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Home and Family


Don't Touch
by A. Ross, M.Ed.

Human beings have five senses, which are often taken for granted. Hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch. When a parent notices that one of these senses is not functioning adequately, s/he will hasten to a doctor for help. Poor eyesight or a hearing loss must be dealt with as early as possible. A child whose sense of touch is impaired will need constant supervision, and when he is older, instruction on how to guard against danger. Most people know by experience that a flame is hot and that burns hurt. A hypo- sensitive child has to be taught these things.

Occasionally, one or more of these senses are super- sensitive, and cause the sufferer untold anguish. As schoolgirls, we used to laugh uncontrollably when fat tears rolled down an old lady's cheeks as she saw our yellow school blouses. Now I know better and realize she had hypersensitive vision. Many children cannot concentrate when there is the slightest hum in the background. To people with normal hearing, a ticking clock is barely discernible. To those with hypersensitive hearing, each tick is like a small explosion.

This article is about children who are hypersensitive to touch. It is often difficult to pinpoint the trouble. A seemingly `normal' child is not developing as he should. He is restless, unsettled and fidgety.

Hypersensitivity manifests itself in different ways amongst children whose sense of touch is heightened, or perhaps impaired would be a better word for the faulty functioning. Some objects or materials such as hair or felt alert the defense mechanism instead of the sense of discrimination. The mechanism can adjust to a small amount of stimulation, but after that, it is at a loss. The child just does not know how to react to this over- stimulation of the mechanism.

Touch is a most important part of our daily lives. Some parts of the body are more sensitive than others. The lips, fingertips and palms of the hand contain extra sensors which send impulses to the brain. Babies use the mouth as a source of information because of its sensitivity.

The sense of touch is composed of two systems. One is the defense mechanism which reacts very quickly to any warning of danger, whether it is heat or extreme cold or any sort of pain [sharpness] which warns us to step back and keep clear of the danger zone.

The other component of the sense of touch is the sense of discrimination. This mechanism is much finer and more delicate than the acute defense mechanism. We can feel the difference between smooth and rough, soft and hard, different shapes and different textures. Even slight differences in temperature, ranging from cold, cool, warm and hot, are all easily distinguishable.

Some mothers become aware of the fact that something is bothering the child much earlier than others, especially if it is not a first child: Children who shy away from any physical touch. Children who are overly anxious not to soil their fingers with paste, sand, plasticine [clay] or, horror of horrors, finger paints. Children who are quite content to play with others but will not hold hands to form a circle. The signs are there but mothers are often not even aware of the existence of this syndrome.

Autistic children may display these symptoms, but we are discussing children who are otherwise functioning perfectly. There are adults who are aware of their own problem in this field and just grit their teeth and carry on with their lives. Some women go through purgatory every time they hang the laundry, if it contains wool or heavy acrylic garments. These women (I have not met any men with this syndrome, but assume that there are some, as boys definitely suffer from it) will not dress their baby in beautiful velour outfits which they may have received as baby presents, as they will shudder every time they pick up the child.

Some children refuse to wear a particular garment and often it is not just sheer contrariness. An adult can choose his or her own clothes made of the materials which do not send shivers down the spine, but children are unable to express themselves. Some will refuse to wear long-sleeved shirts, claiming that they are more comfortable with bare arms even in the height of winter. If they are not even aware of their preferences, they might spend much time scratching, even until they draw blood.

They cannot concentrate in school and might exhibit ADHD behavior just because their sense of touch is being overstretched. These children might refuse any kind of mashed food. They want food which they can handle, touch and feel by themselves, and do not enjoy being spoon-fed. This, again, causes the mother much heartache before the child can express himself, and when he just screams incessantly. Bath water which is one degree too hot or too cold might spark off a major temper tantrum. A hairbrush is often a most threatening weapon when it is used on a hypersensitive child.

Babies might protest vehemently when put on the floor to crawl, as their knees come into contact with the carpet, grass or worst of all, sand on the beach. Above and beyond all this, is the way these children interpret any human touch which is not instigated by themselves. A cuddle from Mommy may not soothe them in the least.

Parent who becomes aware of this kind of behavior should consult an expert in the field. They will be given a questionnaire which they should try to complete accurately, as the summary will pinpoint the exact problem. They will then be directed to an occupational therapist who will work with the child. S/he will not be able to cure the syndrome. However, s/he will teach the child how to cope with the various manifestations, and will also try to help him overcome a little of his oversensitivity. Eg. touching a teddy bear just for a few seconds at a time.

Treatment will require the full cooperation of parents, teachers and therapists. Shaving cream is the most widely used method at the moment. We want to teach the child that it is not a frightening material, that nothing will happen if he dips his hand into the foam. Some children refuse point blank, but others will look at it and tentatively, with much encouragement from the teacher, parent or therapist, dip one finger in. Blindfolding the child is an excellent way of training him to feel his way around, and to get him used to investigating various textures and substances to which he might normally object.

Jumping on a jump ball will expose him to different sensations. Whichever treatment is used, the aim is to help the child discover the world which seemed so threatening to him, and caused him so much discomfort. If he can overcome the major discomforts, he will then be able to develop normally. Most hypersensitive children do not have all the above mentioned-symptoms and manage to cope with the problem, after treatment.

 

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