We have a child in our center who gets upset when the room gets a little louder than normal or when the children start to sing. I was wondering if this is a sign of HIgh Spectrum Autism because occasionally he is rubbing his fingers together on a cosistent basis. I also thought about sound deprevation as a young child. I just was wondering if you had any suggestions of testing or of what it could be. He freaks out when the children start to sing and says it's too loud it's too loud
2015-02-05 10:49:57
Many children have symptoms consistent with sensory integration processsing problems. This is when a child is either hyper- or hypo- aroused by their environment. In your situation your son sounds that he is especially sensitive to loud sounds and his rubbing his hands together may be a way that he self soothes through tactile sensation. Children with sensory issues often are drawn or repelled to certain textures. I would meet with a child psychologist for a full evaluation to determine if his sensitivities are part of a sensory integration disorder or part of something broader such as an autism spectrum disorder. A psychologist should evaluate for cognitive social and developmental skills appropriate for his age. I would also advise consulting with an occupational therapist who can help create strategies to cope with sound sensitivities. Good luck. - Dr. Varia
2015-02-05 10:50:37
