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AUTISTIC
TACTILE PROBLEMS
I
pulled away when people tried to hug me, because being touched
sent an overwhelming tidal wave of stimulation through my
body. I wanted to feel the comforting feeling of being held,
but then when somebody held me, the effect on my nervous system
was overwhelming.
I pulled away when people tried to hug me because being
touched sent an overwhelming tidal wave of stimulation
through my body.
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Small
itches and scratches that most people ignored were torture.
A scratchy petticoat was like sandpaper rubbing my skin raw.
Hair washing was also awful. When mother scrubbed my hair,
my scalp hurt. I also had problems with adapting to new types
of clothes. It took several days for me to stop feeling a
new type of clothing on my body; whereas a normal person adapts
to the change from pants to a dress in five minutes. Many
people with autism prefer soft cotton against the skin. I
also liked long pants, because I disliked the feeling of my
legs touching each other.
Squeeze
Machine
Many
autistic children will seek deep pressure. Many parents have
told me that their children get under the sofa cushions or
mattress. I craved deep pressure stimulation, but I pulled
away and stiffened when my overweight aunt hugged me. In my
two books (Grandin and Scariano 1986 and Grandin 1995), I
describe a squeeze
machine. I constructed to satisfy my craving for the feeling
of being held. The machine was designed so that I could control
the amount and duration of the pressure. It was lined with
foam rubber and applied pressure over a large area of my body.
I have found that if I use my squeeze machine on a
regular basis that I have nicer images in my dreams.
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Gradually
I was able to tolerate the machine holding me. The oversensitivity
of my nervous system was slowly reduced. A stimulus that was
once overwhelming and aversive had now become pleasurable.
Using the machine enabled me to tolerate another person touching
me. A partial explanation for the lack of empathy in autism
may be due to an oversensitive nervous system that prevents
an autistic child from receiving the comforting tactile stimulation
that comes from being hugged. I learned how to pet our cat
more gently after I had used the squeeze machine. I had to
comfort myself before I could give comfort to the cat. It
is important to desensitize an autistic child so that he/she
can tolerate comforting touch. I have found that if I use
my squeeze machine on a regular basis that I have nicer images
in my dreams. Experiencing the comforting feeling of being
held makes nasty or mean thoughts go away. 
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