The role of tactile sensitivity in the life of a teenager. Development of tactile-kinesthetic sensitivity through sand therapy in children with visual impairment. Ways to help children with reduced sensory sensitivity

A child cannot develop a comprehensive understanding of the surrounding objective world without tactile-motor perception, since it is this that underlies sensory cognition. “Tactile” (from lat. tactilis) - tactile.

Tactile images of objects are a reflection of a whole complex of qualities of objects perceived by a person through touch, sensation of pressure, temperature, pain. They arise as a result of the contact of objects with the outer coverings of the human body and make it possible to know the size, elasticity, density or roughness, heat or cold characteristic of an object.

With the help of tactile-motor perception, first impressions are formed about the shape, size of objects, location in space, and the quality of the materials used. Tactile perception plays an exceptional role when performing various labor operations in everyday life and wherever manual skills are needed. Moreover, in the process of habitual actions, a person often hardly uses vision, relying entirely on tactile-motor sensitivity.

We emphasize that the child’s initial action with objects is grasping, during which various signs of the object are learned by touch, therefore, the hand “teaches” the eye. On the terminal phalanges of the fingers and the dorsum of the hand there are the largest number of tangoreceptors (from lat. tangere- touch and receptor- receiving) - specialized endings of sensory nerve fibers located in the skin and reacting to touching it. This explains the special sensitivity of these areas of the body when exposed to one of the types of irritations (touch, pressure, vibration, itching, etc.). The hand is the organ of touch, which means that the main efforts of the educational psychologist should be aimed at developing the sensitivity of the hand receptors.

For this purpose, various types of activities are used that directly or indirectly contribute to the development of tactile-motor sensations:
- modeling from clay, plasticine, dough;
- applique from different materials (paper, fabric, fluff, cotton wool, foil);
- appliqué modeling(filling the relief pattern with plasticine);
- paper design(origami);
- macrame(weaving from threads, ropes);
- drawing fingers, a piece of cotton wool, a paper “brush”;
- games with large and small mosaic, constructor(metal, plastic, push-button);
- collecting puzzles;
- sorting small items(pebbles, buttons, acorns, beads, chips, shells), different in size, shape, material.

In addition, practical activities evoke positive emotions in children and help reduce mental fatigue.

We should not forget about traditional finger gymnastics, about the use of elements massage And self-massage hands, which undoubtedly also helps to increase tactile sensitivity.

It is known that almost 18% of the body is skin. Stimulation of its nerve endings contributes to the formation of more complete ideas about the objects of the surrounding world.

To develop tactile sensitivity in children with intellectual disabilities, a subject-spatial developmental environment is required, which must include appropriate materials. The harmony of the combination of various shapes, sizes, textures, colors of objects, the natural qualities of natural materials not only allow children to master new sensations, but also create a special emotional mood.

A fully organized tactile environment allows, through the development of tactile sensitivity, to expand ideas about various objects and objects of the surrounding reality.

Let us give examples of the use of various didactic simulators, games, and aids that serve to develop tactile sensitivity in children.

Use has a good effect massage ball rollers. Roller balls, different in shape, elasticity, and surface texture, provide a wide range of different sensations that can be obtained by working with these objects independently or focusing on your sensations, while a specialist gives them a light massage.

Ball baths They are a large container filled with multi-colored plastic balls of the same or different sizes. By “bathing” in such baths or putting their hands in them, children receive new tactile sensations.

By analogy, you can make "tactile" baths- scatter peas or beans, beans, acorns in a small box. Searching for small objects in such a “bath” helps to activate finger gnosis.

Gaming tactile panel "Glade in the forest"(touch panel for hands) is a panel made of carpet and a number of removable parts depicting any scene (in this case, a “clearing in the forest” - a stump, trees, bushes, flowers, berries, a hedgehog, grass, etc.) . All parts are attached to the main panel using buttons, hooks, various fasteners, and Velcro. Parts must be different in color, shape, size, texture, material. By composing plot compositions on panels from the proposed details, children experience a variety of tactile sensations, while simultaneously learning the qualities of various materials, practicing modeling spatial relationships according to the teacher’s instructions, and subsequently according to their own ideas.

"Sensory trail for feet"- this is a carpet path on which “bumps” of different textures are attached using Velcro: bags made of thin but durable fabric with different fillings (rags, pieces of leather, foam rubber, small pebbles, peas, etc.). The variety of sensations makes walking along the path exciting. Such walking is useful for the development of tactile perception, as well as for coordination of movements and the prevention of flat feet. For a more complete experience, it is recommended to walk barefoot or wear thin socks.

Rubber mat with non-sharp thorns: stand, lie down, walk.
Self-massage and mutual massage of the arms, legs, and back using massage brushes, terry mittens, a wheel massager, a foot massage roller, etc. are useful.

Vibration sensations children receive massage of individual parts of the body with an electric massager, brushing their teeth with an electric toothbrush, etc.
If possible, you should use the natural conditions of the natural environment: organize games with water (at different temperatures), small pebbles, dry sand (warm and cold), etc.

Very useful for students (especially first grade) games with numbers from rough(velvet, emery, etc.) paper: “Determine by touch”, “Find the right number”, “Show the number”. The child repeatedly runs his hand over the number, feels it and names it. At the same time, not only the shape is remembered, but also the way of writing this number, which is associated with its name. Students who wish to immediately write this number should be given this opportunity.

Games of this type are recommended to be carried out with gradual complication: from teaching palpating actions under the guidance of a teacher to the student independently completing the task, with his eyes closed. By analogy, it is possible to use different letters of the alphabet.

The currently accepted classification distinguishes two types of touch: passive and active. Passive touch is carried out thanks to the activity of the skin-mechanical analyzer. However, while tactile stimuli act on the body (or any part of it) at rest, the emerging image of the object is characterized by globality, some uncertainty and inaccuracy. It becomes clear that the primary role in cognition is given to active touch. The tactile image is formed on the basis of the synthesis of many tactile and kinesthetic signals generated by direct impact on the skin. An important component of the process of touch is muscle-motor sensitivity.

Thus, sensation and perception, physiologically speaking, are reflexive in nature and are a kind of orienting actions. The sensory image itself can be interpreted, in the words of B. G. Ananyev, as a “reflex effect of the analyzer’s work.” This is especially evident in the process of tactile and visual perception.

Familiarization with the special properties of objects turns out to be impossible without movements of the hands and eyes, examining various parts of the object in a certain sequence. The completeness and correctness of the image of the perceived object depends on the synchronization of movements of the fingers of both hands, the accuracy and purposefulness of movements, and the sequence of perceptual actions.

Children with intellectual disabilities are characterized by an orientation towards separately perceived, often insignificant features of an object. Tactile movements during examination are chaotic and cannot give an idea of ​​the object being examined. Children often miss when they want to take a distant object or perform some action with it, which is a consequence of the underdevelopment of motor (kinetic and kinesthetic) sensitivity and the coordination of movements closely related to it. Deficiencies in the development of the sense of touch negatively affect the formation of visual and effective thinking.

Some existing studies (A.P. Gozova, R.B. Kaffemanas) have shown that three-dimensional objects are recognized more easily by children with intellectual disabilities than flat objects, since planar images of objects lack a number of perceived features, including through the sense of touch.

The practice of working with such children confirms that the most complete ideas arise when perception is included in practical activity: in this case, a general and diffuse idea of ​​the subject is subsequently replaced by a more specific and detailed one. This is why it is so important to teach children systematic examination.

Tactile motor perception carried out in different ways - by feeling the object or tracing its contour. At the same time, a different image appears: in the process of palpation - three-dimensional, when tracing - contour, planar.

Tactile perception- this is a process unfolded over time, which means that the speed of receiving information is low. However, during training, the appropriateness of palpating movements gradually develops, and the role of different types of sensitivity increases.

All correctional work on the development of tactile sensitivity in children with intellectual disabilities is carried out in several stages, each of which is characterized by a gradual complication of both the examination process itself and the verbal report on the identified qualities and properties of the object, its main features.

We list the main ones:
- feeling objects with different surfaces with open eyes, then with closed ones; training in special examining movements (stroking, kneading, tapping, squeezing, etc.), designating in separate words the properties and qualities of the materials used, the characteristics of the object;
- finding by touch the required three-dimensional object according to the description of the properties and qualities of the material from which it is made (selecting first from 2 objects, and then from 3-5 objects);
- finding the outline of a proposed object from several (3-4 objects);
- identification along the contour with the eyes closed (blindfolded) of the object itself;
- finding two identical contours of an object from several offered with closed (blindfolded) eyes.

Thus, through repeated sequential use of practical exercises, an increase in children's tactile sensitivity is achieved.

One of the main ways to correct these defects is didactic games. In games, it is necessary to create special conditions to highlight tactile-motor perception: put up a screen, use an opaque napkin or bag, offer to close (or blindfold) the child’s eyes, etc.

Didactic games for the development of tactile sensitivity

"Catch the Pussy"
The teacher touches different parts of the child’s body with a soft toy (pussy), and the child, with his eyes closed, determines where the pussy is. By analogy, you can use other objects to touch: a wet fish, a prickly hedgehog, etc.

"Wonderful bag"
Objects of different shapes, sizes, textures (toys, geometric shapes and bodies, plastic letters and numbers, etc.) are placed in an opaque bag. The child is asked to find the desired item by touch, without looking into the bag.

“Determine by touch”
The bag contains paired items that differ in one feature (large and small buttons, wide and narrow rulers, etc.). You need to recognize the object by touch and name its characteristics: long - short, thick - thin, large - small, narrow - wide, etc.

"Handkerchief for a doll"(identifying objects by the texture of the material, in this case determining the type of fabric)
Children are offered three dolls in different scarves (silk, wool, knitted). Children take turns examining and feeling all the handkerchiefs. Then the handkerchiefs are removed and placed in a bag. Children find the right handkerchief for each doll by touch in the bag.

“Guess by touch what this object is made of”
The child is asked to determine by touch what various objects are made of: a glass glass, a wooden block, an iron spatula, a plastic bottle, a fluffy toy, leather gloves, a rubber ball, a clay vase, etc.
By analogy, you can use objects and materials of different textures and determine what they are: viscous, sticky, rough, velvety, smooth, fluffy, etc.

"Find out the figure"
Geometric shapes identical to those in the bag are laid out on the table. The teacher shows any figure and asks the child to take the same one out of the bag.

“Recognize an object by its outline”
The child is blindfolded and given a figure cut out of cardboard (it can be a bunny, a Christmas tree, a pyramid, a house, a fish, a bird). They ask what this item is. They remove the figure, untie their eyes and ask them to draw it from memory, compare the drawing with the outline, and trace the figure.

“Guess what the object is”
Various voluminous toys or small objects (rattle, ball, cube, comb, toothbrush, etc.) are laid out on the table, which are covered on top with a thin but dense and opaque napkin. The child is asked to use a napkin to identify objects by touch and name them.

"Find a Pair"
Material: plates covered with velvet, sandpaper, foil, corduroy, flannel.
The child is asked, blindfolded, to find pairs of identical plates by touch.

"Find the box"
Material: matchboxes, the top covered with various materials: corduroy, wool, velvet, silk, paper, linoleum, etc. Pieces of material are also glued inside the drawers. The drawers are located separately.
The child is asked to determine by touch which box is from what box.

"What's in the bag"
The child is offered small bags filled with peas, beans, beans or cereals: semolina, rice, buckwheat, etc. Going through the bags, he determines the filler and arranges these bags in a row as the size of the filler increases (for example, semolina, rice, buckwheat, peas, beans, beans).

“Guess the number” (letter)
A number (letter) is written on the child’s palm with the back of a pencil (or finger), which he determines with his eyes closed.

"What is this?"
The child closes his eyes. He is asked to touch the object with five fingers, but not to move them. Based on the texture, you need to determine the material (you can use cotton wool, fur, fabric, paper, leather, wood, plastic, metal).

"Collect a matryoshka doll"
Two players approach the table. They close their eyes. In front of them are two disassembled nesting dolls. On command, both begin to collect their own nesting dolls - who is faster.

"Read"
The players stand next to each other. The person standing behind writes letters, words, numbers, figures, objects on the partner’s back with his finger. The person in front guesses. Then the children change places.

"Cinderella"
Children (2-5 people) sit at the table. They are blindfolded. In front of each is a pile of seeds (peas, sunflower seeds, etc.). In a limited time, you should sort the seeds into piles.

"Guess what's inside"
Two people are playing. Each playing child has in his hands an opaque bag filled with small objects: checkers, pen caps, buttons, erasers, coins, nuts, etc. The teacher names the object, the players must quickly find it by touch and take it out with one hand, and hold the bag with the other. Who will do it faster?

Metieva L. A., Udalova E. Ya. Development of the sensory sphere of children

Exercises for the development of tactile sensitivity and complexly coordinated movements of the fingers and hands.
1. The child puts his hands into a vessel filled with some homogeneous filler (water, sand, various cereals, pellets, any small objects). 5 - 10 minutes, as it were, mixes the contents. Then he is offered a vessel with a different filler texture. After several trials, the child, with his eyes closed, puts his hand into the offered vessel and tries to guess its contents without feeling its individual elements with his fingers.
2. Identification of figures, numbers or letters “written” on the right and left hand.
3 Identification of an object, letter, number by touch alternately with the right and left hand. A more complex option - the child feels the proposed object with one hand, and sketches it with the other hand (with open eyes).
4. Modeling geometric shapes, letters, numbers from plasticine. For school-age children, modeling not only printed but also capital letters. Then recognition of the molded letters with eyes closed.
5. Starting position - sitting on your knees and on your heels. The arms are bent at the elbows, palms facing forward. The thumb is opposed to the rest. At the same time, with both hands, two slaps are made with each finger on the thumb, starting from the second to the fifth and back.
6. "Rubber band". For this exercise, you can use a hair elastic with a diameter of 4-5 centimeters. All fingers are inserted into the elastic band. The task is to use all your fingers to move the elastic band 360%, first to one side and then to the other. It is performed first with one hand, then with the other.
7. Roll the pencil between the fingers from the thumb to the little finger and back, alternately with each hand.
8. Game "Multi-colored snowflakes" (age - 4 years). Aimed at developing fine motor skills and neatness.
Materials: felt-tip pens, white paper, scissors.
The presenter shows how to make snowflakes from sheets of paper by cutting them. After the children make many different snowflakes, he says that the snowflakes turned out, although different, but of the same color. Then the felt-tip pen friends came and gave the snowflakes colorful dresses. The presenter asks the children to color the snowflakes.
Because The snowflakes turn out to be delicate; the paper needs to be stronger. Painting movements affect the development of fine motor skills of the hands.
9. “Repeat the movement” (variant of the game “Monkeys” by B. P. Nikitin)
An adult, sitting opposite a child, makes some kind of “figure” with the fingers of his hand (some fingers are bent, some are straightened - any combination). The child must bring the fingers of his hand into exactly the same position - repeat the “figure”. The task here is complicated by the fact that he still needs to mirror it (after all, the adult is sitting opposite). If this task causes difficulties for the child, then you can first practice by doing the exercise while sitting next to (and not opposite the child). This will make it easier for him to copy the position of his fingers.
10. Drawing games. If a child has poorly developed fine motor skills and finds it difficult to learn to write, then you can play games with drawing. For example, race to trace squares or circles or move through a labyrinth drawn in advance (the most interesting thing is when a child draws a labyrinth for a parent, and a parent for a child. And everyone tries to draw more intricately). Now on sale there are many different stencils of all kinds of geometric shapes and animals, but, in principle, they are easy to make yourself.
11. Games with household items. The advantage of the games given below for the development of fine motor skills in children is that they do not require any special toys, aids, etc. The games use available materials that are found in any home: clothespins, buttons, beads, cereals, etc.
Take a bright tray. Sprinkle any small grains onto a tray in a thin, even layer. Run your baby's finger over the rump. You will get a bright contrasting line. Let your child draw a few chaotic lines himself. Then try to draw some objects together (fence, rain, waves), letters, etc.
Choose buttons of different colors and sizes. First, lay out the drawing yourself, then ask your child to do the same on his own. After the child learns to complete the task without your help, invite him to come up with his own versions of the drawings. You can use a button mosaic to make a tumbler, a butterfly, a snowman, balls, beads, etc.
Give your child a round hair brush. The child rolls the brush between his palms, saying:
"At the pine, at the fir, at the Christmas tree
Very sharp needles.
But even stronger than the spruce forest,
The juniper will prick you."
Take a sink grate (usually it consists of many squares). The child walks with his index and middle fingers, like legs, along these cells, trying to take steps on each stressed syllable. You can “walk” alternately with one hand and then with the other, or you can do it with both at the same time, saying:
"We wandered around the zoo,
Each cell was approached
And they looked at everyone:
Bear cubs, wolf cubs, beavers."
Let's take the dumpling maker. Its surface, as you remember, is similar to a honeycomb. The kid uses two fingers (index and middle) to depict a bee flying over a honeycomb:

"Fingers, like bees, fly through the honeycombs
And they enter each one with a check: what is there?
Will we all have enough honey until spring?
So that you don’t have hungry dreams?”
Pour 1 kg of peas or beans into a pan. The child puts his hands in there and imitates kneading dough, saying:
"Knead, knead the dough,
There is room in the oven.
They will be out of the oven
Buns and rolls."
Pour dry peas into a mug. For each stressed syllable, the child transfers the peas, one at a time, to another mug. First with one hand, then with both hands at the same time, alternately with the thumb and middle finger, thumb and ring finger, thumb and little finger. Any quatrains can be selected.
Place the peas on a saucer. The child takes a pea with his thumb and forefinger and holds it with the other fingers (as when picking berries), then takes the next pea, then another and another - so he picks up a whole handful. You can do this with one or two hands.
We place two caps from plastic bottles on the table with the threads facing up. These are "skis". The index and middle fingers stand in them like feet. We move on “skis”, taking one step for each stressed syllable:
"We're skiing, we're rushing down the mountain,
We love the fun of cold winter."
You can try to do the same with both hands at the same time.
The child collects matches (or counting sticks) with the same fingers of different hands (pads): two index fingers, two middle ones, etc.
We build a “log house” from matches or counting sticks. The higher and smoother the log house, the better.
Using a clothespin (check on your fingers that it is not too tight), we alternately “bite” the nail phalanges (from the index to the little finger and back) on the stressed syllables of the verse:
"The silly kitten bites hard,
He thinks it's not a finger, but a mouse. (Change hands.)
But I'm playing with you, baby,
And if you bite, I’ll tell you: “Shoo!”
Take a rope (as thick as a child’s little finger) and tie 12 knots on it. The child, fingering the knots with his fingers, names the month of the year in order for each knot. You can make similar devices from beads and buttons.
We stretch the rope at the level of the child’s shoulders and give him several clothespins. For each stressed syllable, the child attaches a clothespin to the rope:
"I'll pin the clothespins deftly
I'm on my mother's rope."
Starting from a corner, the child crumples a handkerchief (or plastic bag) so that it all fits in his fist.
The child rolls a walnut between his palms and says:
"I'm rolling my nut,
To become rounder than everyone else."
The child holds two walnuts in one hand and rotates them around one another.
12. Games - lacing by Maria Montessori:
- develop sensorimotor coordination, fine motor skills of the hands;
- develop spatial orientation, promote understanding of the concepts “above”, “below”, “right”, “left”;
- develop lacing skills (lacing, tying a lace into a bow);
- promote speech development;
- develop creative abilities.
Games with lacing also develop the eye, attention, strengthen the fingers and the entire hand (fine motor skills), and this in turn affects the formation of the brain and the development of speech. And also, which is not unimportant, Montessori lacing games indirectly prepare the hand for writing and develop perseverance.
It’s not just tiny kids who explore the world with their hands; toys that require the work of the hand and fingers are also useful for older children. Maria Montessori almost a hundred years ago gave her children pieces of leather with holes and laces - they develop their hands, teach them to concentrate, and will be useful in life. We, unlike Montessori, will not have to sit with scissors and rags. You can simply buy a “lacing game” - a set of multi-colored laces and a shoe, button, “piece of cheese” or some other wooden thing with holes. Sometimes they also come with a wooden needle. Can you imagine how nice it is for a girl to get a forbidden needle and thread and become “just like her mother.” It should be remembered that the development of fine coordination of movements and manual skill presupposes a certain degree of maturity of brain structures; control of hand movements depends on them, so in no case should you force the child.
How can we explain the fact that there are now so many lacing toys? After all, today’s parents did not have such toys in childhood, nevertheless, they grew up as normal people. There is a bewilderment, why is all this necessary?
It turns out that most modern children have a general motor lag, especially urban children. Remember, now even in kindergartens they ask you to bring shoes with Velcro, so that teachers do not have to take the trouble to teach the child to tie his shoelaces. Even 20 years ago, parents, and with them their children, had to do more with their hands: sort through cereals, wash clothes, knit, embroider. Now there is a car for each lesson. A consequence of poor development of general motor skills, and in particular the hands, is the general unpreparedness of most modern children for writing or problems with speech development. With a high degree of probability we can conclude that if everything is not in order with speech, it is probably problems with motor skills.
However, even if the child’s speech is normal, this does not mean that the child is good at using his hands. If at the age of 4-5 years tying shoelaces causes difficulties for a child, and nothing can be molded from plasticine except balls and sausages, if at the age of 6 sewing on a real button is an impossible and dangerous task, then your child is no exception. Unfortunately, problems with coordination of movements and fine motor skills, most parents find out only before school. This results in an increased burden on the child: in addition to learning new information, he also has to learn to hold a pencil in his unruly fingers. More than anything else, a small child wants to move; for him, movement is a way of understanding the world. This means that the more accurate and clear the children’s movements, the deeper and more meaningful the child’s acquaintance with the world.

Development of gross motor skills
Exercises to increase activation levels.
These exercises increase the child’s potential energy level, enrich his knowledge about his own body, and develop tactile sensitivity.
1. Self-massage of the ears. The earlobe is pinched with the thumb and forefinger, then the ear is kneaded along the edge from bottom to top and back.
2. Self-massage of the lateral surfaces of the fingers.
3. With your fingers spread, clap your hands several times so that the fingers of both hands touch. Then the claps are performed with fists oriented with the back surface first up, then down, out, in.
4. Self-massage of the head. The fingers are slightly bent. With smooth stroking movements, both hands move from the ears to the top of the head.
5. Squeezing your hand with the palm of your opposite hand, massage it, moving your palm from the wrist and back, then from the shoulder to the elbow and back. Same with the other hand.
6. General foot massage. Stroking and rubbing thighs, calves, toes, feet.
This block of exercises can include various types of general and acupressure massages, exercises to develop fine motor skills, walking barefoot on surfaces of various textures, etc.

Exercises for the development of gross motor skills, the formation of simultaneous and reciprocal sensorimotor interactions, a sense of the boundaries of your body and its position in space.
1. "Log". From a lying position on your back (legs together, arms extended above your head), roll several times, first in one direction, then in the other.
2. "Kolobok". Lying on your back, pull your knees to your chest, clasp them with your arms, pull your head towards your knees. In this position, roll several times, first in one direction, then in the other direction.
3. "Writing in the air." I.p. - lying on your back, arms extended forward in front of your chest. At the same time (in one direction), the hands “write” letters, numbers, and whole words in the air. The same technique is used when correcting writing - when missing letters, replacing them, “mirror” writing and other errors. In this case, at first the teacher can perform the necessary exercises together with the child, taking his palms in his own.
This technique also helps relieve the child’s fear of the school board or notebook.
4. Drawing on a board or sheet of paper with both hands at the same time. Both hands first move in one direction, then in the opposite direction. First, the child draws straight lines - vertical, horizontal, oblique, perpendicular; then various circles, ovals, triangles, squares.
5. I.p. - sitting on your knees and on your heels. Hands are on your knees. One hand is clenched into a fist, thumb facing out. Unclenches. Clenches into a fist, thumb inward. Unclenches. The other hand is motionless. We change hands. The same with both hands together. Then the phases of movement shift (one
the hand clenches, the other simultaneously unclenches). If you master this exercise well, you can add movements of the tongue and eyes in various combinations.
6. I.p. - sitting on your knees and on your heels. Hands are on your knees. Alternately, each hand performs fist-rib-palm movements. After mastering, the same exercise is performed in a canopy, arms bent at the elbows.
7. And p. - sitting on your knees (standing). The arms are bent at the elbows. One hand performs a fist-palm movement, the other simultaneously performs a fist-edge-palm movement. After mastering, various oculomotor exercises are added.
8. I.p. - lying on your back, legs together, straight arms extended above your head. The right arm and right leg are bent, the elbow touching the knee. We return to IP. We repeat the same with the left hand and left leg. Then the exercise is done oppositely with the left leg and right hand and vice versa.
9. I.p. - lying on your back. Legs bent at the knees are on the floor, arms are folded in a boat and extended upward in front of you. We place our folded hands on the floor on one side of the body (while the hand on top “crawls” along the other hand), and the legs on the other side. At the same time we move our arms and legs in the opposite direction.
10. I.p. - lying on your back. Legs straight, arms to the sides. One leg bends at the knee, rises and moves outward (or inward), and places it on the floor. Returns to its original position. The same thing with the other leg. Then both legs work simultaneously.

11. I.p. - sitting on your knees (standing). For this exercise you need a tight, but not elastic, oblong object (a rag “sausage”). The presenter throws the object to the child, the child catches it, moving only his hands. Then the object must be caught with one hand. When the exercise is mastered, the child is given the task of alternately closing one or the other eye, catching the object with either the right or left hand.
12. From a lying position on your stomach, we depict a caterpillar: arms are bent at the elbows, palms rest on the floor at shoulder level; Straightening your arms, lie down on the floor, then bend your arms, raise your pelvis and pull your knees towards your elbows.
13. Crawling on your stomach. First, in flattish style. Then only on your hands, legs relaxed. Then only with the help of your legs, hands behind your back (in the last stages, hands behind your head, elbows to the side).
14. Crawling on your stomach using your hands. In this case, the leg rises vertically from the knee (simultaneously with the leading hand, then with the opposite one).
15. Crawling on your back without the help of arms and legs (“Worm”).
16. Crawling on all fours. Crawling forward, backward, right and left with the simultaneous advancement of the arms and legs of the same name, then the opposite arms and legs. In this case, the hands are first positioned parallel to each other; then they cross, that is, when moving with each step, the right hand goes behind the left, then the left goes behind the right, etc. When mastering these exercises, you can put the re
Place a flat object (a book) on the child’s shoulders and set the task not to drop it. At the same time, the smoothness of movements is practiced, and the awareness of the position of one’s body in space improves.
17. Practicing combined movements of the eyes, tongue, head, arms and legs when crawling on all fours.
18. "Spider". The child sits on the floor, places his hands slightly behind him, bends his legs at the knees and rises above the floor, leaning on his palms and feet. Steps simultaneously with the right hand and right foot, then with the left hand and left foot (the exercise is performed in four directions - forward, backward, right, left). The same thing, only opposite arms and legs walk at the same time. After mastering, movements of the head, eyes and tongue are added in various combinations.
19. "Elephant". The child stands on all fours so that the weight is distributed equally between the arms and legs. Simultaneous steps with the right side, then the left. At the next stage, the legs go parallel and the arms cross. Then arms parallel, legs crossed.
20. "Goslings." A goose step is practiced with a straight back in four directions (forward, backward, right, left). The same with a flat object on the head. After practicing, multidirectional movements of the head, tongue, and eyes are included.
21. Step in place. The child marches in place, raising his knees high. The arms hang along the body.
22. I.p. - standing, straight arms extended forward. One hand palm up, the other down. The child begins to march, changing the position of his palms with each step. The same, but changing palms every step, then two. After mastering, various oculomotor exercises are added in various combinations.
23. I.p. - standing on all fours. The child straightens and lifts one leg above the floor, moving it first to one side, then to the other. The rest of the body is motionless. The same with eyes closed. After mastering, the opposite arm is extended forward simultaneously with the leg. Then the same name.
24. I.p. - standing on one leg, arms along the body. By closing our eyes, we maintain balance for as long as possible. Then we change legs. After mastering, you can use various finger and other movements.
25. "Swallow". I.P. - standing on one leg, the second leg extended back parallel to the floor, the torso tilted forward, arms to the sides. The same with eyes closed. Change leg.
26. “Log” on the wall. I.p. - standing, legs together, straight arms extended above your head, back in contact with the wall. The child makes several turns, first in one direction, then in the other so as to constantly touch the wall. Same with eyes closed
27. Stand against the wall, feet shoulder-width apart, palms on the wall at eye level; move along the wall to the right (3-5 meters), and then to the left. The same with an additional step - the arms and legs of the same name move (arms parallel to the legs). Then opposite hands and feet. The same with a cross step with the arms crossed (the arms and legs of the same name move).
28. “Repeat the movement” (variant of the game “Monkeys” by B.P. Nikitin). The leader (adult) makes some movements: squats, raises his hands up, claps his hands - and the children must repeat them after him. The pace of movements can be slowed down or accelerated. To also include attention training, you can introduce “prohibited movements” (a certain movement cannot be repeated), or “replacement movements” (when some movement must be replaced with another, for example, when the leader jumps, the children must sit down).

Tactile sensitivity is the sensitivity of the etheric body. We can say that this is the first level of extrasensory perception. This is the ability to collect information with your hands. And immediately after meditating on the 17th lasso, proceed to the next exercise.

Extend your arms at shoulder level with your palms facing each other. Start concentrating on the tingling sensations in your fingers and palms. Try to mentally strengthen them. This can be done by mentally bringing your palms closer to each other, leaving them actually in place.

Having achieved maximum sensation on your palms, begin to really move them towards each other with springy movements, as if squeezing an accordion. Do this slowly, with all your attention concentrated in a space of 2-3 cm from the surface of your palms. Your task is to find the boundaries of the etheric hands. That is, push the ethereal hands together. In this case, you will feel that your hands are repelling each other, like different poles of a magnet.

Next, begin to move one palm over the surface of your hand and body, without touching them and trying to feel the etheric body in each area. Then switch hands. The longer and the more often you resort to this practice, the more strongly this ability will be written into your contract. And if at first you need to enter the 17th lasso to increase etheric sensitivity, then over time you will only need to concentrate your attention on your palms, and you will immediately begin to feel the etheric body.

Having said that, I would like to clarify the importance of meditation on the 17th Arcana. The fact is that many people by nature have a powerful etheric body and can feel it immediately, but this does not allow their consciousness to be included in 4-dimensional perception. In other words, if the vehicle is on anahata, then scanning with the etheric body, in addition to tactile sensitivity, also provides information about the object. For example, by moving your hands over the surface of a person’s etheric body, you will feel not only the boundaries of this body, but also feel problem areas, which will give you information about the state of the internal organs and body systems. That is, the difference in this perception is that if consciousness begins to work at the frequency of anahata, then you will not only feel tactilely, but also realize an object. But that will come later, but for now, learn to develop tactile sensitivity on simpler things.

Feel everything first. Walls, objects, animals and plants. Next, have someone lay out several objects on the table, and with your eyes closed, try to determine their location. Then place objects made of various materials on the table - metal, wood, stone. Scan them. Find the difference in tactile perception. And with your eyes closed, try to determine what this or that object is made of.

Place two sheets of paper on the table, one, for example, red, and the other blue. Even color gives different sensations. And again, with your eyes closed, try to determine the color.

You can come up with a hundred exercises to develop tactile sensitivity. If you devote an hour a day to this, then within a couple of months your tactile sensitivity will become so powerful that you yourself will be surprised. However, be careful when scanning people. First, never suggest this to people who are “out of the loop.” They may misunderstand you, and especially timid ones may cause you to go crazy. You can also pick up all sorts of energetic dirt, so then don’t be surprised why your stomach hurts or your immune system is weakened.

Practice. Moving to higher areas of magic without knowing the basics is a dangerous undertaking.

"With regard to taste, such children almost always have pronounced likes and dislikes. The same applies to touch. Many children show an abnormally strong aversion to certain tactile sensations. They cannot stand the rough surface of a new shirt or a patch on socks. Washing water is often "for them a source of unpleasant sensations, which leads to very unpleasant scenes. There is also hypersensitivity to noise. In this case, the same child may be hypersensitive to noise in some situations, but hyposensitive in others" - Hans Asperger (1944).

Doctors and scientists define Asperger's syndrome primarily by a profile of abilities in the areas of social reasoning, empathy, language and cognitive abilities, but one of the attributes of Asperger's syndrome clearly identified in autobiographies and parents' descriptions of their children is hyper- and hypo-sensitivity to certain sensory experience. Recent studies and reviews of previous studies have confirmed that Asperger's syndrome is characterized by an unusual pattern of sensory perception and reactions (Dunn, Smith Myles and Orr 2002; Harrison and Hare 2004; Hippler and Klicpera 2004; Jones, Quigney and Huws 2003; O'Neill and Jones 1997 ; Rogers and Ozonoff 2005).

Some adults with Asperger's syndrome report that sensory sensitivity has a much greater impact on their lives than problems with forming friendships, managing emotions, and finding employment. Unfortunately, doctors and scientists still tend to ignore this aspect of Asperger's syndrome, and we still do not have a satisfactory explanation for why a person may have unusual sensory sensitivity or effective strategies for modifying sensory sensitivity.

The most common symptom of Asperger's syndrome is sensitivity to very specific sounds, but a person may also have sensitivity to tactile experiences, light intensity, the taste and texture of food, and specific smells. There may be either an under- or over-reaction to feelings of pain and discomfort, an unusual sense of balance, perception of movement and body orientation in space. One or more sensory systems may be so affected that everyday sensations are perceived as unbearably intense or not perceived at all. Parents often wonder why these sensations are considered intolerable or go unnoticed, while a person with Asperger's syndrome also wonders how other people can have completely different levels of sensitivity.

Parents often report that their child reacts visibly to sounds that are so quiet that other people cannot hear them at all. The child is frightened by sudden noises or cannot tolerate a certain tone of noise (for example, the sound of a hand dryer or vacuum cleaner). The child has to cover his ears with his hands in a desperate attempt to get rid of the specific sound. A child may be averse to affectionate displays of affection, such as hugs or kisses, because they find them an unpleasant sensory (not necessarily emotional) experience. Bright sunlight may be “blinding,” certain colors may be avoided because they appear too intense, and the child may notice and become distracted by extraneous visual details, such as specks of dust floating in a beam of light.

A young child with Asperger's syndrome may limit himself to an extremely limited diet, outright refusing food of a certain texture, taste, smell or temperature. Smells such as perfumes or cleaning products may be actively avoided because they make the child feel nauseous. There are also problems with a sense of balance, when the child is terrified of lifting his feet off the ground and cannot stand hanging upside down.

On the other hand, there is a lack of sensitivity to certain sensory experiences, such as a lack of response to certain sounds, an inability to feel pain when injured, or a lack of need for warm clothing despite a very cold winter. The sensory system may be hypersensitive at one moment, but hyposensitive at another. However, some sensory experiences can produce intense pleasure in humans, such as the loud sounds and tactile sensations of a washing machine vibrating or the different colors of street lights.

Sensory overload

Children and adults with Asperger's syndrome often describe feelings of sensory overload. Claire Sainsbury, who has Asperger's syndrome, describes her sensory problems at school:
“The hallways and hallways of almost any public school are a constant stream of echoing sounds, fluorescent lights (particular sources of visual and auditory stress for people on the autism spectrum), ringing bells, people bumping into each other, smells of cleaning products, and so on. As a result, Anyone with the sensory hypersensitivities and stimulus processing problems that are typical of autism spectrum conditions spends most of the day in a state of near sensory overload" (Sainsbury 2000, p.101).

Intense sensory experiences, described by Nita Jackson as "dynamic sensory spasms" (N. Jackson 2002, p.53), result in a person with Asperger's syndrome experiencing extreme stress, anxiety and essentially "shock" in situations that other children would experience. are intense but enjoyable.

A child with sensory sensitivity becomes hypervigilant, constantly stressed, and easily distracted in a sensory stimulating environment, such as a classroom, because he does not know when he will have the next painful sensory experience. The child actively avoids certain situations, such as school hallways, playgrounds, crowded stores and supermarkets, that are too intense sensory experiences. The fears associated with such anticipation can sometimes become very severe, and as a result, an anxiety disorder can develop, such as a phobia of dogs barking unexpectedly, or agoraphobia (fear of public places), since the home remains relatively safe and controlled by sensory experience. A person may avoid social situations, such as attending a birthday party, not only because of uncertainty about social conventions, but also because of increased noise levels - screaming children, popping balloons. ...

Sensitivity to sounds

Between 70% and 85% of children with Asperger's syndrome have extreme sensitivity to certain sounds (Bromley et al. 2004; SmithMyles et al. 2000). Clinical observations and personal experience of people with Asperger's syndrome suggest that there are three types of noise that they experience as extremely distressing. The first category is unexpected, sudden sounds, which one adult with Asperger's syndrome called "edgy." These include dogs barking, a phone ringing, someone coughing, a fire alarm at school, a pen cap clicking, and crunching sounds. The second category includes continuous, high-pitched sounds, especially those produced by small electric motors in home appliances such as food processors, vacuum cleaners, or toilet flushes. The third category includes sounds that are confusing, complex, and numerous, such as in large stores or in numerous social gatherings.

It may be difficult for a parent or teacher to show empathy to a person in such a situation because typical people do not perceive such noises as unpleasant. However, an analogy can be drawn between this experience and many people's discomfort with specific sounds, such as nails scraping on a blackboard. The mere thought of such a sound is enough to make many people shudder in disgust.

Below are quotes from biographies of people with Asperger's syndrome that illustrate the intensity of such sensory experiences that cause pain or discomfort. The first excerpt is from Temple Grandin: "Loud, unexpected noises still frighten me. My reaction to them is more intense than other people's. I still hate balloons because I never know when one of them will pop and will make me jump. Steady high-pitched motor sounds, such as from a hairdryer or bathroom fan, still bother me, but if the frequency of the motor sounds is lower, then it does not bother me" (Grandin 1988, p.3).

Darren White describes it as: "I'm still afraid of the vacuum cleaner, mixer and shaker because they sound five times louder to me than they actually are. The bus engine starts with a deafening bang, the engine sounds almost four times louder than normal." , and I have to cover my ears with my hands almost the entire way" (White and White 1987, pp.224–5).

Teresa Jolliffe describes her hearing sensitivity this way: “The following are just some of the sounds that still upset me so much that I have to cover my ears to avoid them: screams, noisy crowded places, touching polystyrene, noisy machines on construction sites, hammers and drills , other electrical appliances, the sound of the surf, the creaking of a marker or pen, fireworks. Despite all this, I perceive and play music well, and there are certain types of music that I simply adore. Moreover, if I feel strong anger or despair for some reason reason, then music is the only thing that allows me to restore inner balance" (Jolliffe et al. 1992, p.15).

Liane Holliday Willey identifies several specific sounds that cause her to be in a state of extreme stress: “Ringing, piercing sounds at a high frequency seem to dig their claws into my nerves. Whistles, pipes, flutes, oboes and any close relatives of these sounds shake my calm and make my the world is a very unfriendly place" (Willey 1999, p.22).

Will Hadcroft explains how the anticipation of an unpleasant auditory experience creates a state of constant anxiety: "I was constantly nervous, afraid of literally everything. I hated trains that went under railway bridges when I was standing on them. I was afraid that the balloon would burst, that The firecracker will go off at the holidays and the Christmas cookies will start to crunch. I was wary of anything that might make an unexpected sound. Needless to say, I am terrified of thunderstorms, and even when I learned that only lightning is dangerous, thunder still scared me much more more. Guy Fawkes Night [a British holiday traditionally celebrated with fireworks] gives me a lot of stress, although I really enjoy watching fireworks" (Hadcroft 2005, p.22).

Acute hearing sensitivity can also be used as an advantage, for example, Albert knew when the train would arrive at the station a few minutes before his parents could hear it. In his words, “I can always hear him, but Mommy and Daddy can’t, and there is noise in my ears and body” (Cesaroni and Garber 1991, p.306). In my clinical practice, one child whose special interest was buses could identify every bus that passed his house by the noise it made. His secondary interest was license plates, so he could tell the number of every passing bus, even though he couldn't see it. He also refused to play in the garden near the house. When asked about this, he replied that he hated the "clacking" of the wings of insects, such as butterflies.

There may be a problem with “switching” and constant changes in the perception of sounds. Darren describes these floating switches: “Another trick my ears love is changing the volume of the sounds around me. Sometimes when other children were talking to me, I could barely hear them, and sometimes their voices sounded like gunshots.” (White and White 1987, p.224).

Donna Williams explains that: “Sometimes people have to repeat a sentence to me several times because I only perceive it in parts, as if my brain is splitting it into words and turning it into a completely meaningless message. It’s like someone “I was playing with the remote control and constantly turning the TV volume on and off” (Williams 1998, p.64).

We do not know whether sensory “switches” are associated with such intense attention to the current activity that auditory signals simply cannot distract attention, or whether it is actually a temporary and floating loss of perception and processing of auditory information. However, it is for this reason that many parents suspect that their young child with Asperger's syndrome is deaf. Donna Williams says: "My mother and father thought I was deaf. They stood behind me and took turns making a lot of noise, and I didn’t even blink in response. They took me to have my hearing tested. The testing showed that I was not deaf, and That was the end of the matter. Years later, my hearing was tested again. This time it turned out that my hearing was better than average, that is, I heard a frequency that only animals usually hear. The problem with my hearing is that my awareness of sounds is constantly changing" (Williams 1998 , p.44).

How can a person with Asperger's syndrome cope with this type of hearing sensitivity? Some learn to focus on or tune out certain sounds, as Temple Grandin describes: "When I encountered loud or disconcerting sounds, I couldn't modulate them. I either tried to tune them out completely and walk away, or I let them in like a train. To avoid them influence, I was completely disconnected from the world around me. Even as an adult, I still have problems modulating the auditory information coming in. When I use my phone at the airport, I can’t tune out the noise in the background, because it will force me to distract myself and from the voice on the phone. Other people can use the telephone in noisy places, but I cannot, although I have normal hearing" (Grandin 1988, p.3).

Other techniques include humming to oneself, which blocks out external sounds, and intense concentration on the activity at hand (a type of being completely engrossed in one's activity), which prevents the intrusion of unpleasant sensory experiences.

Strategies for reducing sensitivity to sounds

First of all, it is important to identify which auditory experiences are perceived as painfully intense when a child communicates his stress by covering his ears with his hands, flinching and blinking rapidly in response to unexpected sounds, or simply telling an adult that noise is unpleasant or painful for him. Some of these sounds can simply be avoided. For example, if the noise of a vacuum cleaner is too intense, then you can vacuum only when the child is at school.

There are several simple, practical solutions. One little girl with Asperger's syndrome could not stand the squeaking of chair legs when her classmates or teacher moved the chair. This sound was eliminated when the chair legs were covered. After this, the girl was finally able to concentrate on the content of the lessons.

Barriers can be used that reduce the level of auditory stimulation, such as silicone earplugs, which a person carries in his pocket at all times and can be quickly put on at any time when sounds become unbearable. Earplugs are especially useful in very noisy environments, such as a school cafeteria. In the quote above, Teresa Jolliffe suggests another strategy, namely, “...if I feel very angry or frustrated about something, then music is the only thing that allows me to restore inner balance” (Jolliffe et al. 1992, p.15 ).

Today we are beginning to recognize that listening to music through headphones is a way to camouflage too intense external sounds. This allows a person to calmly visit large stores or concentrate on work in a noisy classroom.

It is also helpful to explain the source and duration of a sound that is perceived as unbearable. Developed by Carol Gray, Social Stories (TM) are highly visual and can be adapted to tell stories about hearing sensitivity. The Social Story (TM) for a child who is sensitive to the sound of hand dryers in public restrooms includes a description of the function and design of the device and reassures the child that the dryer will automatically turn off after a certain time. Such knowledge can reduce anxiety and increase noise tolerance.

Obviously, parents and teachers should be aware of the child's hearing sensitivity and try to minimize the level of unexpected sounds, reduce background noise and conversation, and avoid specific auditory experiences that are perceived as intolerable. This will help reduce a person's anxiety level and will improve concentration and socialization.

There are two types of hearing loss therapy for children with autism and Asperger's syndrome. Sensory Integration Therapy (Ayers 1972) was developed by occupational therapists and builds on the groundbreaking work of Jean Ayers. This therapy uses specialized play equipment to improve the processing, modulation, organization and integration of sensory information. The treatment involves a controlled and enjoyable sensory experience, organized by an occupational therapist for several hours a week. Typically, the course of such therapy lasts several months.

Despite the great popularity of this treatment, there is remarkably little empirical evidence of the effectiveness of sensory integration therapy (Baranek 2002; Dawson and Watling 2000). However, Grace Baranek argues in her review of the research literature that the lack of empirical evidence for sensory integration therapy does not mean that the treatment is ineffective. Rather, we can only say that this effectiveness has not yet been objectively demonstrated.

Classroom integration therapy (AIT) was developed by Guy Berard from France (Berard 1993). The therapy requires a person to listen to ten hours of electronically modified music through headphones twice a day for half an hour for ten days. First, an assessment is performed using an audiogram to determine which frequencies are associated with hypersensitivity in a given individual. A special electrical modulation and filtering device is then applied to randomly modulate high and low frequency sounds and filter out selected frequencies that were established during the audiogram assessment. This treatment is expensive, and although there are anecdotal reports of some success in reducing auditory sensitivity, there is generally no empirical evidence to support AIT (Baranek 2002; Dawson and Watling 2000).

Although some sounds are perceived as extremely unpleasant, it is very important to remember that some sounds can bring great pleasure: for example, a small child may be obsessed with certain motifs or the sound of a ticking clock. Donna Williams explains that: "However, there is one sound that I love to hear - the sound of any metal. Unfortunately for my mother, the door bell fell into this category, so for many years I constantly rang it like a man possessed." (Williams 1998, p.45).

"My mother recently rented a piano, and I've loved those jingling sounds since I was very young. I started pulling the strings, and if I wasn't chewing on them, I was tickling my ears with them. Just like I loved the sound of metal hitting metal , and my favorite objects were a piece of crystal and a tuning fork, which I carried with me for many years" (Williams 1998, p.68).

Tactile sensitivity

Sensitivity to certain types of touch or tactile experiences occurs in more than 50% of children diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome (Bromley et al. 2004; Smith Myles et al. 2000). This may be extreme sensitivity to certain touches, levels of pressure, or touching certain parts of the body. Temple Grandin describes the acute tactile sensitivity she had as a young child: “As a baby, I rejected attempts to touch me, and I remember as an older woman, I would tense, flinch, and pull away from relatives when they hugged me” (Grandin 1984, p.155).

For Temple, the kinds of touches used for social greetings or affection were too intense and caused an overload, like a “tidal wave” of sensation. In this case, avoidance of social contacts is associated with a purely physiological reaction to touch.

A child with Asperger's syndrome may be afraid to be around other children due to the risk of sudden or accidental touching, and may avoid social gatherings with family because they tend to involve affection, such as hugs and kisses, which are perceived as too intense.

Liane Holliday Willey talks about her childhood: “It was impossible for me to even touch certain objects. I hated tight things, satin things, itchy things, anything that was too tight to the body. Just thinking about them, imagining them, visualizing them … as soon as my thoughts found them, I would goosebump and get chills and a general state of discomfort would set in. I would constantly take off my clothes, even when we were in public places” (Willey 1999, pp.21–2).

As far as I know, as an adult, Lian stopped acting this way in public. However, in a recent email she told me that she still has tactile sensitivity. According to her, sometimes she has to stop and go to the nearest store to buy some new clothes because she can no longer stand what she is currently wearing. And I'm sure this is not just an excuse for the husband to justify huge expenses.

As a child, Temple Grandin also did not tolerate certain tactile sensations from certain types of clothing: “Some episodes of bad behavior were directly caused by sensory difficulties. I often misbehaved in church and screamed because my Sunday clothes felt different. During cold weather, When I had to go outside in a skirt, my legs hurt. The itchy coats drove me crazy. For most people, these sensations meant nothing, but for an autistic child, they were tantamount to sandpaper being rubbed against unprotected skin. Certain types of stimulation repeatedly were aggravated by my damaged nervous system. The solution to the problem would be to find Sunday clothes that feel the same as everyday clothes. Even as an adult, I feel extreme discomfort from any new type of underwear. Most people are used to different types of clothes, but I I can feel clothes on me for hours. Now I buy casual and formal clothes that feel the same" (Grandin 1988, pp.4-5).

A child may insist on a very limited wardrobe because this ensures consistency in the tactile experience. Parents have problems with washing this limited set of clothes, as well as with buying new clothes. If the child can tolerate a particular item, then parents should buy several of the same items in different sizes to cope with washing, wear and tear and the growth of the child.

Certain areas of the body may be more sensitive. Most often this is the child's head, arms and hands. A child may experience enormous stress when washing, cutting or combing hair. Stephen Shore describes his reaction to having his hair cut as a child: “Getting a haircut was a big deal. It hurt! To reassure me, my parents told me that my hair was dead and that I couldn't feel anything. It was impossible to put it into words. "that my discomfort was due to the pulling of hair on my skin. If someone else washed my hair, then that was also a problem. Now that I am older, my nervous system has matured, and cutting hair is no longer a problem" (Shore 2001, p.19).

Negative haircut experiences can also be associated with auditory sensitivity, namely the aversion to the “harsh” sound of scissors cutting hair or the vibrations of an electric razor. Another problem may be a reaction to the tactile sensations of hair falling on the child's face and shoulders, and for very young children the situation is complicated by the lack of stability - they sit in an adult chair where their feet do not even touch the floor.

Asperger noted that some of the children he observed could not tolerate the feeling of water on their faces. Leah wrote to me, explaining the phenomenon this way: "As a child, I always hated taking showers and preferred to take baths. The feeling of water hitting my face was completely unbearable. I still hate that feeling. I went for weeks without showering." and I was shocked when I found out that the other children showered regularly, and some did it every day!”

Obviously, this feature negatively affects personal hygiene, and this, in turn, can interfere with communication with peers. Tactile sensitivity can also lead to aversion to certain activities at school. A child with Asperger's Syndrome may find the feeling of glue on their skin intolerable and may refuse to finger paint, sculpt with play dough, or participate in theater performances because they don't like the feel of costumes. Overreaction to tickling is also possible, as is overreaction to touching certain areas of the body, such as touching the lower back. When teenagers find out about this, they may be tempted to tease and torment the teenager with Asperger's Syndrome by poking their finger in his back and enjoying his fearful reaction and obvious discomfort.

Tactile sensitivity can also affect the sensual and sexual relationships between an adult with Asperger's syndrome and their partner (Aston 2003; Hénault 2005). Everyday expressions of affection, such as placing a comforting hand on a shoulder or expressing love through a tight hug, are far from pleasant sensations for a person with Asperger's syndrome. A typical partner of such a person may worry that his gentle touch does not bring joy, or that the person with Asperger's syndrome rarely uses it himself. More intimate touching, which is supposed to produce mutual sexual pleasure, can be unbearable and not at all pleasant for a person with Asperger's syndrome and tactile sensitivity. Aversion to physical touch during sexual intimacy is usually associated with problems with sensory perception, and not at all with a lack of love and desire for a relationship.

Strategies to reduce tactile sensitivity

What can be done to reduce tactile sensitivity? Family members, teachers, and friends should be aware of perceptual difficulties and possible reactions to some tactile experiences. They should not force a person to endure sensations that can be avoided. A young child with Asperger's syndrome may play with toys or participate in educational activities that do not trigger tactile defensiveness (the technical term for hypersensitivity to certain tactile experiences). Sensory integration therapy can reduce tactile defensiveness, but as discussed in the section on auditory sensitivity, there is still a lack of empirical evidence for the effectiveness of sensory integration therapy.

Family members can reduce the frequency and duration of affectionate expressions during greetings. A person with Asperger's syndrome should be warned when and how they will be touched, so that the tactile sensations are not unexpected and are less likely to cause panic. Parents can remove all tags from their child's clothing and encourage them to tolerate washing and cutting. Sometimes a head massage helps - the parent slowly but firmly rubs the child's head and shoulders with a towel, and only then uses scissors or a clipper. This helps to reduce the sensitivity of the child's head in advance.

Sometimes the problem is the intensity of the touch, where light touch is most unbearable, but intense pressure on the skin is acceptable and even pleasant. Temple Grandin found that firm pressure and squeezing were both pleasurable and soothing to her: “I would pull away and tense up when people hugged me, but I just craved having my back rubbed. Rubbing my skin like that had a soothing effect. I longed for deep pressure stimulation. "I would crawl under the couch cushions and coax my sister to sit on them. The pressure was very calming and relaxing for me. As a child, I loved to crawl into all the small and narrow spaces. It made me feel safe, calm and protected" (Grandin 1988, p.4 ).

She subsequently created a "squeeze machine" that is lined with foam and covers her entire body to provide intense pressure. She found that the machine had a calming and relaxing effect, which gradually reduced her sensitivity.

Lian Holliday Willie experienced intense tactile pleasure when she was underwater. In her autobiography, she writes: "Underwater, I found peace. I loved the feeling of floating underwater. I was liquid, calm, smooth, I was muted. The water was solid and strong. It held me safely in its black, stunning darkness and offered silence to me - pure and effortless silence. The whole morning could pass unnoticed while I swam underwater for many hours on end, straining my lungs in the silence and darkness until they forced me to draw air again" (Willey 1999, p. 22).

Thus, some individual tactile sensations may be very pleasant, but the presence of tactile defensiveness not only affects a person's mental state, it also negatively affects interpersonal relationships, since typical people touch each other often. The suggestion to "reach out to your neighbor" can sound quite daunting to someone with Asperger's Syndrome.

Sensitivity to tastes and smells

Parents often report that their young child with Asperger's syndrome has an amazing ability to recognize smells that other people don't even notice, and can be an unusually picky eater. More than 50% of children with Asperger's syndrome have olfactory and gustatory sensitivity (Bromley et al. 2004; Smith Myles et al. 2000).

Sean Barron explains his perception of the taste and texture of food: “I have a huge problem with food. I like to eat only lean and simple foods. My favorite foods are dry cereal without milk, pancakes, pasta and spaghetti, potatoes, including Potatoes with milk Since these are the foods I ate early in life, they soothe and comfort me. I have never wanted to try anything new.

I've always been hypersensitive to the texture of food, having to feel everything with my fingers to know what it felt like before I put it in my mouth. I just hate it when things are mixed in food, like noodles with vegetables or bread with sandwich fillings. I definitely can't put anything like that in my mouth. I know it will just make me vomit violently" (Barron and Barron 1992, p.96).

Stephen Shore had a similar sensory experience: "Canned asparagus is intolerable to me because of its slimy texture, and I didn't eat tomatoes for a year after a small tomato exploded in my mouth while eating. The sensory stimulation of a small vegetable exploding in my mouth was simply unbearable, and I was terrified of repeating the same experience. Carrots in a green salad and celery in tuna salad are still unbearable for me because the texture difference between carrots with celery and tuna is too great. I like to eat celery and baby carrots separately There were times, especially as a child, when I only ate in batches - I would eat one thing on a plate and only then move on to the next product" (Shore 2001, p.44).

A young child may insist on an extremely lean and restricted diet, such as only boiled rice or sausages and potatoes every night, for several years. Unfortunately, increased sensitivity and the resulting avoidance of tough or “wet” textures in food and certain food combinations can be a source of stress for the entire family. Mothers can become desperate because their child won't even hear about new or more nutritious foods. Fortunately, most children with Asperger's syndrome who have this sensitivity are able to expand their diet as they get older. For many children, this feature almost completely disappears by early adolescence.

For some products there may be an element of tactile defensiveness. We see this reaction when a person puts his finger down his throat. This is an automatic reflex that encourages you to get rid of a hard object in your throat, which causes extremely unpleasant sensations. However, a child with Asperger's syndrome may also react to high-fiber foods in the mouth, not just the throat.

Sometimes a child refuses a certain fruit or vegetable due to increased sensitivity to certain odors. While a typical child or adult may find a certain aroma pleasant and appetizing, a child with Asperger's syndrome may suffer from increased olfactory sensitivity and variations in perception, and may find the aroma downright nauseating.

When I ask children with Asperger's syndrome who have this trait to describe the different aromas they smell when they eat, say, a ripe peach, they respond with answers like "it smells like urine" or "it smells like rot." Olfactory sensitivity can lead to severe nausea from the smell of someone else's perfume or deodorant. One adult told me that he perceives the smell of perfume as the smell of insect repellent. A child with olfactory sensitivity may avoid the smell of paint and art supplies at school, or may be reluctant to go into the cafeteria or room where a certain cleaning product has been used.

Being more sensitive to odors can also have benefits. I know several adults with Asperger's syndrome who combine their heightened sense of smell with a special interest in wine. As a result, these people were able to become world famous wine experts and winemakers. When Lian Holliday Willie arrives at her table at a restaurant, her keen sense of smell allows her to immediately tell the waiter that the seafood is a little expired and could make her sick. She can also smell her daughters' breath when they are getting sick (in person).

Strategies for increasing dietary diversity

It is important to avoid force-feeding or fasting programs to encourage variety in the diet. A child suffers from hypersensitivity to certain foods: this is not just a behavioral problem when the child deliberately disobeys and is stubborn. However, it is important for parents to ensure that the child eats a variety of foods, and a professional nutritionist can provide guidelines for a nutritious but manageable diet for the child.

With age, this sensitivity gradually decreases, but fears of foods and constant avoidance may remain. In this case, a clinical psychologist can conduct a systematic desensitization program. First, the child is encouraged to describe his sensory experiences and identify the foods he finds least unpleasant, which he can try with the necessary support. When offering a low-preference food, the child is initially encouraged to only lick and taste it, but not chew or swallow it. When experimenting with different sensations from food, the child should be relaxed, a supportive adult should be nearby, he should be congratulated and praised, even rewarded for showing courage and trying something new. A sensory integration therapy program may also be helpful.

However, some adults with Asperger's syndrome will have a very restricted diet, always eating the same set of foods that must be prepared and served in the same way throughout their lives. Well, at least with years of practice, preparing these dishes will become as efficient as possible.

Visual sensitivity

Sensitivity to certain light levels or colors, as well as distortions in visual perception, are observed in one in five children with Asperger's syndrome (Smith Myles et al. 2000). For example, Darren mentions how “on sunny days my vision gets blurry.” From time to time he shows sensitivity to a certain color, for example: "I remember one time for Christmas I got a new bike. It was yellow. I refused to look at it. There was red paint added, which made it look orange, and it felt like he was on fire. Also, I couldn't see the blue very well, it seemed too light and looked like ice" (White and White 1987, p.224).

On the other hand, there may be an intense fascination with various visual details, looking at spots on the carpet or spots on someone else's skin. When a child with Asperger's Syndrome has a natural talent for drawing, and if this is combined with his or her special interest and practice in drawing, the result can be paintings that have literally photographic realism. For example, a young child who is interested in trains may carefully sketch railroad scenes in perspective, including fine detail when drawing locomotives. At the same time, the people present in the picture can be drawn in a way characteristic of this age, without attention to detail.

There are reports of visual distortions in Asperger's syndrome. Here's how Darren describes them: “I hated small shops because they seemed much smaller to me than they really were” (White and White 1987, p.224).

This can lead to fears or anxiety in response to certain visual experiences, as Teresa Jolliffe mentions: “Perhaps it was that what I saw did not always give the right impression. As a result, I was frightened by many things - people, especially their faces, very bright lights, crowds, sudden movement of objects, large cars and unfamiliar buildings, unfamiliar places, my own shadow, darkness, bridges, rivers, canals, streams and the sea" (Jolliffe et al. 1992, p.15).

Some visual experiences can cause confusion, such as light reflecting off a blackboard in a classroom, making the text written on it unreadable, or being constantly distracted by such experiences. Liane Holliday Willey describes it this way: "Bright lights, midday sun, flashing lights, reflected lights, fluorescent lights that literally tore into my eyes. Together, the harsh sounds and bright lights quickly overloaded my senses. My head felt like it was closing in, my stomach was turning inside out, my heart rate would skyrocket until I found a safe place" (Willey 1999, p.22).

In her email to me, Carolyn explains that: "Fluorescent lights irritate me not only with the light, but also with the flickering. They cause 'shadows' in my vision (which were very scary as a child), and if I stay under them long enough, This causes confusion and dizziness, which often ends in a migraine."

There are descriptions of people who were unable to see something clearly visible, even if that was what they were looking for (Smith Myles et al. 2000). A person with Asperger's syndrome may be more likely than others to suffer from the phenomenon of not being able to see "what's right under your nose." A child may ask where his book is, although it lies right in front of him on the table and everyone around him can see it, but the child does not understand that this is the very book he is looking for. This often infuriates both the child and the teacher.

However, not all visual experiences are negative. For a person with Asperger's syndrome, visual stimulation can be a source of intense pleasure, such as observing visual symmetry. Young children may gravitate toward any parallel lines, such as rails and sleepers, fences, and power lines. An adult with Asperger's syndrome may transfer an interest in symmetry to architecture. Liane Halliday Willie has a remarkable knowledge and passion for architecture: "To this day, architectural design remains my favorite subject and now that I am older I enjoy it and completely indulge in the joy it brings me. In many ways it is the one an elixir that always heals me. When I feel exhausted and stressed, I take out my books on the history of architecture and design and look at the different spaces and arenas that make sense to me, linear, rectangular and solid buildings that are the very embodiment of balance" ( Willey 1999, p.48).

Several famous architects may have had personal characteristics associated with Asperger's syndrome. However, the love of symmetry in buildings can also have a negative side. Lian explained to me that if she sees asymmetrical buildings, or what she calls “flawed” designs, she feels nauseous and extremely anxious.

Strategies for reducing visual sensitivity

Parents and teachers can avoid situations in which the child will be exposed to intense and disturbing visual sensations. For example, you don’t have to sit your child on the sunny side of the car or at the best-lit desk. Another approach is to wear sunglasses when outdoors to avoid strong lighting or direct sunlight, and a protective screen around your desk or work area to block unnecessary visual information.

Some children have a natural "screen" - they grow long hair that covers their face like a curtain and acts as a barrier to visual (and social) experience. Concerns about the perceived intensity of colors can lead a child to want to wear only black clothes, and very often this has nothing to do with fashion.

There are additional programs that can reduce a child's visual sensitivity. Helen Irlen developed stained glass that enhances visual perception and reduces perceptual overload and visual distortion. Colored non-optical lenses (Irlen filters) are designed to filter the frequency of the light spectrum to which a particular person is sensitive. First, a preliminary assessment is carried out using a special questionnaire and testing, which allows you to choose the appropriate color. There are currently no empirical studies that support the value of lenses for people with Asperger's syndrome, but I personally know several children and adults who report that Irlen lenses have significantly reduced their visual sensitivity and sensory overload.

Behavioral optometrists have developed vision therapy that retrains the eyes and brain structures that process visual information. Potential visual dysfunction and any compensatory mechanisms, including head tilting and turning, use of peripheral vision, and preference for looking out of one eye, are first assessed. The complementary therapy program is conducted through daily therapy sessions and homework assignments. To date, there is no empirical evidence to support vision therapy for people with Asperger's syndrome.

It is important to remember that when a person with Asperger's syndrome experiences extreme stress or agitation, it may be helpful for them to retreat to a calming area or room away from other people. The space should be sensorially soothing. This may include very symmetrical furniture, a calm color of the carpet and walls, and a complete absence of sounds, smells and unpleasant tactile sensations.

Sense of balance and movement

Some children with Asperger's syndrome suffer from problems with the vestibular system, which affect their sense of balance, perception of movement and coordination (SmithMyles et al. 2000). Such a child can be called “gravitationally insecure.” He begins to experience anxiety if his feet do not touch the ground, and feels disorientated if he needs to suddenly change the position of his body in space, for example, when playing with a ball.

A sense of balance may also play a role if a person experiences acute discomfort when lowering their head down. Liane Halliday Willey explains that: "Motion is not my friend. My stomach lurches and turns inside out when I look at a merry-go-round or drive up a hill or turn a corner too fast. When my first child was born, I quickly learned that my vestibular problems extended beyond amusement rides and car rides. I couldn't rock my girls. I could rock them, and I did it even in a rocking chair" (Willey 1999, p.76).

On the other hand, I have known children with Asperger's syndrome who experienced intense pleasure from roller coasters to the point that the rides became their special interests. They are pleasant to listen to and look at.

We are just beginning to study the problems with the vestibular system of children and adults with Asperger's syndrome, but if a child has problems with balance and movement, then sensory integration therapy may be recommended.

Perception of pain and temperature

A child or adult with Asperger's syndrome may appear to be truly stoic - not even flinching or showing the slightest stress in response to pain that would be unbearable for other people. Often a child notices a bruise or cut, but does not remember where he got it from. Splinters are removed without problems, hot drinks are drunk without hostility. On a hot day a person wears warm clothes, and on a cold day he insists on wearing summer clothes. You might think that he lives according to some kind of special thermometer of his own.

Hyposensitivity or hypersensitivity to pain occurs in Asperger's syndrome (Bromley et al. 2004). A low pain threshold for certain types of pain and discomfort can cause a strong reaction in a child, and peers may tease him for this as a “crybaby.” However, hyposensitivity to pain is much more common in children with Asperger's syndrome. A high pain threshold was described to me by the father of a teenager with Asperger's syndrome: "Two years ago, my son came home with a badly injured leg, covered in bruises and countless cuts. I ran for a first aid kit. When I returned, I told him to sit down so I could treat his injuries, but he didn't understand what I was talking about. He said, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt at all" and "It happens all the time" and went to his bedroom. Until he was 18, it happened every now and then. He also doesn't feel the cold the way other people do. In winter, he rarely wore a coat and wore short-sleeve shirts to school all the time, and he was very comfortable."

I once happened to meet a young American man with Asperger's Syndrome while on holiday in the Australian desert during the winter. We both found ourselves in a group of tourists who ate dinner outside so we could enjoy the view of the beautiful desert stars and listen to the astronomer's evening lecture. However, the temperature was unbearably low and everyone, with the exception of the person with Asperger's syndrome, complained of the cold and put on several layers of warm clothing. The young man came to dinner wearing only a T-shirt and refused the warm clothes his companions offered him. He explained that he was already well, but his appearance in the cold night desert caused discomfort to everyone around him.

Carolyn described another example in her email. She reported: "My response to pain and temperature is similar to my response to normal or traumatic events. At low levels of stimulation my response is exaggerated, but at high levels the sensations are muted and I can function better than normal. Trivial events can dramatically impair my ability to function." , but real trauma allows me to think logically and act calmly and effectively when others are panicking in a similar situation."

Asperger noted that one in four children he observed was delayed in toilet training (Hippler and Klicpera 2004). It is possible that such children have difficulty perceiving signals of discomfort from the bladder and bowels, which leads to “accidents”.

Failure to respond to discomfort, pain, or extreme temperature may prevent a very young child with Asperger's syndrome from avoiding dangerous situations, resulting in frequent visits to the local emergency room. Health care providers may be surprised by the child's behavior or feel that the child's parents are not looking after him or her properly.

Parents are often very concerned about how to understand that their child is experiencing chronic pain and needs medical attention. Ear infections or appendicitis can progress to dangerous levels before they become known. Side effects of drugs may go unnoticed. Toothache and menstrual pain may never be mentioned. The parents of one child noticed that he was not himself for several days, but he did not mention significant pain. After some time, they went to the doctor, and he diagnosed a displaced testicle, which had to be removed.

If a child with Asperger's syndrome rarely responds to pain, parents should be especially vigilant and watch for signs of discomfort and any physical manifestations of the disease, including fever or inflammation. Parents can use strategies to facilitate emotional expression, such as an emotional thermometer, to help the child communicate the level of pain. It is also important to write a Social Story (SHS) to explain to the child why it is important to tell adults about pain, and that this will help the child feel well again and avoid serious consequences.

The material presented above is a translation of chapter 7 from Tony Attwood’s book “Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals”.

The senses are our guides to the world around us, allowing us to receive information from it. Sensory perception is so important that it develops much earlier than all other areas. And a special role among others is played by tactile sensitivity, which includes not only the sense of touch as such, but also the sensation of pressure, as well as the sense of temperature.

How does tactile sensitivity develop in children?

Tactile sensitivity is already present in newborns, even if it is not yet fully formed, in particular this concerns pain. But such young children have an excellent sense of temperature: they react very sharply to its changes, as a result of which changing clothes often takes on unexpected difficulties.

Newborns also react to touch, especially the face and lips - touching the latter, as a rule, activates the sucking reflex.

However, over time, as the baby grows up, he becomes more and more interested in his own hands and feet, and then begins to use his hands to interact with the world around him. From this moment, which begins around five to six months, active palpating and licking of all objects that only the child is able to reach begins.

This reaches its apogee when the child learns to crawl, since now he can independently reach the toys and objects that interest him. During this period, there is also usually a sharp advance in the development of thinking, and as a result, speech.

What exercises can parents use?

Surely everyone knows how little children are eager to touch and feel everything that comes to their hands. And this is simply wonderful, because it provides parents with a huge field for activity.

1. Invite the child to close his eyes and feel the toy or figurine, and then describe what he felt. You can complicate this game by putting several small toys in an opaque bag and inviting the child to put his hand in there and feel for one, after which, without removing the toy from the bag, ask him to guess what exactly he felt and why he decided that way.
2. The simplest exercise is to alternately pass various pieces of fabric over the child’s hands or body: flannel, wool, velvet, fur, silk - whatever you can find. As an option, you can wrap the baby entirely in towels of different structures, blankets, blankets, or put a fur coat or coat directly on top of light home clothes.
3. Playing with various cereals is also useful for children: pouring them from container to container, sorting them out. You can bury a small toy in a jar of cereal or sand, then invite the child to find it.
4. If possible, it is advisable to let your child walk barefoot on different surfaces: grass, sand, pebbles, clay. At home, you can allow him to walk on different fabrics, peas or specially selected smooth pebbles, and roll massage balls with his feet.
5. Massage is extremely useful not only for the baby’s general health, but also for the development of tactile sensitivity. Especially if it is carried out in different ways: with the help of hands, massage mittens, rubber massage balls, etc.
6. Playing with sand, clay, and modeling from plasticine not only help develop imagination, but also develop the sense of touch. Playing with water, putting your hands in water of different temperatures, feeling various objects under and outside the water, comparing frozen dishes and a glass of hot tea are also useful.
7. Games with rustling polyethylene, protective packaging with bubbles, paper or foil that can be crumpled will be useful.