Man With Asperger’s Explains How He Experiences the 5 Senses
Bryan Chandler, who runs the Facebook page Asperger’s Syndrome Awareness: Bryan’s Advocacy, wrote a detailed post about how sensory issues can affect those on the autism spectrum.
Chandler has Asperger’s, and he hopes sharing his post will educate others and make them more understanding about the kinds of sensitivities people on the spectrum may have to food and touch, among other things.
Chandler wrote:
Asperger’s Syndrome and sensory issues (detailed). Written by an adult with Asperger’s.
Hearing: Have you ever wondered why the person with Asperger’s doesn’t respond to his/her name or may appear like they’re ignoring you during a conversation? The reason being, we can have difficulty understanding the difference between background and foreground noise, so someone which could be in another room could sound just as loud as someone standing next to them. We can pick up on the smallest of sounds and the loud sounds can hurt our ears.
Smell: Have you ever experienced such a strong smell that you just needed to leave the room? In a public restroom, maybe, or maybe down an alley? To someone with Asperger’s that sensation can be present just by walking in a supermarket or even at home. It has no reflection on how clean your environment is, it’s just our keen sense of smell rearing itself.
Taste: Moooooom!! That’s disgusting! I can’t eat that! How many times have you heard that statement? Perhaps your child/adult/self is only able to eat three foods, and does not eat anything else no matter what you try? Imagine chewing on a piece of cardboard, that’s how eating certain foods can be like for those with Asperger’s. Please be aware.
Sight: Can you do me a favour? Stare at something, completely focus on it and space out. Do you see how your vision becomes all blurry and disorientated? To a person with Asperger’s this can happen at random moments without warning, mainly when there’s too much activity in our environment to process.
Touch: Has a person with Asperger’s ever jumped or become agitated at the slightest touch? It could even be a slight tap on the shoulder, or a light brush with the tip of your fingers. You may think our reaction is a little over the top, but no, it can actually feel like someone’s just poked us with a stick. If I picked up a stick from the garden and poked you with it I don’t think you’d like it either.
Sensory overload: is when two of more of our senses come together to perform the above and it can be incredibly stressful and make us feel overwhelmed. This is why we need constant time outs and time to recharge our social batteries. Please be respectful.
If you can share this status that would be great. Let’s educate the social media world on Asperger’s Syndrome and sensory issues. Thank you for reading.
Until next time – Bryan
Asperger’s Syndrome and sensory issues (detailed). Written by an adult with Asperger’s.Hearing: Have you ever wondered… Posted by ASPERGER’S SYNDROME AWARENESS – Bryan’s Advocacy on Sunday, January 17, 2016