A Sensory Integration Tale

Post Reply New Topic

A Sensory Integration Tale

Mad Jack went to visit his friend Sabra. He was edgy because he had been on sensory overload for a week. His skin felt like it was on fire; even air was bothering him. He was overdressed because the sensation of the soft fluffy cotton was preferable to the feeling of air moving on his skin. Still, he was cold and so he was also wearing a jacket. He drove to Sabra’s house and she let him in. Her house was crowded and smelly because she had a lot of laundry plus she had dogs and cats. That day she had brought some things upstairs from her basement so there was a musty moldy smell too. Sabra had asked Jack to help her with some shelves she was building. When he arrived, she wasn’t ready because she wanted to go to a fast food store to get breakfast. She first asked Jack if he wanted anything.
Jack said, “No, I’m tired.”
“Well, do you want to come with me?”
“No, I think I want to rest. I got tired driving here.”
Sabra went into the bathroom and from there shouted, “Jack?” Jack didn’t hear her. He was busy trying to calm down from all the things that were coming into his eyes and nose. The dogs were trying to climb on him and a cat was meowing at him. Jack liked dogs and cats; in fact he liked them better than humans, but he couldn’t juggle petting them with…..
“Jack!” Sabra yelled.
“Yes?” Jack shouted back.
“Do you want to come with me?”
“No. I’m tired.”
“Do you want to lie down or do you want to come with me?”
“I’m alright.”
“Are you OK?”
“Yes. I’m just trying to figure out how I feel about something.”
“Why don’t you come with me? We can talk in the car.”
“OK”
“They got into the car and Sabra said, “I’m not opening the sunroof because I know you would be uncomfortable.” She and Jack had had many conversations about his sensory integration issues. She drove to the coffee shop and the drive up line was long, so she decided to park and go in. The parking lot was crowded too, and she made several sharp maneuvers to get the car into a space. Jack began to feel a little ill. He gets car sick easily. Sabra asked if he wanted to go in. He said no. Then she abruptly backed out of the space. “We’re going through the drive through,” she said, “the line in there’s all the way to the door.” Jack was silent.
“So what were you thinking about?”
“I was thinking about therapy and how I was not having a good time. I am wondering if it was because the therapist was wearing makeup.”
“Why would that bother you?”
“I don’t know. It made her look like a scary clown.”
Sabra interrupted the conversation to place her order. She made a joke, but the employee didn’t laugh. “No sense of humor,” she said. Jack said, “Maybe it’s because its very busy.” “You should always have a sense of humor,” she replied. She picked up her order and said, “Do you want to go down to the river?” “I don’t care.” They had arrived at the fork in the road; Sabra hesitated, then yanked the wheel to the right. They went down a steep hill and pulled into a small parking lot where there was set up a table and people were signing up for a boating event. “Oh, I didn’t know it would have so many people,” she said. Jack was silent. Sabra drove next to a big truck and parked there. A small section of the river was visible.
“Do you want to get out?”
“No.”
“I thought so.”
Sabra drank some coffee and ate a doughnut in a few gulps.
“So what were you saying?”
“About my therapist.”
“Well, you know, I have always told you that you should be more vocal with your therapist. You need to tell - her - what - you - need." With each word, Sabra hit the back of Jack’s seat. With the first tap, a feeling began to creep up the back of Jack’s neck. When it reached his head, he restrained himself from rubbing. Sabra continued talking and tapping his seat.
“Um, would you mind - "
“What? What’s the matter?”
“Um, could you stop tapping the chair?”
“Oh, sorry.”
Sabra finished her doughnut and began a monologue on the perils of therapy. Finally, Jack said, “Um, Sabra – "
“What’s the matter?”
”Too much talking.”
“Oh, sorry.” Sabra continued with her monologue. Jack began rubbing his head furiously - the uncomfortable sensation had spread there. He rocked a little and hoped Sabra didn’t see it. She had yelled at him for rocking in the past. His hearing shut off. He looked at Sabra. Her mouth was still moving. Time went away too. Suddenly they were back at Sabra’s house. Her mouth was still moving. She stopped the car and opened the door. She got out and Jack opened his door. Sabra never set her parking brake so when she got out, the car rocked back and forth. Jack got out and sat on the steps. Sabra had already gone inside. He rocked until he felt better. Then he went inside to help her with the shelves.

This is a true story that happened today. My friend (name changed) says she understands my sensory integration issues. I think that she thought her talking would distract me from my distress.

Yep yep. I tend to have the urge to pull at my hair in frustration.... I don't have the thing with feeling like my skin is on fire though.

Thank you for writing this. Although I do have Asperger's syndrome, I do not experience sensory integration problems to the extent that you and DeepThought do. This writing provides better insight into your particular condition than I at least could have a priori.

I am probably hypersensitive in some respects, but I don't let it ruin my day. Perhaps some of my maladaptive characteristics are the result of this hypersensitivity, and now I'm regretting having built a highly avoidant approach to the world: being now understimulated in life instead of overwhelmed.

Things like constantly itchy skin, a small range of easily tolerable temperatures, having trouble understanding people when there's too much background noise, hypersensitive hearing, etc. don't reach the level of crisis for me in my life.

Thanks for the insight end to this. I to sometimes have this problem. You story was very insightful for me.

Thanks