Neighbor News
AS and Hygiene: Sensory Overload
Dr. Clatch writes about how sensory processing issues are often a hindrance to practicing good hygiene.
One of the causes of hygiene issues among children and teens with Asperger’s Syndrome comes from how these individuals process sensory input. To put it plainly, keeping clean involves a lot of scrubbing that can feel uncomfortable or even painful to children with AS.
Many children and teens with AS will refuse to shower or to brush their teeth. Although caregivers may initially believe that these responses are due to laziness on the part of the child, in many instances refusal to engage in personal hygiene activities results from sensory issues encountered by the child. In an effort to illustrate this point, consider the AS child that has difficulty trying new foods because of their texture. Inserting a toothbrush with abrasive toothpaste into the mouth can overwhelm the child’s senses, creating an aversion to brushing one’s teeth. As a result, the AS child may not willingly brush his or her teeth each night despite efforts to educate the child about the potential harm that may result.
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