10:35pm October 7, 2014

➸ Phoebe Caldwell - Autism

madeofpatterns:

We cannot tell how able a child is until we have addressed their sensory processing problems. In order to reduce overloading the processing system and consequent sensory chaos, we need to scale down those inputs to which the individual’s brain is hyper (over)sensitive and increase those to which it is hypo(under)sensitive, as well as communicating through non-verbal signals that the brain can easily recognise. Stress levels are reduced and the brain starts to function more effectively. Although not every child will be able to respond positively, it is always worth exploring these options.

This makes me want to hide and scream no no no no. I don’t know why. Do you?

just the quoted bit is saying that people aren’t people until their sensory issues are gone

My sensory issues are me.

They aren’t an added-on part of me that can be resolved and taken off like an ill-fitting jacket.

It doesn’t matter how much trouble they cause me, they’re still me.

They cause me a lot of trouble and they are still me.

They can’t be removed.

They are not removable.

People have tried.

There are things that can be done to make me feel better.

But my basic perceptual makeup is who I am and I can’t imagine changing that even being possible.

Also sensory issues are not just hyper- and hypo- sensitivity. Many of my sensory issues involve scrambling, agnosia-like issues, and other things that don’t fall under the usual headings of “your senses are either too loud or too quiet”. In fact most of my sensory issues don’t fall under that. Most of my sensory issues fall under “I perceive the world so fundamentally differently than you do that it’s almost like we’re from different species, and you can’t just muck around with it as if you think you know what you’re doing, and then declare you’ve found and liberated the real me inside.”

Better people than you have tried already.

Notes: