There are a few administrative notes. The information in Vee’s chart regarding her sensory issues isn’t accurate. All 5 senses including sight are impacted. She experiences light sensitivity and we have an optometrist appointment this week to work on getting her sunglasses that fit, feel comfortable and can help with the light sensitivity.
We have also gone shopping for clothes in brick and mortar stores where she can physically feel the fabric and try on clothes before buying and we went shopping in a brick and mortar store for shampoo, conditioner, hand soap and body soap so she can smell them before buying.
Top priorities are sleep and her stomach. We’ll continue to give her Miralax daily, possibly indefinitely, to keep the chronic constipation at bay. We might need to evaluate for acid reflux. We might need to medicate for anxiety.
The book Navigating Autism lists the numerous blockers to sleep for Autistic kids/people.
Here’s an excerpt from Navigating Autism:
Symptoms of autism, such as reduced sensitivity to the sleep-wake circadian system, perseverative thoughts or behaviors, anxiety, and environmental hypersensitivity can all make sleep problems more likely. Sensory discomforts such as being aversive to the texture of the sheets (or pajamas), hearing traffic that others don’t notice, or being bothered by a streetlight, can be particularly interfering for a child with autism.
Other physical or psychiatric distress can also lead to sleep disturbance. A child with unrecognized pain or gastric distress is unlikely to sleep well. A hyperactive or anxious child may find it difficult to get to sleep. A depressed child who is experiencing ruminative thoughts will likely have delayed sleep onset as well.
Remembering how sleep disorders can cause a cascade of effects and how they have a bidirectional relationship with other comorbid conditions is critical to the mindset of viewing the whole child. Professionals and parents who keep this in mind will be more likely to spot signs that a child is not sleeping well and will be more apt to gather data on the possible consequences of that disturbance.
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