Are There Any ASD People Who *Don't* Have Sensory Issues?

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I'm just curious, really. It seems like everyone here pretty much does to at least some degree, and i know i do.. But it's not in any official criteria that i know of, so i'm wondering if it's really a universal thing or if there are any autistic folks on here who don't feel that they have any sensory processing abnormalities.

Mine are minor.

No, I have lots of sensory issues that I have trouble with.

Mine aren't too major, I don't like being touched much, but I'm not sure if it's as much a sensory issue or a trust issue. I can't stand slimy feeling things, but I will force myself to do it if it's for something I love (papermache). I'm very sensitive to noise, though most of the time it's quiet but really annoying sounds that bug me, I've mostly learned how to turn out loudness (I had to)

Funny that you mention that... When i was in third grade i refused to participate in this papermache art activity because i was afraid of it.. It just looked really slimy and gross and i didn't want to touch it at all. On one of the progress reports they sent home for the parents, the teacher even wrote that i was afraid of papermache. Kind of funny looking back on it, but it wasn't at the time. The teachers were even kind of teasing me with it until they realized that it seriously freaked me out.

Can you define the categories? What qualifies for disabling for instance?

My main AS problems are from sensory processing. I have problems with all the senses, tactile being the worst. The hardest thing for me to regulate is temperature. I seem to need the temperature to be between about 75 and 78 degrees, which is why I moved to Hawaii. If I'm too cold or hot, I cannot function.

I believe that a lot of autistic behavior is our brain's way of dealing with sensory issues. I recommend the following book:
"Sensory Perceptual Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Different Sensory Experiences, Different Perceptual Worlds"
Here's the amazon.com page for it, where you can look inside the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Sensory-Perceptua ... 403&sr=8-1

I'd say "disabling" would be if the sensory issues themself keep you from functioning well.. Like if there are a bunch of regular things you can't do because of it(for example, can't go shopping because of the noise and lights).

I cannot work outside of the home full-time because of mine.
I cannot work in groups because of sensory issues. (and other AS issues as well, but the sensory alone impinges enough to make it impossible with people for too long.)
I cannot cope with a normal day to day life as others in the working world do.

My clinical psych said I have an AS dx but my sensory issues would fall within the autism range in terms of a dx.
They are fairly severe - so much so i have had to drop out of everything I have ever undertaken and the longest I have ever been able to work, full time, is a few weeks, and it nearly killed me and I ended up medicating again to deal with the sensory realm of the real workaday world that most people simply take for granted.

I cannot function normally.
And yet, I am hyper-verbal, very skilled and talented in some areas.

At one stage in my life I spent 7 or so months in a rehab environment and I had to be around people, do groups, learn social skills training, learn how to pay bills, budget, learn how to live, basically. It was SO difficult to stay. I had six prior attempts at rehab (all of which I left or was asked to leave because I could not comply or cope or fit in and deal with normal sensory things so i had meltdowns all the time.....) BUt the 7th I actually completed after they put me on some medication. I am so glad I did. It was the hardest thing I have ever done.

When I taught 2 day Masterclass painting workshops, I would frequently go into the toilets in the country hall where the workshops were held, and sit there quietly several times a day to try to calm down from the sensory overload.

I voted for "significant, but mostly manageable" because there are a lot of things that cause me discomfort and this can affect me in a lot of negative ways, but i can generally deal with it and it doesn't keep me from doing many things that i would otherwise do. I don't like being touched and i don't like certain loud noises, but i can tolerate that stuff. It can kind of stun me though, sometimes feeling kind of like someone just ran up out of nowhere and slapped me in the face. Today a loud unexpected beep at work from this thing with the volume turned up way too high was like getting shocked, and it made me kind of jumpy and scatterbrained(well, more than usual) for a little while. I also have some trouble hearing exactly what people are saying when there's more than one person talking at a similar volume, there's a lot of background noise, they don't speak clearly, etc. and this affects me a lot with things like understanding a conversation people around me are having. I mean, even if i had better social skills then it would still be difficult to join in a lot of group conversations that other people have no difficulty with because of this. If i ask people to repeat things, get closer to them, or they say it clearer then i can usually get it though, so i still end up being able to hear most of the important things at work and being able to talk to customers one-on-one.. But hearing a conversation my coworkers are having right there around me can be difficult if they aren't very close or speaking loudly, and the rest of them seem to hear eachother fine most of the time. When i get overloaded with sensory input, i usually just sort of mentally disconnect. I can still function mostly, but it's very unpleasant nonetheless.

They are significant enough that they prohibit me working in most work environments. They are significant enough to prevent me from doing certain tasks, particularly driving. But not enough to say that all work environments are too much for me.

Last edited by Xelebes on 17 Jan 2010, 2:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

I have trouble understanding how exactly can you tell if you have senory problems. (what is it?) I know I have auditory processing disorder at which some things I hear I don't interpret it well and my brain thinks its something else.

I voted significant, but mostly manageable...They were much worse when I was younger, and everything seemed capable of giving me a headache...

I am sensitive to lighting and to sound frequencies. I am sensitive to the texture of clothing and also smells......

Mine are at a level that I would say is "very significant, to the point that it interferes with certain activities." They aren't disabling by any means, but they are only manageable because of the fact that I have to work my life around them (i.e. only wear certain types of clothing, not get my face wet, etc).
-OddDuckNash99-

I don't have issues in terms of loud noise, flourescent bulbs/strobe lights or any of that fun stuff - I can deal with most atmospheres and places just fine. I have noticed though that I do have problems with visual overload - ie. too much coming in, I can't process it that well, and being in crowded places can drain me to where things start feeling a bit surreal. If I am at a crowded outdoor event or something of that nature; a few stiff drinks tends to help me sort of tune out the excess - same with bars and clubs. However, if its something with enough synchronicity - like lets say a concert, where there is a central focus, much less is needed if anything.

I said 'significant but manageable', admittedly I function in life as if I didn't have AS or anything else generally speaking - I have a good job, don't need or choose any sort of accommodation (seem way too normal for it to be seen as anything less than vulgar as it is), have friends, go out to bars and clubs occasionally; at the same time I feel like my energy currency gets spent much more readily than a lot of other people I know. A lot of my ability to function this well also stems from very well formed internal tactics and awareness that have helped me along the way.

It is not that hard to tell. Do you scream when people touch you or touch all the objects in a room? Do you cover your ears to loud noises or like loud music constantly playing, or simply do not like multiple noises at once? Do your clothes have to not have tags, or be tight or baggy? Are you sensitive to temperature changes? Do you not like being off the ground, or like really fast rides and spinning and jumping? Do bright lights effect your vision, or do you stare into lights a lot of the time? These are sensory processing issues.

More: http://www.sensory-processing-disorder. ... klist.html