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How to Create a Sensory Safe Haven for Your Child


Every child deserves a safe haven. In many cases, this is not possible for children with sensory processing disorder (SPD). It's no secret that parenting is hard, and when you have a child who struggles with sensory sensitivities, it can be even more challenging.

They may find themselves overstimulated by the world around them and incapable of coping. This can lead to anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts in some cases. The solution? Create a sensory safe-haven!

Here are some tips on how to do just that!

Identify your child's sensory needs.

Every child is different. Some may need to be held, while others will require a darkened room with no noise. Without being able to identify your child's sensory needs, you cannot create their safe haven!

This can also help professionals who are working on treating the disorder as well. By identifying what works best for your children, therapists can find an effective treatment regimen that incorporates these factors into therapy sessions and activities at home!

Scents- Use scented cleaning supplies or aromatherapy candles throughout the house. 

Sounds- Keep white noise playing in every room of the house, so there is never silence and remember to remove unnecessary noise in the child's room. 

For example, if your children's air conditioner makes too much noise, replace it with a newer and cheaper window air conditioner with a lower decibel level. 

Touch- Have soft blankets available at all times for embracing but avoid things like scratchy, which might irritate them.

Lights- Keep lighting bright and avoid dark spaces or rooms that can be too dim. Remember to keep the lights on when they are sleeping at night! 

Hang up some curtains to create more privacy for your child.

Children with sensory disorders often struggle to communicate. This is especially true in cases of SPD where the child has difficulty communicating their needs and wants.

Hanging up some curtains can do wonders for your children's ability to feel more safe and secure while still allowing them a sense of independence.

Make your child's bedroom as calming and comfortable as possible.

This is where the magic will happen. Make sure to find a space in your home that your child can call their own. Don't forget about comfort! Having a sensory safe haven is pointless if your children can't feel comfortable in their own homes. 

You can let your child feel safe and secure by funding the space with an investment for kids. There are a number of these plans available on the market. Consider making the following alterations for a calmer space:    

-A calming color palette throughout the bedroom with lots of soft textures like blankets or pillows on the bed.        

-Scented candles for aromatherapy purposes since smells are so important when it comes to sensory processing disorder.     

-Removable dim lights are installed overhead every few feet around the walls.         

Soft music playing from speakers instead of earbuds or headphones causes tension for children with SPD.

Change the colors of the room to be soothing and relaxing at night. 

Children with sensory processing disorders often struggle to sleep, especially if the room is too bright or their bedding is itchy and uncomfortable.

It can also help your child get a better sense of how they are feeling in that moment which will be beneficial for therapy!

Make sure to have noise-canceling earphones on hand so when you need them most, such as when taking an airplane trip, they'll be there waiting for you.

Add a ceiling fan for white noise.

While it may not be apparent to you, this simple addition can help your child feel more secure and safe in their own space, making everyone happier!

Ensure that the blades are close enough together, so there is no risk of them getting their fingers stuck between the fans. 

This will ensure safety while also helping to create an atmosphere where they won't get distracted by outside sounds.         

Remember, safety first! If you aren't comfortable installing one yourself or don't know how to call a professional to do it right. 

This way, you can rest easy knowing your kids are as protected as possible against anything bad happening through the use of the fan.        

Put up shelves with books, toys, or other items that your child enjoys having on hand.

Having something to do will help the child feel safe and secure while also protecting them from boredom which can be dangerous when you are stuck in one place for too long!    

Make sure that whatever items your child is allowed access to have no small components or removable parts. If there's a choking hazard, it doesn't belong up high where they can reach it!          

While most children with sensory disorders benefit significantly from an ergonomic design, this is especially obvious when you're trying to create a special space just for them alone.

Ensure their bedding has large enough gaps between the fabric, so nothing feels uncomfortable against their skin. Every little thing plays into how comfortable they'll be in their sanctuary!

Invest in a humidifier to make the air feel less dry during cold winter months.

If the air feels thicker and more humid will make it easier for your child to breathe. It can be challenging in the winter months when there's less moisture.

If you don't have a fireplace or woodstove, try investing in a portable one so that you can easily place them wherever they are most comfortable!      

There may not seem like much, but these simple additions could drastically improve their quality of life, from having fewer meltdowns at home all year round to sleeping better through those long nights of illness.          

Another reason why keeping things as clean as possible around this age group is incredibly important is that children are beginning to crawl and explore their surroundings more on their own.

Something as simple as bumping into or rubbing up against an object covered in dirt can be dangerous if they touch their eyes, nose, or mouth after it.

Conclusion

Creating this safe haven for your children does not require much work at all but can make such a big difference in their lives! 

Let us know what works best for you, and we'd love to hear about any experiences you've had creating these havens for your kids.

Tics in Teenagers on the Autism Spectrum

"My son is 16 years old and has developed a severe tic. He shakes his head and moves his shoulder up and makes a grunting noise. This has only happened in the last few weeks. Could this be stress due to us having to move to another city in  few months [he will be changing schools]?? He is becoming extremely anxious about it as everyone notices it!"
 
 
ASD  (high-functioning autism) can have many complications such as tics. Tics are rapid sudden movements of muscles in your body, or tics can be sounds. Both kinds of tics are very hard to control and can be heard or seen by others. However, some tics are invisible (e.g., toe crunching or building up tension in your muscles).

Simple tics involve just one group of muscles and are usually short, sudden and brief movements (e.g., twitching the eyes or mouth movements). Some simple tics can be head shaking, eye blinking or lip biting. Simple vocal tics can be throat clearing, coughing or sniffing. 
 

Complex tics involve more than one muscle group and are longer movement, which seem more complex (e.g., jumping, hoping, touching people, hitting yourself or pulling clothes). Other complex vocal tics can be repeating words of others or yourself all the time, or repeating out loud what you have read.

Tics may increase as a result of negative emotions (e.g., stress, tiredness or anxiety), but positive emotions as well (e.g., excitement or anticipation). These emotions are often experienced in those diagnosed with ASD. Therefore, tics in kids and teens with autistic disorders can be more common. A strong urge can be felt before the tics appear. 
 
With intensive therapy, these urges can be suppressed. When tics or urges to have tics are suppressed, there can be a build-up of other tensions - or even stress. Often when the tic is gone, those who suffer from it feel a sense of relief.

Whenever kids with ASD focus their energy on something else (e.g., computer games or watching TV), their tics tend to decrease due to the resultant relaxation effect.

My 8 year old grandson with autism has several simple tics and a few complex ones. His tics appear mainly in his face and are very visible to others. He twitches his mouth and eyes all the time. He bites his lips in various ways so the skin around it is always red and irritated. 
 
Even though he feels the urge to do so, he seems unable to control the movements. He is in tic therapy for this, and as a grandfather, it is painful to see this expression of anxiety or stress in your own grandson.

Bottom line: Try not to worry about it too much. It will go away once the child grows older or is able to express his feelings in another way. Most kids with tics will be "tic free" sooner than later. 
 
Share with your teenager:

Putting a Positive Spin on Your Negativity: Tips for Teens on the Autism Spectrum


 
Resources for parents of children and teens on the autism spectrum:
 

==> Videos for Parents of Children and Teens with ASD
 
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Problems with "Sensory Overload" in Children on the Autism Spectrum

Question

My children (3 teens---2 still at home--plus a 3-yr-old) all have ASD (level 1). They have the disability as well as dealing with others (including one parent) who also have ASD. As a result, people are oversensitive to sensory input and comments and, of course, go from 0 to 100 in seconds. I have a great deal of difficulty heading off the mood escalations and defusing the situation once it has started. I need any suggestions for quicker resolution, etc. that will help us function more effectively.

Answer

Children with sensory issues can be taught to understand how they are “wired” and adjust to the blended flood of incoming sensory messages that is their norm. Learning to understand their triggers will help them cope. For some, the labels on their shirts or itchy socks may overwhelm their senses and shut down their ability to listen to parents. Becoming aware of the irritation will enable them to remove the cause, and then better process auditory messages.

Providing a less stimulating environment is the key to helping these children. Many ASD (high-functioning autistic) children outgrow their sensory-overload issues. By adolescence, many of the symptoms are better managed as the child learns coping skills. Helping the child identify his overwhelming sensations and providing quiet spaces can speed the process of understanding his own triggers and enable him to be more functional and better adjusted. 
 

Sensory overload is when autistic youngsters are faced with so much sensory stimuli that they can't process it all, and they then find a way of dealing with that situation that - to them - seems out of control. 
 
For example, if you have your child at the mall and people are coming up to tell you how cute he is and there is background music playing, then you may have a youngster that begins to throw a tantrum – and to you it may seem like there was absolutely no reason for it. But for a child on the spectrum, such a situation is more than he can take. It is too much information for him to try to process, and he breaks down.

As ASD kids with sensory issues get older, they will outgrow some of these problems on their own. Other kids will require the help of Occupational Therapists, and still others will have sensory problems with them for a life time.

The cause of Sensory Integration Dysfunction (the formal term for sensory problems) is not yet known. Kids who have other disabilities - and kids who were born extremely premature - are more likely to have Sensory Integration Dysfunction, but it is also known to be a condition that some otherwise healthy kids have.

Because of the mystery that surrounds this condition (and the limited information), most people aren't accepting or understanding of children who have this problem. Therefore, if you find that your youngster has this condition, you should find a great therapist and have them give you information to share with your youngster's school and other family members so that they are better prepared to help him or her.
 
 


 
Resources for parents of children and teens on the autism spectrum:
 

==> Videos for Parents of Children and Teens with ASD
 
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Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Associated Relationship Problems

"Is it common for children with ASD to have a great deal of difficulty relating to their peers in a proper manner? My son tends to burn bridges (so to speak) rather quickly with his friends."
 
ASD level 1 (high-functioning autism) often leads to problems in social interaction with peers. These problems can be severe or mild depending on the individual. Kids with ASD are often the target of bullying at school due to their idiosyncratic behavior, precise language, unusual interests, and impaired ability to perceive and respond in socially expected ways to nonverbal cues, particularly in interpersonal conflict. 
 
Kids on the autism spectrum may be overly literal, and may have difficulty interpreting and responding to sarcasm, banter, or metaphorical speech. Difficulties with social interaction may also be manifest in a lack of play with other kids.

The above problems can even arise in the family. Given an unfavorable family environment, the youngster may be subject to emotional abuse. A youngster or teen with ASD is often puzzled by this mistreatment, unaware of what has been done incorrectly. Most kids on the spectrum want to be social, but fail to socialize successfully, which can lead to later withdrawal and asocial behavior, especially in adolescence. 
 
 
At this stage of life especially, they risk being drawn into unsuitable and inappropriate friendships and social groups. People with ASD often interact better with those considerably older or younger than themselves, rather than those within their own age group.

Young people with ASD often display advanced abilities for their age in language, reading, mathematics, spatial skills, and/or music—sometimes into the "gifted" range—but this may be counterbalanced by considerable delays in other developmental areas. This combination of traits can lead to problems with teachers and other authority figures. A youngster with ASD might be regarded by teachers as a "problem kid" or a "poor performer." 
 
The youngster’s extremely low tolerance for what they perceive to be ordinary and mediocre tasks, such as typical homework assignments, can easily become frustrating; a teacher may well consider the youngster arrogant, spiteful, and insubordinate. Lack of support and understanding, in combination with the youngster's anxieties, can result in problematic behavior (such as severe tantrums, violent and angry outbursts, and withdrawal).

Two traits sometimes found in individuals on the spectrum are mind-blindness (i.e., the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and alexithymia (i.e, the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in oneself or others), which reduce the ability to be empathetically attuned to others. Alexithymia in ASD functions as an independent variable relying on different neural networks than those implicated in theory of mind. In fact, lack of Theory of Mind may be a result of a lack of information available to the mind due to the operation of the alexithymic deficit.

A second issue related to alexithymia involves the inability to identify and modulate strong emotions such as sadness or anger, which leaves the individual prone to “sudden affective outbursts such as crying or rage.” The inability to express feelings using words may also predispose the individual to use physical acts to articulate the mood and release the emotional energy.

People with ASD report a feeling of being unwillingly detached from the world around them. They may have difficulty finding a life partner or getting married due to poor social skills. The intense focus and tendency to work things out logically often grants people with ASD a high level of ability in their field of interest. When these special interests coincide with a materially or socially useful task, the person on the spectrum can lead a profitable career and a fulfilled life. The youngster obsessed with a specific area may succeed in employment related to that area. 
 

What is ASD like?
  • It affects individuals all of their lives, but as individuals get older they get better at social and coping skills.
  • Many great scientists, writers and artists are thought to have had Aspergers, including many Nobel Prize winners.
  • Individuals with ASD can do well when others understand the effects of the syndrome on their behavior and learning, and provide a supportive environment.
  • They find it hard to relate to other individuals.
  • Some individuals who are said to be eccentric loners may have ASD.
  • The effects of autism can vary from slightly unusual behavior to quite aggressive and anti-social behavior.
  • They have trouble understanding the feelings of other individuals and they do not seem able to read body language. For example, a person with ASD may not realize when they have hurt someone's feelings, or when someone doesn't want to listen to them.
  • They like everything to be the same, and everything to be in the right place. They can get very upset if something is done 'the wrong way'.
  • They may talk a lot about their own interests, but have problems getting the message across or giving others the chance to talk.

Secondary School—
  • It can seem as though they are really bright because they know a huge amount about something they are interested in, but they might have trouble keeping up with other subjects.
  • Other students get better at interpersonal relationships as they grow older, but it can become more difficult for a student with ASD to be involved in friendship groups. However, they may enjoy groups which follow their special interest (e.g., science clubs).
  • Secondary school can be very stressful for students with ASD because they have a different timetable each day, several different teachers, and have to move between classrooms. These changes can be really stressful for someone who likes everything to be the same.

Teenagers with ASD are usually able to manage stressors better than younger kids, and behavior problems at school may be less of an issue at secondary school. However a teenager on the spectrum  may be so worn out after 'holding it together' all day at school that he or she may 'fall apart' at home.
  • It may be possible to negotiate with teachers to reduce the amount of homework or extend tasks over a longer time.
  • Feeling tired after school is often a problem, and facing up to homework at the end of the day can be very stressful for someone who has already had a stressful day.
  • A school counselor can help to work out strategies for dealing with problems, which might include a place to work alone if things get too hard sometimes.

 
Adult Life—
  • If partners and kids are able to learn more about ASD, they are often more able to understand the behavior and live more comfortably with the person who has autism.
  • Individuals with ASD also need to understand relationships better and learn more about how their behavior and emotions can affect others.
  • Most individuals on the spectrum can form strong bonds with a few friends, marry and have kids.
  • Peer support groups can also be helpful for partners and kids. Check on the internet to see if there are support groups in your area.
  • Their anxieties and difficulties with the subtleties of relationships can be confusing and upsetting to partners and their kids.

Problems for Brothers and Sisters—

It can be difficult if you have a brother or sister with ASD.
  • Parents often have to spend a lot more time with the youngster who has autism, so that you can feel you are missing out.
  • Their behavior can be difficult to live with because they don't relate to others well.
  • They may have frequent tantrums when things don't go their way, and this can be embarrassing to you, especially if your friends are around.
  • You may have to watch out more for your brother or sister to protect them from others, such as protecting them from being bullied.

Understanding more about Autism Spectrum Disorder may help you interact more successfully with your brother or sister.

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