9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Hi everyone, I'm Amythest, and welcome to[br]ask an Autistic. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Upbeat music) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Today I'm going to be talking about[br]Sensory Processing Disorder. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Sensory Processing Disorder is a [br]neurological condition in which the brain 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 does not interpret sensory input from the[br]environment correctly. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A person with Sensory Processing Disorder[br]may be over or under sensitive to input 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from their environment, such as lights,[br]colors, noises, music, people talking, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 smells, textures, and tastes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Every autistic person will have some kind[br]of Sensory Integration Issues. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This is just part of our neurotype[br]and part of what makes us autistic. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But, Sensory Processing Disorder, as a[br]neurological diagnosis can exist 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 on its own, in non-autistic children. [br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Sensory Processing Disorder really can[br]affect and encompass all of the senses. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now, human beings actually have more than[br]five senses, we have something like 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 eighteen to twenty-two, depending on who[br]you ask. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But, I think that there are the seven[br]basic senses that are important 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to know about to understand [br]Sensory Processing Disorder. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So you have the basic five, which I think[br]everybody has heard of. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's taste, touch, smell, sight, sound.[br]Yeah, I think I got that right. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And then there are two senses that most[br]people haven't heard of. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And that is the Proprioception Sense and[br]the Vestibular Sense. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Proprioceptive Sense is the sense of[br]where your body is in space. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It allows for you to know where your limbs[br]are, how much force you're 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 exerting on things. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And also, where you are spatially in your[br]environment, and how to interact 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with objects in your environment. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The Vestibular Sense is the sense that is[br]all about motion and movement. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It is a sense that tells you if you are[br]in motion or standing still. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If you are up or down, swinging, spinning,[br]upside down, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 all of that is informed by the[br]Vestibular Sense. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So, as I'm sure you can imagine, [br]when a person is under or over sensitive 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to any of the sensory input they may [br]receive from their environment, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 their experience is going to be a lot[br]different than a typical person's. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And their life is going to be very [br]different because of the things they 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 have to deal with. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 For example, a child who is undersensitive[br]to proprioceptive input may have trouble 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 knowing where his body is in space,[br]he may have trouble knowing how much 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 pressure to exert on things. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So he may either be too gentle, and be[br]consistently dropping small objects. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Or, he may be too rough in play, and be[br]constantly seeking out really rough 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 activities to give him a lot of deep[br]pressure input on his joints. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Like wrestling, jumping around,[br]jumping on a trampoline. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A person with sensory integration issues[br]who is very sensitive to noise may have 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a lot of trouble with auditory processing[br]issues when they're in a space where there 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is background music or a lot of people[br]talking, like in a restaurant. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So while they can hear the person who is[br]sitting across from them and speaking, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they may not be able to interpret what the[br]person is saying. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They know they're speaking, their brain[br]just can't filter out all of the auditory 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 information. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So like I said, sensory processing issues[br]can encompass and incorporate all of the 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 senses.[br]And everybody who has sensory integration 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 issues, autistic or non-autistic will have[br]their own set of triggers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 negative sensory input that causes them[br]discomfort or pain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And many people who have[br]sensory integration issues, will have 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 some sensory input that they actively seek[br]out and they crave, often because they are 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 undersensitive to it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So, an autistic person who seeks out [br]Vestibular input because they are 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 under-sensitive to vestibular input [br]may really enjoy activities like 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 swinging on a swing, or spinning on a[br]tire swing, or on a computer chair. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Something that comes up a lot, and I get[br]questions about this a lot, comes down to 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Sensory Defensiveness and food. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Many autistic people have a very limited[br]diet. And this is both due to 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 their routine and resistant to change,[br]but also to sensory defensiveness. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Sadly, children who are struggling with[br]sensory integration issues may have their 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 sensory defensiveness toward a certain [br]texture or taste of food, interpreted 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 by their parents as just picky eating or[br]even outward defiance. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This isn't the case. When you have sensory[br]integration issues, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 you know that you're different, and you[br]wish you weren't. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Sensory integration issues and[br]Sensory Processing Disorder can cause 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a lot of grief in our daily life, because[br]this world isn't really built for us. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It is so loud, and so fast, and so bright,[br]and all the clothes are too tight, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and everything's too itchy and it can be [br]exhausting just trying to get some sleep 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 at night with all these sounds all around. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Sensory integration issues can be[br]really hard to deal with, and it's 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 important to remember if you're having[br]a showdown with your kid over dinner, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they're not trying to be defiant to you,[br]they're not just being a picky eater 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 if they have sensory processing issues. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That is a real neurological condition and[br]a valid disability. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And a child with sensory processing issues[br]doesn't need to be shamed in any situation 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and they don't need to be coerced to do[br]things that cause them pain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Because, really, sensory processing[br]disorder, when you have a negative sensory 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 input as a trigger, it isn't just[br]uncomfortable or a little annoying. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's often very painful, and it is[br]important to remember that there are some 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 children who are just picky.[br]But when it comes to children with 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with sensory integration issues, they have[br]a disability. And so accommodation and 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 understanding can go a long way. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When you have a neurological or[br]developmental disability, you start off 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with less brain energy, call it,[br]in the morning than typical people do. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And then, throughout the day, as a[br]person with sensory processing issues 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is triggered again and again, that[br]takes up more and more of their 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 brain energy that they would be otherwise[br]