Aspergers Checklist: Sensory Sensitivities

"Is it common for a child with Aspergers to be very picky about things, for example, will only eat certain foods ...will only wear certain clothes ...etc.?"

The short answer is 'yes'. What you're referring to here is called "sensory sensitivities," which refers to any abnormalities of the senses (i.e., sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste) a child with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism may have. The Aspergers child generally has difficulty in at least one of these areas, though the degree will vary from person to person. Some children may have difficulty in multiple - or even all - areas. 

For example, the child may perceive ordinary sensations as unbearably intense, in which case he will begin to anticipate these experiences, feeling anxious well before the experience occurs. It will be very important to determine if the response is due to sensory or behavioral (learned) difficulties. Often a behavior may initially stem from sensory difficulties, but then becomes a learned behavior (habit). How you address the behavior will depend on which it is.

Here is a sensory sensitivity checklist (the Aspergers child will not usually have all of these traits):

1. Has difficulty in visual areas:

• Engages in intense staring.
• Avoids eye contact.
• Stands too close to objects or people.
• Displays discomfort/anxiety when looking at certain pictures (e.g., the child feels as if the visual experience is closing in on him).

2. Has difficulty in auditory areas:

• Covers ears when certain sounds are made.
• Displays extreme fear when unexpected noises occur.
• Displays an inability to focus when surrounded by multiple sounds (e.g., shopping mall, airport, party).
• Purposely withdraws to avoid noises.
• Is fearful of the sounds particular objects make (e.g., vacuum, blender, DustBuster).

3. Has difficulty in olfactory areas:

• Finds some smells so overpowering or unpleasant that he becomes nauseated.
• Displays a strong olfactory memory.
• Can recognize smells before others.
• Needs to smell foods before eating them.
• Needs to smell materials before using them.

4. Has difficulty in tactile areas:

• Has difficulty when touched by others, even lightly (especially shoulders and head).
• Displays anxiety when touched unexpectedly.
• Complains of clothing feeling like sandpaper.
• Has difficulty accepting new clothing (including for change of seasons).
• Has difficulty with clothing seams or tags.
• Does not respond to temperature appropriately.
• Underreacts to pain.
• Overreacts to pain.
• Has difficulty using particular materials (e.g., glue, paint, clay).
• Complains of a small amount of wetness (e.g., from the water fountain, a small spill).

5. Has difficulty in gustatory areas:

• Makes limited food choices.
• Will only tolerate foods of a particular texture or color.
• Needs to touch foods before eating them.
• Displays unusual chewing and swallowing behaviors.
• Has rigidity issues tied in with limited food preferences (e.g., this is the food he always has, it is always this brand, and it is always prepared and presented in this way).
• Cannot allow foods to touch each other on the plate.
• Must eat each individual food in its entirety before the next.
• Has an easily activated gag/vomit reflex.

6. Engages in self-stimulatory behaviors (e.g., rocking, hand movements, facial grimaces).

7. Is oversensitive to environmental stimulation (e.g., changes in light, sound, smell, location of objects).

8. Is undersensitive to environmental stimulation (e.g., changes in light, sound, smell, location of objects).

The Aspergers Comprehensive Handbook