when compared to peers.

* May show difficulty completing puzzles

* Unable to judge distances accurately, this can be displayed as bumping into things easily or trouble pouring liquids

* Difficulty with fine motor skills such as cutting, art work, tracing, etc.

Children showing signs that they are having difficulty processing visual information can exhibit a hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity. Hypersensitivity means the sensory system is over reacting to visual stimuli it’s taking in. Hypo-sensitive is when the sensory system is under reacting to he visual stimuli it’s taking in. They may present with some of the following characteristics.

Hypersensitive 

* Aversion to bright lights or colors

* Avoids eye contact

* Reoccurring nausea and headaches after reading or computer activities

* Frequently covers eyes

* Bumps into things

* Highly overwhelmed,easily anxious or other emotional behaviors

* Avoids group play activities

* Avoids crowds

Hyposensitive

* Spaces out

* Stares at objects or light

* Looks unusually close at objects, or out of the side of their eyes

* Enjoys bright colors

* Engages in excessive movement when reading or doing schoolwork, self soothing by increasing their vestibular stimulation

Home Based Activities To Help With Visual System Differences:

* If struggling with headaches or eye pain, limit reading and time spent watching TV at night

* Keep areas clear of clutter

* Choose either calming or stimulating colors, based on desired response from child

* Choose natural light when possible and avoid fluorescent lighting

* Encourage your child to stimulate their vestibular system by engaging in activities such as rocking, swinging, hanging upside down, etc.

* Encourage your child’s proper posture during all activities

* Help ensure your child is understanding, comprehending and retaining the learning materials

* Use large lettering

* Play fun physical games with your child like homemade obstacle courses, scavenger hunts, hide and seek, etc

* Other fun activities for you to do with your child include building a model using Lego’s, cooking with instructions, tracing, origami, etc

Advice To Caregivers:

As mentioned above, ruling out vision loss or damage is the first step before addressing any visual processing related to the sensory system. The next logical step is an occupational therapist to help you come up with case specific activities you can do with your child to best support them. When doing the activities with your child, keep it light and fun. If it loses its fun factor the child won’t want to participate and even if they still do, progress will likely stop.

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The Auditory System Explained

What is the Auditory System?

The auditory system is a part of the sensory system that is responsible for our sense of hearing. The auditory system and the vestibular system work closely together to control balance, coordination and movement.

There are two components of the auditory system:

1.) The first component of our auditory system to develop is called the defensive component. Newborns get startled when they hear loud noises. Over time, our brains learn that not all loud sounds are threats. This knowledge is a precursor for the future development of comprehension skills. Truly understanding the meaning of the sounds that we help our sensory systems to become fully integrated.

2.) The second component of our auditory systems is discrimination. Auditory discrimination allows us to comprehend more details about what we hear such as sound location, ability to filter out background noise, associating sounds with prior experiences and remembering verbal instructions.

When the two auditory system components are functioning properly, our bodies react appropriately to auditory input we encounter in our surroundings. However, if the two systems are not working well together, our brains misfire and interfere with our ability to regulate our reactions. Malfunctioning auditory system components reduce our ability to fulfill even daily living functions and untreated will negatively impact our standard of living.

Auditory Processing Disorder:

As discussed above, when the components of the auditory system are not working properly, the next step is to consider consulting with a physician. Advocating your desire to get your loved evaluated for auditory processing disorder (APD). APD is the medical terminology used when referring to the brain struggling to comprehend speech or increasing or reducing how we percieve what we hear.

APD can impact individuals at any age and presents differently from one person to another. It is also important to note that APD has nothing to do with intelligence or the ability to hear sound. No matter how loud a person speaks, the individual with APD will sometimes have difficulty understanding what they are being told. They often need extra time to process what they hear.

In general, we can over respond, under respond or seek out auditory input:

Over responsiveness to auditory input will result in a person wanting to avoid hearing loud noises. It also results in the person becoming distracted easily by noises in their surroundings.

Under responsiveness to auditory input presents itself as a general lack of awareness to sounds that other people are aware of. They consistently do not hear their name being called. They often ask for things to be repeated and struggle to remember verbal instructions

For the individuals who seek out auditory input, it presents with the person speaking at a much higher volume than those around them no matter what environment they are in. They love noisy environments, loud music or having their volume high on the TV.

Symptoms of Auditory Processing Disorder:

Auditory Processing Disorder presents differently from person to person.  Many of these symptoms overlap with symptoms associated with other disorders, such as ADD/ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder and speech and/or language disorders.  Only about three to four percent of people are diagnosed with APD. Due to it being relatively rare, APD is not fully understood. What is known, people with an APD diagnosis often appear to have a combination of multiple symptoms.

Some of the most frequently reported symptoms of APD include:

Significant difficulty understanding speech, appearing predominately when paired in a setting with background noise

Difficulty following verbal multi-step instructions

Easily distracted

Difficulty staying on task in settings where required to listen to someone speak for long periods of time without a break

Difficulty comprehending and remembering information they receive verbally

Consistently performs below grade level in reading, writing and spelling

Trouble following abstract thoughts or ideas

Misunderstanding of jokes, idioms, and figurative language

Advice For Caregivers:

First and foremost, be patient and understanding. Always try to keep in mind that their responses are directly related to the traffic controller in their brain. Their responses to auditory input can sometimes come across as difficult behavior or poor listening skills. They just have a difficult time processing what they hear.

Noise cancelling headphones or ear plugs are extremely helpful for children (and maybe adults) who are going to be loud environments.

A person with APD is going to need extra time between instructions as well as a small break before you repeat any verbal instructions to avoid a sensory overload.

Reducing sound distractions in environments where they need to stay on task and focused.

Continue teaching coping skills and support their overall sensory regulation and mental wellness each day.

Ideas that are specific to those struggling with over responsiveness, under responsiveness and someone auditory seeking:

Over Responsive:

Always try to prepare your child in advance whenever they will be in loud environments or will be experiencing sudden loud noises such as fireworks or even a loud flushing toilet at a store.

Under Responsive:

Try to fill in whatever gaps they may experience from verbal auditory input by providing them with a written or verbal copy.

Auditory Seeking:

For those seeking auditory input, encouraging them to play an instrument or listen to music while they are doing their homework can help give them the auditory stimuli they are after.

How is it Tested?

Due to the complex factors associated with APD, there are several testing criteria that is REQUIRED before the child is eligible for testing.

A child must:

Be at least 7 years old

Have normal hearing

Normal speech and language skills

Not have an intellectual disability

In addition, there are some co-occurring conditions that prevent a child from qualifying for testing.

Common reasons that a child may not be eligible for APD testing include:

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Down Syndrome

Developmental delays

Below average IQ level

Significant speech/language disorders, such as apraxia of speech, stuttering, etc.

Hearing loss

The diagnostic procedure for APD requires a very comprehensive review of the child’s past medical, educational, and developmental history. The test is several hours long, and the child is required to participate in listening test that assess different areas of their auditory system. Since the test is so in depth. the results typically are not available that day. The physician has to score the assessments, review the history and whatever notes they took during their interaction with your child.

My youngest daughter has been diagnosed with APD and our particular diagnostic process was a three-appointment ordeal. Each appointment lasted about 3 1/2 hours. The audiologist wanted to screen my daughters hearing, do a physical exam, send assessments home for teachers and caregivers and then perform the in-person assessment.

In our experience, there was a two weeklong wait before we had our follow up appointment. The wait was worth it. We received a very detailed report of what the diagnosis was, how she met the criteria and how teachers and parents can encourage the development of the auditory system moving forward. It was such a thorough and informative appointment and we left there with a game plan on how to support her in the most beneficial way.

Students who struggle with auditory processing can have difficulty with speech and language development and conversational skills. Since the auditory and vestibular systems are so closely related, incorporating movement into their everyday activities can encourage the development of their language skills.

How is it Treated?

Auditory Processing Disorder is not something to treat without the help from an audiologist. Depending on your families’ particular circumstances, the audiologist will come up with a customized treatment plan. If you think that your loved one may be struggling with symptoms of APD it is important to have them evaluated. If they indeed are diagnosed with APD, the diagnosis will be extremely important and beneficial to their education.

Since APD is considered a learning disability, it would qualify your child for an individualized education plan (IEP). An IEP is your tool to advocate for your child’s needs so they can qualify for and receive proper accommodations. The accommodations vary but some examples include extra test taking time, written and visual instructions to coincide with verbal instructions and if appropriate an IEP may significantly decrease the amount of work sent home with them.

Is there a cure for APD?

The answer to this question is a bit controversial. The areas of the brain that are responsible for auditory processing abilities continue developing until around thirteen years old. That is the average age the auditory system is considered to be mature. Due to the gradual rate of development, children diagnosed before their auditory system had finished maturing could “grow out of it.” Especially if they were receiving therapy and other services from a young age to improve their auditory processing skills.

For these reasons, it is recommended that children diagnosed with APD before age 13 be re-tested every 1-2 years until after their 13th birthday to monitor for any changes or improvements with their auditory processing skills. It may seem like an inconvenience, and you may wonder what the point would be to keep testing them instead of just waiting for the child’s auditory processing skills to improve?

Ever heard of the phrase early intervention? That definitely applies in this situation. The sooner they get diagnosed the sooner they can start learning coping skills, utilizing accommodations for their education and participating in therapy and other resources. There is no number of inconveniences that I would not happily endure to make sure my child is best set up for their future. It definitely is NOT a waste of time.

[autismfriendly]

The Gustatory System Explained

What is the Gustatory System & How does the it work?

The gustatory system is a part of the sensory system that enables you to be aware of chemical composition and flavors of foods. In other words, it’s responsible for your sense of taste.

Our gustatory sense is meant to keep us safe from ingesting things that are toxic, spoiled, or inedible. It plays a very important role in eating and drinking and works closely with our sense of smell. We use both senses to identify the foods we eat by relying on texture, temperature, and sense of smell.

The Tongue

When food goes into the mouth it comes into contact with the tongue. The saliva begins to break down the food even before you begin chewing. Your tongue is covered with little bumps called papillae. Each papilla has a little fluid-filled hole in the top and inside contain your taste buds. Most papillae have 3-5 taste buds, but some types of papillae have several thousand taste buds inside.

Taste buds are bud-shaped structures made up of 10-50 gustatory (taste sensing) cells. Each cell has receptors that connect with the chemical structure of the food ingredients. Once connected it activates a nerve impulse that enables you to differentiate the way different ingredients taste.

The five chemical structures that your taste cells can detect are:

• Sweet

• Salty

• Sour

• Bitter

• Savory (Unami)

The buds also contain nerve cells that detect pain and heat. These cells are responsible for the pain sensation triggered by eating something hot or spicy.

Some of these nerve cells have glucose receptors which the brain perceives as sweet cells.

Glucose in foods that are sweet connect with the glucose receptors and send a signal to the brain to perceive as sweet.

The Brain

The nerve signals carrying the taste signals travel along the cranial nerves on their way to the gustatory cortex. Food that has a combination of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savory will signal the taste combination to the brainstem for it to differentiate between. These signals are called the gustatory signals.

Gustatory signals travel first to your brainstem where your unconscious reactions are located. If the brain perceives the food as too intense or unpleasant, there may be an intense sense of nausea or rejection of the food by vomiting.

Your brainstem also contains the amygdala. The amygdala is in charge of the emotional memory and reaction. If you eat some cookies that remind you of the cookies your grandmother used to bake- it will evoke powerful memories of love and the feeling of being nurtured.

On the other hand, if the cookies have a taste that remind you of the cookies served at your grandmother’s funeral- it will evoke memories of loss and sadness no matter how objectively delicious they may taste.

Symptoms of Gustatory Hyper or Hyposensitivity

Hypersensitivity Symptoms:

• Picky eater

• Anxiety when presented with new food

• Hesitant to try new foods

• May gag or vomit with certain textures of food.

• Limited variety of acceptable food tastes, textures or temperatures.

• Strongly dislikes the feeling of brushing teeth. May also complain about the taste of the toothpaste.

• Usually prefers a bland diet

• Avoidance of crunchy chewy or resistant foods.

Hyposensitivity Symptoms:

• May prefer food either very hot or very cold.

• Prefers heavily seasoned foods or lots of condiments

• Loves visiting the dentist, using vibrating toothbrushes when brushing teeth and strong toothpaste flavors.

• Experiences episodes of heavy drooling

• During the first five years they may lick, mouth or chew inedible objects like clothing, toys, hands or objects found on the ground.

• Older kids may enjoy gum, hard candies and other things that they can chew that provide them with strong gustatory input

• May be observed chewing on pencil erasers or ice

• They may not notice spiciness of foods or when the foods temperature is too hot.

• Prefers crunchy, chewy or other resistant foods

Activities To Help a  Hyper or Hypoactive Gustatory System:

• There are different tools that can be used to provide oral input. Chew tubes, chewlery and chewy pencil toppers are things that your child can safely chew on and have frequent access to. These provide them with the oral input they need and discourage them from doing things like chewing on their shirts.

• Drinking thick liquids such as smoothies, yogurt, or milkshakes through a straw.

• Providing their daily water with a water bottle and straw.

• Whistles, blowing up balloons, blowing bubbles, harmonica or games like using a straw to blow cotton balls across a table are all fun ways for your child to develop their gustatory system.

• Try gum or hard candies with strong flavors. If the child cannot safely consume gum or hard candies, suckers or popsicles are great alternatives. Also giving them crunchy, chewy or other resistant foods throughout the day such as granola, carrots, celery, jerky, etc

Advice For Caregivers:

It is important to consult with your physician if you suspect your child may be showing symptoms of a hyper or hypo active gustatory system. Sometimes taste disorders may be caused by certain medical disorders like respiratory infections, allergies, medications or dental hygiene issues. It is important to first eliminate medical factors before treating it as a sensory taste disorder.

Consulting with an occupational therapist can be helpful in understanding and properly treating your child’s specific needs. Children who have an over or under responsive gustatory system may develop unhealthy behaviors or habits that can potentially damage their teeth or health. (i.e restricted diets, chewing on certain inedible objects, placing things in their mouth they can choke on, etc).

An occupational therapist can help you develop the right sensory diet to ensure your child is getting the appropriate oral input which will help your child’s health gustatory system development. Some occupational therapy clinics may also offer feeding therapy. Feeding therapy can greatly expand the food repertoire your child is willing to consume and lower any adverse behaviors or reactions and need for oral input