News and Knowledge

The ‘Perspective’ column provides readers of The OARacle a firsthand account on a range of topics related to autism from someone affected by a developmental disorder. This month’s features an article about Summer Living with Autism by Liane Holliday Willey, Ed.D., originally published in the May 2005 issue of The OARacle.

Just as summertime is filled with fabulous opportunities for growth and enlightenment, it is also stuffed with any number of sensory overload possibilities. I heard it said that back in the days before pesticides and citronella, screen doors and sticky fly traps, people went stark raving mad over bugs. I live in the woods and I believe the bugs in my homestead drive me mad several times a day. As a matter of fact, while writing this, I squashed a mosquito. Nasty things. A bug like that is just the kind of thing that can make a person plagued by sensory integration dysfunction freak out. First comes the bug, then the sting, then the itch, then the scratch, then the bleeding sores, then the infections, then the trips to the doctor for tubes of cream, then… Must I go on or do you get the point? I imagine you do.

But imagine also, a summer sensory system challenged not just by bugs, but by sunburn (and more lotions and creams to avoid or appease the burn), screaming lawnmowers, competing radios, barking dogs chasing noisy neighbors, splashing swimmers, dewy mornings, humid afternoons, evenings scented by a smorgasbord of grilling meats and rotting vegetable gardens, the bright sun that stays in the sky beyond its welcome and too many tastes that should be treats were it not for the weather melting them or molding them before their time.

What to do, what to do? For starters, I recommend trying to control as much of your tumultuous summer sensations as you can. Get a Venus Fly Trap for your child’s room. Bag up extra ice so foods and drinks that are meant to be frozen or cold can be kept on the chill. Indulge in insulated cups and glasses. Find sunglasses that your child actually enjoys wearing. Purchase prescription sunglasses, if you can’t find the little flip down shades that cover clear lenses, for him or her. Encourage your child to experiment with earplugs and ear phones early in the spring so that by summertime, they can plug up or plug in and block out much of the summer racket. Don’t go outside during prime grilling hours, but if you must, try one of my favorite tricks for avoiding the “smellies” — dab a touch of an acceptable scent (I use peppermint) on a bandana that can be discretely used as a mask to cover most smells. Just advise your children that they tell others a nasty cold or allergies are plaguing their system and the bandana is there to catch the dribbles. Go to the pools, playgrounds and parks on off hours or build your own refuge in your backyard or — better yet — inside your home where you can really control the sensory environment.

All I’m really recommending is that you follow bits of common sense in order to avoid too many sensory sensations. Avoid what you can and practice getting used to, and preparing for, what you can’t. When all is said and done, summer time can be a time filled with fun and relaxation, and yes, even enlightenment and growth. I’ll tackle those topics another time! Until then, watch out for those bugs!

Liane Holliday Willey, Ed.D., is an internationally-known speaker and writer on Asperger Syndrome and a researcher who specializes in the fields of psycholinguistics and learning style differences. She is the author of Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger’s Syndrome and Asperger Syndrome in the Family: Redefining Normal as well as the editor of Asperger Syndrome in the Adolescent Years: Living with the Ups, the Downs and Things in Between. For more information about Dr. Holliday, please visit her website at http://www.aspie.com.