On Target

Recognizing sensory and motor issues people with autism and other disabilities face, popular retailer Target has addressed these needs by recently offering special lines of clothing and home furnishings. Through their Cat & Jack clothing for children, Universal Thread clothing for adults, and Pillowfort home items, Target now offers products thoughtfully designed with their special needs customers in mind.

According to articles on Target’s corporate website, A Bullseye View, titled “Cat & Jack Includes Adaptive Apparel to Help Meet the Needs of Even More Kids” and “Design for All: Cat & Jack Add Select Sensory-Friendly Pieces for Kids,” Target began offering “sensory-friendly” clothing in 2017. [To read these online articles, please click here and here.] For example, this line of clothing has stamped labels instead of tags, flat seams, and no embellishments that may bother children with sensory sensitivity. In addition, leggings were designed with extra room in the hips to accommodate older children who wear diapers.

Target clothing design director Stacey Monsen knows firsthand the difficulties of dressing a child with autism: her young daughter has autism and was not potty trained by age seven. Working with a volunteer group of parents and organizations who could provide input, the Target team worked to solve some of the problems of clothing children with special needs. As Stacey Monsen states, “My goal is to keep being an advocate, for my daughter and for others.”

Not only are the Cat & Jack clothing sensory friendly, but they also come in a wide range of sizes: toddler sizes 2T-5T and bigger kids sizes extra small through extra extra large. Additionally, the clothes are quite reasonably priced from $4.50-$39.99, with most priced under twenty dollars, making sensory friendly clothing available to a wide range of customers.

Following up on the popularity of the Cat & Jack sensory-friendly clothing, Target introduced adaptive clothing in the fall of 2018. Using input from “real kids,” designers developed apparel to meet special needs. Specifically, this clothing line includes snap and zip closures on the sides and back along with abdominal access openings that are hidden. Other features include footless sleepwear, bodysuits sized for older children wearing diapers, and jackets with zip-off sleeves. Additionally, this clothing is made with “extra-soft, comfortable, and durable cotton knits.” All of these adaptive clothes were designed to make dressing easier for children with special needs and their parents.

According to a Disability Scoop online article written by Shaun Heasley and published on January 31, 2018, “Target Adding Clothing For Adults With Special Needs,” the retailer added a line of clothing to serve women with sensory and adaptive needs in February 2018. [To read this article, please click here.] The Universal Thread collection offers tops and jeans in a wide range of adult sizes reasonably priced from $5 to under $40. Like the Cat & Jack clothing line for children, the adult versions are “sensory-friendly” with stamped labels instead of tags, flat seams, and extra-soft material. The jeans have longer inseams, wider leg openings, high-rise backs, and no pockets to make getting dressed easier.

Building on the success of the clothing lines addressing special needs, Target has recently added sensory-friendly items to their Pillowfort home collection. According to an online article written by Mark Wilson on Fast Company published April 3, 2019, and titled “Target’s newest furniture is for kids with sensory sensitivity,” Target is now offering furniture items specifically designed for special needs children. [To read this article, please click here.] Just as with their Cat & Jack sensory-friendly and adaptive clothing, Target designers consulted with parents and children to gain input on this sensory-friendly furniture line.

Furthermore, Target’s website details the careful thought put into these special home items on their “Sensory Friendly Kids’ Home” page. [To access this page, please click here.] For example, the cocoon seat offers “cradled comfort” as well as a removable, washable “super-soft” cover with a water-resistant liner. The hideaway tent allows children a place to get away from sensory overload while providing a carrying case for easy transport. The crash pads, like the cocoon seats, have removable, washable covers with water-resistant linings, as well as durable fabric and foam. The weighted blankets, which many children with autism find soothing for sleep, have “super-soft removable, washable covers.” As with the special clothing lines, Target has kept these home items reasonably priced from $20-100, making them available to most families. As Target senior vice-president Julie Guggemos explains, “At Target, our purpose is to help all families discover the joy of everyday life.”

Certainly, Target should be commended for their concern for special needs customers and their willingness to seek input about how to make their lives easier and better. By offering a variety of reasonably priced clothing and furniture that address sensory and adaptive issues, Target can successfully meet the needs of a growing population. Indeed, through the Cat & Jack, Universal Thread, and Pillowfort collections, Target can help families, especially those with special needs, “discover the joy of everyday life.”

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Planning for Every Possibility

Because Alex deals not only with autism but also anxiety, he relies heavily on schedules and carefully crafted plans to deal with a world that can easily overwhelm him. After months of not wanting to go places, recently he has finally overcome many of his fears about leaving the house. However, Ed and I must work together in tandem to make sure everything goes smoothly, which requires preparation on our part for every eventuality to make sure Alex’s outings are pleasant and stress-free. Failure to complete the necessary tasks could mean an anxiety attack for Alex, or even worse, a regression where he refuses to leave the house for weeks or even months.

Since last summer, with the guidance of Alex’s doctors, the dosages of four medications he takes have been reduced, and one has been completely eliminated. While this is a wonderful testimony to the progress he has made, the healing God has provided, and the benefits of behavioral and music therapies, one noticeable side effect has been increased sensory issues, which are common in autism. Most notably, his appetite, which has always been excellent, has decreased because he tells us that he doesn’t like the taste, smell, and texture of some foods. In addition, like many with autism, he is bothered by sound sensitivity now, something he had overcome many years ago. Besides covering his ears, he will often lower the television volume or complain that music is too loud. Consequently, we need to take these sensory issues into consideration when we take him places where sensory overload could be a problem.

Although we tease Alex that he is like the fairy tale character Goldilocks, who keeps looking until she finds what is “just right” for her, Alex isn’t intentionally picky. His heightened senses mean that bath water must be neither too hot nor too cold and volume must be neither too soft nor too loud. Going places this winter caused issues for him not only because he deemed the temperatures too cold, but also because the wind bothered him in how it felt and sounded to him. Trying to get Alex past his issues about leaving the house meant showing him that we understood his concerns and reassuring him that we would make outings as comfortable as possible for him.

One of the first issues we must consider in planning outings with Alex is time. He is especially conscious of time, relying on his watch and daily schedule to keep him calm. If we are going someplace, he needs to know when we are going, how long we will be gone, and what time we’ll be home. Whenever possible, we schedule appointments around the crucial times of his daily routine: mealtimes, bath time, and when his beloved game shows are on television. Thanks to DVR, we can tape any television broadcasts Alex might miss if he goes places, and making sure these shows are available for later viewing is one of Ed’s main responsibilities in this process of getting Alex to leave the house.

In addition, Ed acts as the enthusiastic game show host in convincing Alex to choose to go places. In our own version of Let’s Make a Deal, Ed has figured out all the tricks to get Alex to pick the unknown prize behind door number one. By reassuring Alex that altering his sacred daily routines will be worth the sacrifice, Ed makes him willing to venture out into the world. Because Alex trusts Ed, he usually buys into the persuasive techniques and agrees to the offer of an outing.

On the other hand, my main role is to gather any items Alex may decide he needs while we are gone. In case he gets thirsty or hungry, we bring along a drink in a sports bottle and a snack for him. In case he gets chilled in the summer, we take along a jacket. If his lips feel chapped, I carry lip balm in my purse for him. If mosquitoes are out, I have bug bands, wristbands that repel insects, for him to wear. If it’s too sunny, we have a ball cap for him to wear, and fortunately, the Transitions lenses in his glasses automatically darken like sunglasses. In case his hands get dirty, I carry wet wipes for him to clean them easily. When he was younger, I used to carry a change of clothes, too, in case he spilled something on them. Of course, mothers of young children also travel with all these items; however, one doesn't expect this need to continue when the child is twenty-six years old.

The newest addition to my list of things to bring is a pair of headphones to muffle sounds that bother Alex. While some children with autism always travel with headphones, we have not needed them until recently. Even purchasing those headphones required the “just right” mentality: not too loose and not too tight, not too big and not too small. And, in case he refused to wear them after all those considerations, they were not too expensive, either. After examining numerous pairs, we found the ones we thought were “just right” and were even able to find them in red, Alex’s favorite color, which was another good incentive for him to wear them.

After I have assembled everything Alex might need and Ed has sold him on going, we still have some reassuring to do. We have found that giving Alex too much time to think about things can give him opportunities to fret. Therefore, spontaneity often works better. Once we decide we’re going, we can’t wait too long, or he may change his mind. In addition, we’ve found that we can’t overwhelm him with too many choices: two is usually a good number of options to give him. Otherwise, he will respond with, “What would be good?” That translates to, “I don’t want to make a decision; please stop asking me questions!” After we get in the car, Alex also needs reassurance about the weather, especially if it’s too hot or too cold, or if it’s too windy, or if it might rain, or if there will be thunderstorms. Even though I will tell him that the weather is fine, apparently he doesn’t trust my meteorology knowledge and requires true confirmation from Ed that the weather is fine before we can go on our merry way.

Once we have arrived at our planned destination, we also know that we need an escape plan in case Alex becomes overwhelmed. Ed and I have often joked that we could work with people in the Witness Protection Plan because over the years we have become skilled in helping Alex get out of any public place unnoticed when he has suddenly wanted to leave. To make this easier, we always choose aisle seats in the back, know where exits are located, make sure we know where our car is parked, and look for signs that Alex has had enough. Knowing that anxiety can strike at any time, we always remind Alex that if he needs to leave at any time, we will take him home. (This also explains why we usually choose activities for him that are free or inexpensive.) If we need to make a hasty retreat, we are ready to do so at a moment’s notice.

Fortunately, our planning, experience, and cooperative efforts have paid off this summer. We have been able to take Alex walking on nature preserve trails, shopping at various stores, playing video games at the local family fun park, seeing exhibits at the county fair, and enjoying music at outdoor concerts. Certainly, the opportunity to experience various community outings is important for Alex, and we are pleased that he is willing to overcome his fears and sensory issues to try going different places. The rewards for our careful planning and preparation come when we see Alex smiling and having fun and even, as he did after a concert in the park last week, proclaiming that he liked it “one hundred percent!” Clearly, our efforts were a success, and we are thankful that Alex can enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3

The Fidget Fad

 

Trying to teach middle school students the last weeks of school is always a challenge, even for veteran teachers like me. However, this spring a popular gadget is interfering with the learning process, despite its inflated claims of being a panacea for students with special needs. Advertised as the “must have toy for 2017,” fidget spinners are appearing in classrooms, much to the dismay of many teachers. While these handheld plastic flat triads with three bearings that can be spun supposedly help students with ADD, ADHD, OCD, autism, and anxiety, they are creating anxiety for many of the teachers whose students are bringing them to class.

Despite no studies showing their effectiveness, these fidget toys claim to relieve and reduce stress and anxiety, increase focus, build concentration, and help with boredom and restless hands. Some companies even market the fidget spinners as “educational toys.” The fidget spinners are also described as “addictive,” the one adjective I will agree is true. The low cost of these spinners––anywhere from $1-20, with most priced around $5––makes them affordable for nearly all students. The fidget spinner takes the place of the typical spring appearance of rubber bands to shoot, paper airplanes to throw, or the ever-popular erasers to toss. However, students claim they need these spinners to focus and be calm. Either they bought the hype or think that their teachers are that gullible.

To summarize, a fidget spinner is an attractive nuisance. If one kid has a spinner, everyone in the class wants to see it, touch it, spin it; they are mesmerized by these gadgets. They want to pass them around so that everyone can enjoy all the benefits of these miraculous inventions. Certainly, this does help them with boredom, as the ads claim, yet their focus and concentration are upon a stupid piece of plastic with metal bearings and not on what they are supposed to be learning in class.

Moreover, the sound of the spinning bearings poses a distraction. One ad claims that the low humming sound actually “helps promote a sense of calm.” As the teacher, that humming sound makes me want to take that spinner and throw it out the window, so it clearly fails to calm me. I suppose these fidget toys have become necessary because students cannot bring their phones or video games to class, and they simply do not know what to do with their hands when they aren’t holding an electronic device to entertain themselves.

Yet another disruptive fidget toy appearing in classes this year with similar claims of positive effects is the fidget block. Ranging in cost from $5-10, these cubes have various buttons and knobs on each of the six sides to provide sensory stimulation. While some of these fidget blocks claim to be silent, others make the same annoying sound made by the clicking of a retractable ink pen. Of course, one of the problems with the fidget spinners or blocks is the potential for dropping the item, which proves distracting for the entire class. However, these fidgets are slightly better than stress balls that roll down the aisles.

As an autism mom, I understand that some children do need sensory toys to help them focus and/or remain calm. However, as a teacher, I see many students jumping on the sensory issues bandwagon who don’t really need a fidget toy but just want to have something to play with in class. Because teachers must protect the privacy of our special needs students who are mainstreamed, regulating the presence of sensory toys becomes problematic. Consequently, I’ve had to accept the fidget toys so long as they remain in the owner’s hands and are used properly. However, when they start sharing their spinners with their friends and or taking them apart, they become mine until class is over.

If, indeed, students truly need to have sensory toys, I would recommend the following alternatives: pool splash balls, squeeze blocks that look like Legos, and desk buddy rulers. The advantage that all three of these items have is that they do not roll, would not inflict injury if tossed across the room, are silent, cannot be taken apart into pieces, are inexpensive, and have actual sensory value to students with sensory needs. The splash balls intended for playing in swimming pools are made of soft material lightly stuffed with polyester filling. They are lightweight, smooth to the touch, squeezable, and unlike stress balls, cannot roll easily. Squeeze blocks offer the same benefits. Desk Buddy rulers offer the various tactile stimulation of a fidget cube without the noise or likelihood of falling off the desk and rolling on the floor. If parents are considering buying sensory stimulation toys for their children with autism or ADD/ADHD, I would recommend any of these three items instead of the fidget spinners and cubes.

While students who actually have stress, anxiety, and focusing issues should have their needs met, those claiming to have these problems should not be playing with toys that distract them, their classmates, and their teachers. Good alternatives exist for students who truly need sensory stimulation, and parents and teachers should seek these items instead. Fortunately, teen fads rarely last long, and spinners will likely spin out of favor just as quickly as they arrived in classrooms this spring. After dealing with students doing the "dab" dance arm movements in the fall, we teachers know that annoying fads will eventually go away and be replaced by something equally annoying. In the meantime, we secretly hope that those parents who bought their children fidget spinners and cubes will be treated to a summer of humming and clicking and dropping them so that they can understand why we found these toys so annoying in our classrooms this spring.

“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” Romans 12:12

Sights and Sounds

 

A few weeks ago, we took Alex to a concert in our downtown park, where he enjoyed the upbeat popular music the band played. Even though Alex has sound sensitivity, he never seemed to be bothered by the volume of the music, which was not uncomfortably loud. Near the end of the concert, when it began to get dark, they turned on the stage lights that began to flash various colors. Suddenly, Alex seemed a bit distressed temporarily and put his fingers in his ears, as if he were overwhelmed by sound, even though the volume had not changed. When we asked him if the music was too loud, he told us it wasn’t, and after a few moments with his fingers in his ears, he relaxed and took his fingers out of his ears, ready to enjoy the music again, assuring us that he wanted to stay for the rest of the concert. Clearly, he had a sensory overload and used coping skills to manage it successfully. However, why did he plug his ears for a visual assault on his senses?

On the Fourth of July, we took him to see the local fireworks display. A couple of years ago, we discovered a place where we could park and watch the fireworks from our car that was away from the crowds and noise and where we could leave quickly should Alex become overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. However, Alex loves fireworks displays, and we have never had to leave early because he deals with the bright lights and loud noises amazingly well. At one point in the show, a firework display had a sequence of very bright flashing lights yet made no sound as they shone, and Alex once again put his fingers in his ears. Perhaps he was anticipating the loud boom he thought they were ready to make, but I think there was another reason for plugging his ears. Concerned that he was overwhelmed, we offered to leave, but he assured us that he was all right and wanted to stay for the entire fireworks show. After a few seconds of plugging his ears, he adapted and enjoyed the rest of the fireworks.

A couple of days ago, Alex and I were watching a new television show called Greatest Hits in which singers and bands perform their hit songs from the ‘80’s and early 90’s. Even though these songs are before his time (as he always reminds us that he doesn’t remember them), he thoroughly enjoys these old tunes. Because Alex’s hearing is acute, we usually keep our television volume turned down fairly low so that it doesn’t bother him. Near the end of the show as one of the bands was performing, suddenly the stage lights came on and began flashing brightly. Knowing that the volume had not changed, I watched him to see how he would react to the flashing lights, and he put his fingers in his ears briefly. Of course, he could have left the room or turned off the television, but he wanted to watch the show, so he used his coping mechanism of putting his fingers in his ears for a few moments, knowing this sound blocking mechanism allows him to continue.

Curious as to why Alex blocks sound when his senses are assaulted visually, I began looking for some research. Most people would close their eyes if flashing lights bother them, but blocking sound seems to help him cope with the sensory overload. In my search, I found a recent online article in Spectrum entitled “Sight may mix with sound in autism brains,” written by Jessica Wright and published May 13, 2016. [To read this article, please click here.] This interesting article summarizes findings presented at the 2016 International Meeting for Autism Research in Baltimore and published in May in the journal Autism Research.

Using magnetic resonance imaging, the researchers tested children and teenagers who were typical and those who have autism to see where in the brain they processed visual and auditory stimuli. For visual tasks, the children were shown pictures of rectangles and dots and were told to indicate the position of the dot as high or low. For auditory tasks, they listened to tones and were to indicate whether the pitch of the sound was high or low. While both groups––those with autism and those with typical development––performed well on correctly identifying the positions and tones, the MRI indicated different processing in the brains of the children with autism.

Specifically, both groups scored in the mid-90 percentage range on identifying the position of the dot as low or high; however, the typical group scored slightly better (93%) than those with autism (83%) on identifying low and high tones. The researchers also noted that the MRI indicated that the visual cortex of the typical children shut down when they were engaged in the listening task. However, when listening to the sounds, the visual cortex became more active in the brains of the children with autism. This may account for the sensory overload children with autism often exhibit; their brains are taking in both visual and auditory stimuli instead of shutting out what they don’t need at the time.

These researchers suggests that children with autism may be using visual areas of the brain to process sound, perhaps to compensate for weaknesses in the brain areas that process sound. Typically, people with autism have strong visual skills, allowing them to create pictures in their minds easily. Alex often tells use that he can visualize words and numbers in his mind, which makes mentally calculating complicated math problems easy for him. On the other hand, there seems to be confusion for him between the visual and auditory stimuli, as evidenced by his attempts to block sounds when flashing lights overwhelm his visual field. Maybe he is experiencing a “sensory crossover” described in this research, but instead of seeing sound, he is hearing sights.

If, indeed, his brain processes stimuli differently, he has learned a coping skill to deal with overwhelming situations. Perhaps by blocking the sound briefly, he is able to focus on the visual and then add the sound when he is ready. As a primarily auditory learner, I know that I sometimes have to close my eyes to focus upon what I’m hearing, to block out the visual that distracts me so that I may concentrate on listening. Alex seems to be doing a similar technique, yet because his brain may work differently, he blocks sound instead of sight, which is his strongest modality for learning. Whatever the reason, I’m pleased that he has developed a method to help him adjust when he is dealing with a variety of sights and sounds so that his brain can handle all there is to see and hear and so that he can enjoy all life has to offer.

“Ears to hear and eyes to see––both are gifts from the Lord.” Proverbs 20:12

Dealing with the Unpredictable: Anxiety and Autism

 

Yesterday I ran across an interesting article explaining connections between autism, anxiety, and sensory sensitivity. This week, Ann Griswold’s article “Uncertainty drives anxiety, sensory issues in autism,” in Spectrum (April 8, 2016) highlights recent research on this topic. [To read this article, please click here.] According to new research, fear of the unknown triggers anxiety and sensory sensitivity issues often found in autism. Moreover, children with autism have difficulty predicting what will happen in situations, causing them to become easily overwhelmed.

Studies have shown that up to 84 percent of children with autism have high levels of anxiety, and up to 70 percent have some form of sensory sensitivity. Research suggests that overreacting to sensory stimuli causes anxiety for people with autism. Under the direction of Elizabeth Pelliano, professor of psychology and human development at the University of London, researchers studied the relationship between anxiety, sensory issues, and difficulty in predicting future events found in children with autism. Their findings were recently published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

As Dr. Pelliano notes, “Autistic children want to have control over their environment, to make it more predictable.” Consequently, researchers suggest that teaching children with autism to use past experiences in order to predict future outcomes may help ease their anxiety and their sensory issues. In studying children with autism, researchers noted interaction between the three factors––anxiety, sensory sensitivity, and impaired prediction skills––but were uncertain which was the initial trigger.

For example, uncertainty about what might happen could cause anxiety that would make sensory overstimulation, such as loud noises, seem more threatening. On the other hand, uncertainty could cause the senses to be hyperaware in an attempt to protect oneself, leading to greater anxiety. In a third proposed scenario, sensory sensitivity could create uncertainty about an unpredictable environment, causing anxiety. Essentially, researchers are still determining which factor triggers the other two. Nonetheless, by improving prediction skills, perhaps sensory issues and anxiety can be eased in children with autism, giving them a greater sense of control.

Additional research cited in this article refers to predictive impairment in autism noted by Pawan Sinha, professor of vision and computational neuroscience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. On February 3, 2015, Spectrum published an article by Dr. Sinha and his associates entitled “Autism as a disorder of prediction in a ‘magical’ world” in which he discussed how children with autism often become overwhelmed in an unpredictable world. [To read this article, please click here.]

Describing this “magical world” theory of autism, Dr. Sinha explains that magic relies upon the element of surprise and unexpected outcomes. However, for children with autism, they are often unpleasantly surprised because they have trouble predicting what will happen, overlooking important clues that could help them prepare for the outcomes. Thus, the world seems chaotic to people with autism. He also suggests that repetitive behaviors frequently seen in autism are compensatory behaviors, a way to try to take control when they feel out of control. Although the usual intervention for children with sensory issues is to minimize their exposure to those stimuli that upset them (such as wearing headphones to minimize noise or sunglasses to ease light sensitivity), he recommends emphasizing the predictability of sensory triggers so that children can be prepared and not taken by surprise.

Both of these research studies hold particular interest for me because Alex deals not only with autism but also with anxiety and sensory issues. Although he has learned to cope with his sensitivities to light, sound, and touch through auditory integration therapy and sensory integration therapy, he suffers from extreme anxiety that is treated by ongoing cognitive therapy and medication.

April always seems to be a difficult month for him, as his anxiety most often arises at this time of the year. Over the years, we have tried to determine a cause so that we could better help him deal with his anxiety. We have pondered over the effects of the time change to Daylight Savings Time, barometric changes and increased pollen counts brought by typical rainy and windy spring weather, or just dealing with cabin fever from being cooped up in the winter time. In the past several days, I have found myself dealing with migraines triggered by air pressure and spring allergies, so I suspect physical triggers are likely behind Alex’s increased anxiety.

However, we have also tried to ascertain any emotional issues that have made him more anxious. This month, we have noted his reactions of involuntary shaking, grabbing my hands for reassurance, and a newly acquired hypochondria in which he tells us we need to cancel his appointments with his therapists because he suddenly has developed assorted symptoms that miraculously disappear as quickly as they appear. In other words, Alex seems perfectly fine physically and emotionally until it’s time for his appointments with his therapists, and then he panics for some unknown reason.

Fortunately, they all understand his anxiety issues and have been supportive and reassuring in trying to help him overcome these panic attacks. His music therapist even agreed to do Alex’s therapy sessions here at home instead of having us come to his office while Alex is in this anxious phase. His behavioral therapist has decided to shift her focus from social skills to dealing with anxiety in hopes of helping Alex strengthen his coping skills so that he can take control when he feels out of control. We know how blessed we are to have professionals who are not only helping us deal with Alex’s anxiety but who also genuinely care about him and want to help him.

While we would like to take away all the sensory stimuli and unpredictable situations in life that upset Alex, we know that would be impossible. Instead, we, along with his therapists, try to help him cope with his anxiety by teaching him how to take control of his emotions, especially when he feels out of control in situations that overwhelm him and take him by surprise. Along with developing his coping skills, we understand his need for schedules and routines, and we do our best to prepare him for potential outcomes. In a world that often seems unpredictable, we want him to know that he can always count on us. More importantly, we have taught him to develop a personal faith so that he knows he can always rely upon God in the midst of any storm. While we don’t know what the future holds, we know who holds our future—the One who can give Alex peace until healing takes away autism and the accompanying anxiety.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

Smell and Taste Sensitivity in Autism

 

In last week’s blog entry, I discussed the issue of sound sensitivity, which is quite common in people with autism, and how listening to the EASe CD with modulated music helped Alex overcome his difficulty with loud noises, such as vacuum cleaners and hair dryers. This week, as I was reading various research articles from The Great Plains Laboratory, Inc. Facebook page, I ran across two interesting studies related to other types of sensory issues found in autism. Although Alex’s sensory issues have primarily focused upon hearing, sight, and touch, apparently many people with autism also have overly acute senses of smell and taste, as well.

A news report entitled “Study: Kids with autism don’t react to odors” describes research in which thirty-six children, half of whom had autism and half who did not, were presented with various smells through an olfactometer. [To read this article, please click here.] This tool delivered various scents through the nostrils and then measured how the children responded to those smells by how much they sniffed. Typical children breathed in longer for pleasant smells, such as roses, and breathed in a shorter time for unpleasant smells, such as rotten fish. In contrast, children with autism breathed in the same amount of time, no matter what scent they smelled.

The study notes that the response from the children with autism may be linked to a difference in perception of odors, or this may be a physical issue in that they cannot control their breathing in response to different stimuli. Either or both of these theories seem reasonable, since children with autism typically have sensory and motor issues. Whether this sniff response has possibilities as a diagnostic tool for identifying children who have autism is uncertain, but researchers noted that the observed responses might explain the problems many children with autism have with eating, since the sense of smell is closely linked to the sense of taste. However, as one autism researcher noted, the problems with eating may also be linked to motor problems in swallowing and chewing.

Although I’m not completely certain how well Alex can perceive smells, he will comment when he smells something unpleasant, telling us, “It’s too stinky!” and even leaving the room to avoid the smell he doesn’t like. Moreover, he will tell us to spray air freshener, saying, “Need Oust in here!” if the smell is mild. If the smell is too offensive, he’ll say, “Need to spray Lysol!” Also, he has recently begun to make comments comparing one smell to another, remarking, “It smells like french fries in here.” Consequently, he seems to deal with his smell sensitivities because he can verbalize ways to describe them and or even ways to eliminate those he finds offensive. Perhaps his control over smells is one of the reasons he is not a picky eater like many people who have autism.

In another article posted on The Great Plains Laboratories’ Facebook page this week, the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative recently published the summary of a research study entitled “Picky eating sways parents’ views of children with autism.” [To read this article, please click here.]  This study from Italy found no differences in behavior or physical issues, such as gastrointestinal problems, in children with autism who were picky eaters versus those who were more willing to eat a variety of foods. However, parents of children who were picky eaters perceived their children to have more behavioral problems and more stress.

Interestingly, the article notes, “the root cause of picky eating in autism remains unknown.” However, the article fails to address sensory issues that likely would impact the child’s eating habits. If the food smells strange or the texture does not appeal to the child, the child won’t want to eat it. Moreover, as the autism researcher in the previous article mentioned, difficulties in chewing and swallowing often found in autism would certainly play a role in eating problems. While this article focuses upon parents’ perceptions of picky eaters, underlying issues beyond the behavioral and physical components they examined are clearly at work.

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, we are blessed that Alex has always been a remarkably good eater, willing to try any food. Moreover, despite the limitations his food sensitivities present that restrict him to a diet free of glutens and milk products, he eats a wide variety of foods. For most of his life, the only three foods he would not eat—other than those not permitted on his gluten-free casein-free diet, which he follows faithfully––were popcorn, broccoli, and mashed potatoes. In the past few years, he has even taken two of those foods off his list and now likes broccoli and mashed potatoes prepared without milk products. We suspect that his former dislike of those two foods was more from a texture standpoint than a taste and smell aspect. At this point, the only food he will not eat is popcorn, which he tells us is “too salty and too crunchy.” Needless to say, we are delighted that he is such a good eater; in fact, he eats a more varied diet than either of his parents. He loves seafood, which I despise, and he happily eats peas, carrots, and mayonnaise, which Ed avoids. Apparently, Alex does not have the smell and taste sensitivities that many people with autism have, and we are thankful for that.

While a great deal about autism remains a mystery, sensory issues, such as sound, smell, and taste sensitivity obviously impact daily life. If these hyperacute senses create stress, the person may either avoid uncomfortable situations or may react in ways to cope with the unpleasant stimuli. Often therapists who work with children who have autism will note, “Behavior is communication.” Meltdowns may be the only way some children with autism can communicate how overwhelmed they feel when they are assaulted with sounds, smells, and tastes that are too strong to handle. As parents, we need to find ways to help our children cope with the world that is often too much for them, and hopefully, research will find better methods to allow children with autism to enjoy the variety of sensory experiences in life so that they can live life to the fullest extent.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!” Psalm 34:8

Trick or Treat and Autism

This month, several articles have appeared online suggesting ways for parents to help their children with autism celebrate Halloween this week. Since Halloween and its accompanying costumes, candy, and creepiness can be overwhelming to any child--let alone those with sensory and and/or anxiety issues associated with autism--these tips can provide useful guidelines. As I read various suggestions, I found myself nodding my head in agreement at times, but at other times, I was scratching my head in disbelief at some of the stupid comments in these lists. Taking the best of these ideas along with our positive experiences of trick or treating with Alex, I offer my own version of Halloween Helpful Hints.

1. Costume Comfort: Many articles include this suggestion, which is a good one. Sensory issues may make wearing certain costumes, makeup, or masks difficult for children with autism. Here in Northwest Indiana, all kids have to consider the cold factor, which means being able to wear a coat or several layers of warm clothing under a costume to keep from freezing while trick or treating. For that reason, I usually incorporated sweatshirts and sweatpants into Alex’s Halloween costumes when he was younger.  Since I made his costumes for him, I involved him in their construction, discussing ideas with him, picking out the fabric together, and trying on the costume as I sewed it. Also, we knew he would never wear a mask, so that was never a part of his disguise.  Consequently, he was pleased with his costumes and eager to wear them. One article from a national autism organization pointed out the obvious: “If your child does not like their costume, don’t make them wear it.” Aside from the pronoun agreement error [their should be his/her—which bothers me as an English teacher!], this tip should be true for ALL children, not just those with autism.

2.  Practice: Several articles offered ideas of how to prepare children for trick or treating by doing trial runs at the houses of friends or relatives prior to Halloween. The process of ringing the doorbell along with saying “Trick or Treat” and “Thank you” seems like a simple one, but for kids with autism, this can be difficult. Some articles suggested social stories that include the steps for trick or treating to prepare children for this event. With Alex, we used to go over a list of rules before Halloween. We knew he was paying attention, because I could hear him softly chant: “Don’t go into people’s houses, don’t ask their weights or ages, say ‘Thank you’” as we walked along our trick or treat route.

3.  Vigilance: Since almost half of the children with autism have a tendency to wander away from places of safety, parents need to keep their children close at hand when trick or treating. With the additional activity and darkness, children could easily wander away and get hit by cars. Several articles mentioned the importance of carrying flashlights to help guide the way, keep an eye on the child, and reassure the child in the darkness. In addition to keeping the child safe, parents also need to make sure the child is calm. With all the activity, children with autism may become overwhelmed and melt down. As one article stated the seemingly obvious: “Know your child’s limits and do only what he or she can handle.” While this should be a guideline for autism parents (or any parents, for that matter) every day, this tip proves especially true for holidays. When Alex was younger, I kept him right by my side during trick or treating, which once led to my getting yelled at by a grouchy old man who informed me that I was too old to be trick or treating. (My lack of costume and trick or treat bag should have been a clue that I was a parent.) Also, I continually monitored Alex’s mood, asking him if he wanted to go to more houses or go home. Because he had the choice, he remained calm. When he was tired and indicated he was done, I immediately took him home. Common sense prevails.

4. Communication: Although autism is more prevalent, many people do not recognize children with autism nor understand their behaviors and may mistake their inability to communicate as rudeness. Although Alex could say “Trick or Treat” and “Thank you” (often with reminders), he wasn’t prepared for unscripted questions friendly people may ask him. Sometimes, I would cue him with an answer, and other times I would explain that he has autism, which makes speaking difficult for him. One article recommended placing an autism awareness sticker on the child’s trick or treat container and printing cards to hand to people with facts about autism. This struck me as a bit overboard, but I liked the idea of printing cards for nonverbal children that explained that they could not speak, so this card was a way of saying “Trick or treat” and “Happy Halloween.”

5. Alternatives: While trick or treating may be overwhelming for children with autism, some organizations provide Halloween parties for children with special needs that allow them to enjoy the holiday in a more structured setting. Another tip offered in articles is to have the child pass out candy instead of going trick or treating. After Alex was too old to go trick or treating, which he always enjoyed, we have had him engaged in passing out the candy. Most of the time, he prefers to watch us actually give kids the candy, but he likes seeing the little kids dressed up in costumes and listening to “the little voices” they have. With his mathematical mind, he keeps track of how many kids come to our door, which comes in quite handy. Yesterday, as I was buying Halloween candy, I turned to him to find out how much I needed to buy. Since he remembered how many trick or treaters we had last year, he was able to calculate how many bags of candy we should get.

Although most children eagerly anticipate Halloween as a favorite time of the year, for children with autism, this holiday can be overwhelming. By preparing them ahead of time, anticipating their needs, and being willing to change plans, parents can help their children with autism enjoy the occasion on their own terms. For more helpful suggestions regarding children with autism and Halloween, I recommend “Your Tips for a Safe, Comfortable, and Enjoyable Halloween” on the Autism Society’s website. [To access this link, click here.] This article is a compilation of ideas from parents of children with autism and offers truly useful suggestions. As for Alex, although I no longer need to make him a costume, he still insists that we decorate our pumpkin that we picked from the pumpkin patch last weekend. Truthfully, I’ll be glad when he tires of that tradition, since I’m the one who has the task of scooping out pumpkin innards. Happy Halloween to all!

“Yes, the Lord pours down His blessings. Our land will yield its bountiful harvest.” Psalm 85:12

Avoiding Annoyance

One of my guilty pleasure pastimes is watching old reruns of the television series Sex and the City. In one episode Carrie wrote a column about “Secret Single Behaviors” after accidentally discovering that her boyfriend Aiden used Rogaine because his hair was thinning. Her own “SSB,” as she abbreviated it, was not talking for an hour after she came home, something Aiden needed to learn to respect. To use Carrie’s frequent catch phrase, “I couldn’t help but wonder…,” and I began thinking about what secret behaviors autism moms use to cope with the various aspects of our somewhat unusual lives. Some of these actions help us maintain a level of sanity, but most probably revolve around avoiding annoying our overly sensitive kids. As I catch myself doing some of these Secret Autism Mom Behaviors, or SAMB’s, I realize that most people with typical kids have no idea the things we do to keep harmony in our households. Therefore, I decided to share my secrets and reveal some of my SAMB’s to give a glimpse of a day in the life of one autism mom.

Since Alex, like many people with autism, relies upon routines (Think of Raymond in Rain Man insisting that the syrup must be on the table before the pancakes arrive.), we try to maintain a predictable schedule. Currently, he wants to eat lunch at noon and dinner at 5:00, and if food isn’t on the table by those set times, he’s likely to be agitated. To reassure him that things are remaining on schedule, we make sure to turn on the microwave before mealtimes so that he hears the oven running and knows we’re in the process of preparing a meal, keeping him calm. I’ve also learned not to set the table until the last minute because as soon as he hears plates and silverware clinking as they hit the table, like Pavlov’s dogs when the bell rang, Alex is ready to eat. Another one of Alex’s routines is list making. To avoid having our house become a cluttered mess of paper emblazoned with Alex’s scrawl, I must engage in a SAMB that Alex cannot know. Since he places value upon his written work, he would probably like to keep every list he’s ever made. To prevent him from becoming annoyed with my need for organization, I sneak his lists to a place where he can’t find them. If he doesn’t seem to miss them after about a week, I hide them in the recycling bin among the old newspapers. So far, he hasn’t caught on to my regular purging of his paperwork, so I’ve kept him from being annoyed with me about that.

To avoid disturbing Alex’s overly sensitive hearing, I’ve learned a few tricks so that he can’t hear what I’m doing. For example, I’m always concerned that my flushing the toilet early in the morning before I go to work might wake him and set him off. Therefore, I listen for the furnace, air conditioner, or humidifier to go on before I flush so that those mechanical noises can drown out the sound of running water. Another thing that bothers Alex currently is people talking on the phone. I’m not certain why this irritates him, but we never answer the phone and simply wait for the answering machine to pick up the call. If someone other than a telemarketer is trying to reach us, we sneak off to a phone where he can’t hear us to return the call. If we want to make phone calls, we do the same thing, hiding in the basement or lurking upstairs in our bedroom with the door closed. As far as Alex knows, we never use the phone, so he probably wonders why we even have one. Probably the most secret of my secret autism mom behaviors is coughing. Alex has a fit if anyone coughs, worried that they’re terribly sick and going to get laryngitis. Ed and I have learned that the only way any of us can get any sleep when one of us has a cold with a cough is to sleep downstairs where Alex can’t hear the coughing. Moreover, we have learned to cover accidental coughs by pretending to sneeze, moving chairs to make noises, etc. We are also pretty good at escaping to rooms where he can’t hear us cough. A recent cold that left me with a cough found me running to the basement, garage, front porch, or our bedroom, where I muffled my cough with a pillow. If all that sounds ridiculous, I must confess that sometimes when I’m driving alone in my car, I cough just because I can do it without fear of reproach. Perhaps that’s the oddest of my SAMB’s because I derive a strange sense of satisfaction from coughing uninhibitedly, not worried about any consequences. As I think about all the different ways we try to avoid annoying Alex, I pray that he will become more tolerant of others’ behavior so that we can relax and not worry that he will get upset over the small things in life. Cough, cough.

“God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” Ecclesiastes 12:14

Pointers

With students all over the country going back to school, stories have arisen in the media lately about special needs children being punished for their outbursts by being excluded from educational services the law demands they be provided. In Texas, a six-year-old special needs student was kicked off a school bus and left near a busy intersection. Details of what happened remain unclear, as he apparently can’t explain what led to a bus driver placing him in a potentially dangerous situation. In Florida, a six-year-old girl with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was expelled on the first day of school from a charter school specifically designed to meet the needs to children with behavioral issues; allegedly she screamed, bit, and hit the teacher. These stories, as well as those told by my friends whose children with autism have been suspended from school because of their behavior, make me thankful that we were able to homeschool Alex throughout his school years. We could address any concerns at home without the interference of school personnel, who should be equipped to handle behavioral issues of special needs children.

Unfortunately, many people working with children who have autism are not well trained in dealing with outbursts. Instead of recognizing behaviors as likely resulting from anxiety, they may handle the child as simply being defiant or uncooperative, restraining the child and/or punishing with exclusion or suspension from school. As the number of children with autism increases due to the autism epidemic, poor training of personnel who work with these children is no longer an option. Several years ago, the special education department at the school where I teach seventh grade English on a part-time basis brought in a supervisor to give an in-service meeting regarding how to handle children with autism. When he began his talk mentioning “refrigerator mothers” (which he admitted was a theory that had been refuted), I knew he was not the person to be teaching others about autism. As he talked, my colleague friends kept watching for my reaction to what he said. Since I don’t have a good poker face, I’m sure my disagreement with some of his comments was evident. Realizing that he noticed my fellow teachers gauging my facial expressions in response to his remarks, I explained to him that I have a son with autism and that my friends were trying to see if I agreed with the information he was presenting. Undaunted, he went on with his talk that was mostly factually accurate but actually offered little insight in terms of how to work with children with autism. I doubt he really knew; I wouldn’t have known, had it not been for living with Alex and learning to handle his outbursts over time. Perhaps if more school personnel learned how to deal better with autism meltdowns, fewer children would be suspended or expelled from school.

Over the summer, I became fascinated with a television show on National Geographic Channel called Dog Whisperer in which dog trainer, or whisperer, Cesar Millan works with badly behaved dogs that exhibit aggressive or anxious behaviors. I found his insights into dog psychology interesting as he explained why certain dogs acted as they did. In retraining the dogs, he had three rules for the humans when first interacting with the dogs: “No touching, no talking, no eye contact.” After thinking about those rules, I realized that they would also apply when dealing with children who are having meltdowns. Mind you, comparing an upset child with autism to a badly behaved dog may seem harsh, but I suspect both are engaged in the “fight or flight” instincts when they are highly agitated. With Alex, we found that touching him during a meltdown, whether to restrain him gently or to try calming him with a touch, can make him more agitated and aggressive. Hence, the “No touching” rule is a good start. For a child with extreme tactile sensitivity, even a gentle touch may be perceived as a threat and lead to that child reacting with physical aggression, such as hitting or kicking. The second suggestion, “No talking,” needs some modification when dealing with the upset child. We have found that allowing Alex to express his fears, anxiety, and/or anger verbally is necessary to resolve his agitation, and we need to listen to what he’s saying. Once we let him talk, we can then reassure him verbally; however, we must be calm, quiet, and positive and never argumentative in doing so. When a child is screaming, maintaining composure is not an easy task. Once we convey that we know Alex is upset and that we’re willing to help him deal with whatever the source of his frustration may be, he usually begins to settle down. Even the wording of our comments must be careful. For example, if we ask him what the problem is, he will likely become more agitated. If instead we say something reassuring such as, “We will help you,” he’s more amenable to our attempts to soothe him. The last rule about no eye contact also works because we find it more important to watch Alex’s hands as a judge of how he’s responding to the anxiety. As he calms, his hands stop shaking, and we know he’s back to his old self. In addition, we watch his hands to make certain he’s not ready to hurl something in anger or use them to attack us physically. Dealing with an anxious, aggressive child with autism can be upsetting and difficult. However, if the three basic tenets of “No touching, no talking, no eye contact” were utilized instead of “pouring gasoline onto fires” by upsetting the child even more, I truly believe fewer children with autism would exhibit behaviors leading to suspension or expulsion from school. It’s certainly worth a try.

“The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’” Psalm 32:8

Stims 2

In my previous blog entry, “Stims,” I wrote about how children with autism often engage in calming behaviors to address sensory needs. Along with the various oral stims Alex had, he also developed various stims with his arms and hands to calm himself. One of Alex’s earliest stims was one I look back upon and realize was probably a red flag that he had autism before we ever suspected he was not typical. Nearly as soon as we brought him home from the hospital after he was born, he liked to sit in his infant chair and wave his arms back and forth. I recognized that movement because I had felt a similar motion within my abdomen when I was pregnant with him and suspected that he was doing his version of the wave. Watching him amuse himself by moving his arms back and forth in a fairly graceful motion for a newborn, we made jokes about this behavior. Someone in the family commented that perhaps Alex was Pentecostal, a reference to a religious group known for waving their arms in the air as they pray.

While we weren’t concerned about this movement, he later developed a stim more commonly associated with autism, hand-flapping. Instead of waving his arms, he would hold his arms fairly rigid but move his hands back and forth. We described this behavior as looking like a baby bird trying to take flight. Alex would often flap his hands when he was really happy and excited, as though he couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. Sometimes he would also jump up and down as he flapped his hands, and he would smile happily. For Alex, this movement seemed to have a calming effect on him as he processed whatever was stirring up his energy. As he grew older, Alex seemed to limit his need for tactile stimulation to movements with his fingers instead of his entire body. For instance, he went through a phase where he would tear up toilet paper as he sat on the commode, and then he would strew the bits of toilet paper throughout the house. While we were pleased that he was toilet trained, we weren’t thrilled to have the house look like a hamster cage, with bits of paper all over the floor. Fortunately, this stage didn’t last long. At times Alex will do a finger flicking motion, which is fairly common in autism, but his has some numerical association, as he counts while moving his fingers. We’ve wondered if he’s developed some sort of calculation method with his fingers, not unlike the Chisenbop method for calculating large numbers by assigning values to specific fingers. Since Alex has amazing natural ability in math, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has some method to this seeming madness of fingers moving up and down as he recites numbers aloud.

A more recent stim that seems to be fading lately is Alex’s tendency to twirl his hair as he’s thinking. While many typical children and adults, although usually female, twirl their hair, Alex’s hair twirling seems to be a replacement for earlier stims. I’m pleased that he’s developed one that is more socially acceptable than earlier ones, but I always have to remember to keep his hair longer on top as I cut it so that he has some hair left to twirl. In addition to leaving him enough hair for twirling, I also make sure he has squishy stress balls to calm his hands when he needs tactile stimulation. This summer I found some bags of small splash balls in the dollar section at Target that he likes to hold and squeeze. Made of nylon material and polyester filling, these balls intended for playing in the swimming pool seem to calm Alex when he’s agitated because they provide an outlet for his need for touch. As I think back on all the various stims Alex has outgrown, I’m thankful to realize how much progress he has made over time and reminded not to fret about any current issues, such as his recent phase of not talking much, because like the stims, they will eventually pass.

“Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36

Stims

A common trait found in children with autism is self-stimulatory behavior, often known as “stims,” and Alex has exhibited a variety of these stims over the years. Because many of these children have sensory integration dysfunction or sensory processing disorder--namely problems with their senses being either excessively or under sensitive to stimuli--they often develop coping skills to help them deal with the world around them. For example, children with highly acute hearing, including Alex when he was younger, will often cover their ears when they hear a noise that bothers them. If children crave sensory input, they may engage in movements to help them sense their bodies in space, such as rocking back and forth, a common behavior seen in children with autism, and one we observe in Alex at times. While these behaviors appear unusual, they are necessary to help calm the child by blocking unwanted input or coping with a need for movement or touch.

From the time he was born (and even before that, as we saw on his in-utero sonogram images), Alex sucked his thumb and continued to do so until he was about five years old. Although this oral stimulation behavior is common in many children (I also sucked my thumb until I was five years old.), he combined it with an unusual tactile stim we called “tagging.” While sucking his right thumb, he would reach around with his left hand and grab the tag at the back of the neck of his clothes and rub it. At first, we wondered if he was bothered by the feel of the clothing tags and that was the reason for pulling on them, but we noticed that he actually seemed to like the sensation of the slightly raised letters sewn on the tags. In fact, sometimes he would instead grab the clothing tag of whomever was holding him. I remember Ed’s brother came to visit when Alex was little and jokingly commented that he was leaving while all of his clothing tags were still intact. Now that so many clothes are made tagless, I’m not sure what Alex would have done without the additional sensory input of the tag to touch. After Alex was diagnosed with autism, I read about using a NUK baby gum stimulator brush on the roof of the child’s mouth to address the oral sensory needs. The brush is made of rubber with little raised nubs, and I was able to find one easily at Walmart as part of a baby oral care kit. Alex really liked having the NUK brush rubbed on the inside of his mouth and seemed to find this sensory integration exercise calming.

In addition to thumb sucking, Alex also had a habit of chewing on things. When he still sucked his thumb, he would often chew his shirt collars if he was using his hands and couldn’t suck his thumb. Also, after he stopped sucking his thumb, he chewed on his shirt regularly, apparently as a substitute for sucking his thumb. This necessitated changing his shirt numerous times throughout the day and often eventually resulted in chewing holes in his shirts. Eventually we were able to help Alex stop chewing his shirts by having him instead chew on rubber tubing his occupational therapist provided. However, if he couldn’t find his “chewie,” he would chew on anything handy—pens, toys, plastic ends of drapery and blind pull cords, and even removing his socks so that he could gnaw on them. This stim vastly improved once all of his permanent teeth erupted, so it may have been in response to teething pain. However, until his wisdom teeth completely came through the gums, he continued some chewing behaviors until his mid-teens. Fortunately, now we rarely see any oral motor issues with him, and he doesn’t seem to need any oral stims to calm himself. In my next blog entry on Wednesday, I’ll write about tactile stims Alex has had and overcome through the years.

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.” I Peter 1:6

Storage

The other day I was working on one of my dreaded summer tasks—organizing our basement storage room. When we put away the Christmas decorations in that room six months ago, I remember thinking that we really needed to straighten up all the clutter that seems to accumulate in there, so easily forgotten by its location and the door that closes it away from the rest of the house. After watching a recent episode of Clean House, in which professionals help people organize their messy houses (some of which resemble those on Hoarders), I realized that I needed to attack that room with a vengeance, sorting the contents into three categories: keep, give away, or throw away. Motivated by a stormy day that prevented doing anything more fun or more productive, I headed to the basement ready to confront the job ahead. Moreover, I knew I had a deadline because our city offers clean-out days after major holidays in which they permit people to set out more garbage than fits in the designated trash containers without charging a fee.

With Fourth of July imminent, I had an opportunity to throw away things I’d been keeping far too long. We’ve lived in this house for ten years, and I still haven’t opened some of the boxes from moving that are stored down there. Of course, those boxes contain things I don’t currently need but hate to throw away, such as my college graduation gown, extra napkins from our wedding reception with the data of our wedding and our names embossed on them, and Ed’s childhood baseball trophies. Aside from those sentimental items, Christmas decorations, suitcases, and other assorted belongings, a number of things had no reason to remain and were headed for the large trash bags to be delivered curbside next week or boxes to be donated to Goodwill this weekend. Amid the various boxes of household items to be sorted, I ran across a large laundry-sized wicker basket I remembered that we used to keep on the bottom shelf of our built-in bookshelves in the living room at our previous house, where Alex and I had easy access to its contents. Pulling the basket out from behind the cardboard boxes stacked in the storage room, I discovered a variety of objects geared to help his sensory, fine motor, and language skills that I had gathered to help him work on some of these weaknesses. This basket of learning included the following items:

• three pieces of rubber therapy tubing, each about a foot long, that his occupational therapist gave us for Alex to chew on instead of his fingers or his shirt collars, which worked like a charm, saving his shirts—I threw away two and kept one as a reminder of a problem we overcame with a simple solution.

• a Cootie game with all the pieces (bodies, heads, legs, etc.) still there, a game we used to help his fine motor skills as he assembled the plastic bugs, which he never liked to do, preferring the game Trouble with its Pop-o-Matic dice and brightly colored pegs instead—I put Cootie in the Goodwill box.

• two View-Masters, one newer Fisher Price one I bought for Alex with cartoon reels and an older original one (probably one of the first ones made) that belonged to my dad with a set of National Parks reels, both intended to help his eyes work together by looking through the binocular lenses at the 3-D images—I kept the antique one and gave away the new one.

• a container of crayons, markers, colored pencils, and chalk that were to entice Alex to work on his fine motor drawing and writing skills but never seemed to hold much interest for him since he could type faster and more accurately—Many of these were broken because Alex had trouble holding them properly, and I threw them away.

• a travel-sized Etch-a-Sketch intended to help Alex learn to turn dials, but as I recall, he enjoyed the fun of erasing by shaking it more than creating by turning—I’m thinking I’ll keep this and see if he might try it again.

• a few squishy balls with various textures for his tactile issues that he seemed to enjoy handling—I threw these away in deference to his current choice of squishy small globes my Mom picks up for him at Michael’s craft store. Alex especially likes when I sing, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” as he holds his compact version of the world in his own hands.

• a squishy heart with “YOUR [sic] SPECIAL” written on it—Even though I do think Alex is special, the error of using “your” instead of “you’re” bothers the English teacher in me, so this had to go to the garbage bag.

• two large denim beanbags my mom had made, another sensory toy—Filled with birdseed, the combination of age and basement dampness made the beanbags stink and earned them a trip to the trash.

• a set of flashcards about the U.S. Presidents, which were bent and missing a few, and one about animals, which were in pristine condition; obviously Alex preferred the Presidents to the animals—The practically new animals cards are going to Goodwill, the well-loved Presidents are going to the curb.

• a couple of wooden alphabet blocks, clearly well-used by the wear on the letters from being handled often—These will be reunited with their beloved other alphabet friends in the set I found when cleaning out Alex’s room earlier this summer.

• a plastic shoehorn advertising the bank where my father worked when I was a child and a wooden block in the shape of a shoe with holes drilled in it and laced with a shoelace to teach how to tie shoelaces—These were some of the best finds of my cleaning adventure and will be released from their basement confines to the upstairs living areas where they will be utilized since I’m getting tired of helping Alex put on and tie his shoes. Hopefully, he’ll be receptive to trying to learn this basic task once more, especially since he has some new/old tools of the trade.

Although I still have more to organize in the basement, the task is coming along nicely, and I enjoyed reminiscing as I sorted through Alex’s sensory toy basket. Once again, by looking back on our past, I feel a sense of optimism and hope about our future because I realize just how far Alex has come and know that he still has potential to overcome the obstacles autism has placed in his path.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Matthew 6:19-21

Recommended Too

In my last blog entry “Recommended,” I mentioned that Amazon. com sends me e-mails on a regular basis called “Recommended for You” that suggest items I might like to buy based upon my purchase history on their website. However, these recommendations are actually geared for Alex because he is the avid Amazon shopper; I’m just the one who places the orders for him online. The most recent “Recommendations for You” list included the following items: Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms, a digital light meter, a Math Shark electronic game, and a Robot Claw toy. Frankly, it’s a little eerie how well they know my son and his idiosyncratic interests. I think he’d like all of those suggestions, but the only one that really intrigues me is that Robot Claw. However, I would be curious to see what lists they’d come up with for me if they knew my buying habits instead.

One category of recommendations would likely be cleaning supplies. Over the years, I have tried a number of products to make my life easier with cleaning up after Alex, especially since toilet training him took years. While none of the companies who make these products are compensating me for their endorsements, I sing their praises nonetheless. For its ability to suction up fluids quickly and easily, the Bissell Spot Lifter portable carpet cleaner is a handy tool to clean up messes from all types of floor surfaces. After cleaning up the mess, Woolite pet stain remover not only removes stains but the odors that accompany the source of those stains. Before Alex was toilet trained, we went through so many spray bottles of that stain remover someone might think we had a house full of pets. After the carpets dry, another great product is Arm and Hammer baking soda carpet deodorizer, which keeps rooms smelling fresh while being safe for pets and children. Similarly, regular baking soda is a wonderful addition to laundry products. After doing many loads of Alex’s clothes and bedding after he had toileting accidents, I found that baking soda removed any odors completely. Also, when he went through a phase of chewing on his shirt collars, baking soda in his laundry kept his shirts from reeking of bad breath odor. While these products saved our carpets and laundry, one of my favorite recommended cleaning products are Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Although I tend to be suspicious of anything described as “magic,” these handy sponges are everything they claim to be. From wiping off handprints to stuck-on food stains, the Erasers easily clean without damaging surfaces. My favorite use for the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, though, is wiping boogers off walls. While I don’t need to explain how I know this use, I will add that I have considered putting NASCAR tear-off windshields on the wall next to Alex’s bed. For those who are not NASCAR fans, the race car windshields have several clear vinyl covers over them that they tear off during pit stops. This is a faster way to remove debris than cleaning the actual windshields. If I had those tear-offs, I wouldn’t need the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, but I doubt that they market tear-off windshields for household use.

Besides products that I would recommend for conventional uses, my list would include common items for unconventional uses in the household where a child with autism lives. For example, the NUK Healthy Start training toothbrush set is intended to keep a baby’s gums and emerging teeth healthy. We used the NUK rubber-tipped brush with Alex even after he had permanent teeth as a way to decrease his sensory issues by gently rubbing the roof of his mouth with it. Similarly, the Slinky is a classic toy for most kids that can go up and down stairs, but holding the Slinky in both hands and shifting the coils with their soft clicking noise calms Alex as a sensory device. Another typical item we used to calm Alex when he was younger was a simple calculator. I always carried one in my purse, and if he became anxious or bored when we were out in public, I’d hand him the calculator. He’d happily press the buttons [and was probably doing calculations before we recognized his savant math skills] and keep himself occupied. The calculator has now been replaced by handheld electronic games and Ed’s iPod when Alex needs something to keep him busy while he waits. Trying times pushed us into figuring out solutions to problems, and we came up with a couple of common objects that helped us tremendously. When Alex was having meltdowns during his turbulent teen years, he’d often scratch and pinch us. To prevent that, we discovered that oven mitts limited his ability to hurt us. We kept pairs of them throughout the house so that when he became agitated, we’d tell him he need to put them on to keep his hands warm, and he couldn’t scratch or pinch with those padded hands. Sometimes, he’d even fall asleep wearing them. When he went through sleepless times, we didn’t want him wandering through the house, and we really didn’t want him getting in the habit of sleeping in our bed. Buying an air mattress to put in his room as a temporary bed for one of us to stay with him until he fell asleep was a simple solution to a big problem. They say, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and I would say that being the mother of a child with autism has made me much more inventive—thanks to God’s help—than I would have ever thought. If Amazon ever comes up with a “Recommended for You” list geared for autism moms, I’d be curious to see what else they might include, but I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for those tear-off windshields.

“O Lord my God, You have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list...” Psalm 40:5