If you are familiar with autism at all, you may also understand that many autistic children have sensitivities to touch. New research has shown that this common autism symptom could be caused because of developmental delays when the brain is in the womb. Researchers found that the parts of the brain that related to touch developed late in a group of mice that were tested, who also shared the autism symptom of a sensitivity to touch.
However, this is not the main cause of autism, but it is only a piece of the puzzle to take into consideration. This provides greater understanding about how brain development influences autism, but it is not yet the whole picture. Some of the most common symptoms to look out for related to autism are a high sensitivity to movement and touch or being under sensitive to movement, touch, sight, and sound. Autistic children are also often easily distracted, and they may have emotional or social problems. Autistic children may also experience an imbalance in their activity level, where it is unusually high or low. These children may have physical clumsiness, impulsive behavior, and a hard time calming themselves down.
These symptoms can also be closely related to other disorders, such as emotional problems, learning disabilities, and Attention Deficit Disorder. However, much of this is related to one of the main symptoms of autism, which is having a high sensitivity to touch so much so that a child may not even want to be hugged. This in itself is not a sole symptom of autism whatsoever, but it backs up the research in showing that it is a piece of the puzzle. Autism research has not yet advanced to discover the cause of the condition, but studies are continuing to try to find the root issue, such as the study above that linked a slow brain development to a sensitivity to touch in mice.
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Comments (4)
I have Asperfer's, and I just can't bear to have my legs touched. I hope that doesnt cause problems in bed. I also have a hard time calming down whenever I'm anxious, so it's nice to know why this happens.
Interestingly, my autistic daughter loves touch. To be touched, and to touch....The problem has been to teach her what is "appropriate". This is one area where clear "no's" are essential. Such a shame, as for her, touch is one way she communicates.....
Claire Hayes
www.autismparentsupport.com
Thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post
In most cases I don’t make comments on blogs, but I want to mention that this post really forced me to do so. Really nice post!