The Physical Aspects of Asperger's Syndrome
9. Physical Comfort
I mention physical comfort in the context of a report on autism and Asperger's
Syndrome not to indicate that I expect Aspies to be allowed to be more comfortable than
others, but to suggest that they are chronically less comfortable than
others. Both my research and my personal experience teach me that living
in an autistic body can be a very confusing, irritating, painful, and annoying
experience. Not every minute, of course. However, Aspies often have
higher sensitivities to the environment; their senses are acutely accurate, even
too accurate at times.
Clothing
Some ways to address the physical comfort needs of an Aspie are to surround them
with things that feel good to them. If they prefer natural fabrics, then
try to make most of the clothing and bedding cotton or some other natural fiber.
Of course, I'm not advocating that it's okay to dress down everyday, wearing
sweats five days in a row. Dress appropriate for the occasion, but be on
the lookout for materials that feel better than others.
Some children, such as my nephew, enjoy using a weighted vest at times. These can be purchased online, and are often helpful with children who throw fits a lot. Some want surroundings, clothes, and shoes to be very tight, and some very loose. Some hate to have anything but bare feet, some hate to have their shoes off. Some are comforted just by holding something in their hand. (I didn't believe it at first, but it's true!) Find what works for you, and then try to take care of your body a little by giving it some of what it needs.
Sensory Integration Disorder
Sensory Integration Disorder is a condition that sometimes accompanies
Asperger's Syndrome. In this disorder, the brain and the nervous system
improperly understand what the senses are reporting to them. It can be like
living in a body, but without the body accurately reporting what it's feeling. This
makes understanding your world and caring for yourself very confusing and
complicated tasks.
Please take extra effort to address the physical discomforts of the Aspie in your life, even if that person is you. Sometimes autistic people don’t feel pain properly. Sometimes they ignore it because they are focused on something else, or they barely feel it if opiate levels are high from eating gluten and dairy. However, these problems, even if barely or not at all felt, still cause stress to the person. Addressing allergies, pain, and gastro-intestinal discomfort can go a long way in helping the autistic person feel a lot more comfortable in their body. Be sure to help an Aspie who is too cold, physically irritated, or experiencing any pain.
Allergies and Injuries
Allergies are also a very common ailment for Aspies, and need to be treated. Eliminate
the source of the allergen whenever possible, such as with dust allergies.
Otherwise,
treat the symptoms. Sometimes there is a minor injury, such as a
twisted ankle, sore arm or neck muscles, dry eyes, splinter, or other usually
overseen discomfort. An Aspie has a good chance of naturally ignoring such
issues, even if they are bothering him. Some Aspies need to be reminded to take even the most basic care
of their bodies. They'll ignore the impulse to eat, sleep, or even use the
bathroom. With training, these things can be worked on and better habits
can be instilled. Please
create good habits in order to begin to address the needs of your body.
Pay Attention to the Body
I had to post a note to myself on the wall outside my bedroom. I so
commonly live in my head that I forget I have a body. Without specific
effort, I naturally would
not feed it, let it sleep, clean it, or address its problems. It's as if I
think I'm living in the clouds where I don't have to worry about such concerns.
The note says: "You live on Earth. Act accordingly." To
me, this means remember that you are here, and have a body, and that everyone
on Earth has to take care of their body. So, I do too. I'm just a
person that needs a little extra daily reminder on the subject.
Sometimes Aspies have very real and somewhat serious medical problems. They will have a very hard time verbalizing how they feel and what is wrong. Likewise, they won't even know when it's worth mentioning or not. Problems could include needing eyeglasses, having back pain, dizziness, unusual joints, asthma, ear infections, congestion, a rash, soreness, being too cold, or having a headache. This is just a sampling. The main thing to know is that Aspies are bad at articulating and treating such problems, and they could use some help in this area.
Physical comfort, and a body that isn't preoccupying its owner with problems, is necessary in order to allow the greatest amount of social ability in an Aspie. Many times I've wanted to socialize with my friends, and couldn't figure out how to do so as well as I have in the past because I was preoccupied with unsolved physical problems, such as low blood sugar or ankle pain.
Environment
Toxins in the environment can also cause strain on the body. I didn't
believe this one at first either. It was recommended to me to try a
natural laundry detergent and to stop using dryer sheets. I replaced the
dryer sheets with dryer balls from Dryer Max, available from drugstore.com.
They have no chemicals on them, but still help prevent static. Ever since
doing this, I've noticed a big change. I used to hate folding the laundry
because it made me so tired. I couldn't explain it. I figured
laundry was just hard. Ever since the change, I get only a fraction of how
tired I was before. I guess this is the normal amount that a person should
be tired after doing laundry. It appears to me that the chemicals in the
soap and dryer sheets were taxing my system in such a way as to make me much
more tired. Amazing! It's making me reconsider all of my house
cleaning products in the hope that I can alleviate as many things as possible
which are making my body work harder to stay healthy.
Illness
I mention illness here just because it is a common problem in everyone's life. I refer you to an article I wrote last year on ways to avoid common illnesses. http://www.blueginger.org/illness.html Mainly, though, for the brief version, I recommend plenty of Zicam, and also the use of Traditional Medicinals herbal tea, and goldenseal for infections. If you stay on top of a developing cold or flu, and treat it before it gets started, it won't develop into anything.
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