In Booty Crumbs I,
which was mostly about how some of us notice certain things a LOT, there was a discussion
in the comments about how hard it can be to get some kids with sensory processing differences to notice Crumbs (boogers,
dribbles…), on their faces and elsewhere, under any circumstances.
Hygiene is a huge
issue in the Full Spectrum household because G
1. Doesn’t notice schmutz, or
2. Acknowledge the necessity of basic, routine
grooming,
3. Doesn’t care about either, and
4. Doesn’t have great executive function and so
forgets even with multiple
reminders.
Bottom line, G
doesn’t give a rip – and getting him to do stuff like wash his face in the
morning or clean giant glops of food off his fingers could be a full time job.
I worry about this for
two reasons. First, I fear it threatens his hard-won social belonging. Second,
it is part of the underlying sensory overwhelm that G experiences in many
contexts – what the Asperger Experts call “defense mode.” G’s general awareness of how/what he feels – physically, emotionally -- can be
undermined by an underlying overabundance of sensory and emotional
information.
Before I was aware
of how certain experiences and environments affect me, I would feel anxious,
desperate, dull, angry, numb – and I’d have no idea why I felt that way, and
very few resources to quell these inner (for me – others may tend to lash out) storms…I
now know this phenomena is known as a MELTDOWN. Things like unrelenting social
interactions, feeling cold or, yes, Booty Crumbs, can trigger overload in me
and lead to a wide range of negative feelings that are too big to process
unless I am able to remember at that moment why I am having the feelings. I am
learning to find environments that better support my neurology – and to take
sensory breaks when that is not possible.
Seeing the
differences in G’s awareness and demeanor in different contexts has shown me
that he is intensely affected by his environment. That sometimes means that he
doesn’t have the attention or mental space for noticing stuff on his body, or
doing things to keep his body “presentable.” Just as I’ve begun to address my
own sensory and neurological needs, what it might take to create a context for
my son in which he is willing and able to attend to his own hygiene routine and
general bodily cleanliness without so much effort on my part?
Just the other
night, I asked G if he had brushed his teeth.
He said he had.
I felt his
toothbrush: bone dry!
Having spent
several minutes brushing our teeth together morning and night for the last few years (since the dentist told me this
was non-negotiable if G wanted to “have teeth”), and having each of those times
painstakingly wrangled him into participating, letting G self-regulate on tooth
brushing has been a big leap forward.
I was – maybe I was
lacking perspective but – devastated…and mad: “Don’t you realize you could die???? If your teeth are rotten and
you don’t take care of your mouth you will get diseases! And you will NOT be
handsome!”
Full Spectrum Mama
needed to go meditate. (Since G was a baby who needed a lot of support in going
to sleep, I’ve tried to practice meditating nearby – usually in the hall
outside our bedrooms -- after bedtime. Note: this does not always happen as
planned!)
G walked into the
hallway where I sat, then into the bathroom to brush his teeth.
After a few
moments, I saw this:
Figure I – The
Sideways, and Therefore “Invisible,”
Sneaky Peek
He saw me seeing
him:
Figure II – The Seething
Meditator
…and went back to
brushing his teeth.
How does tooth
brushing relate to Booty Crumbs? Well, in both cases, is constant vigilance the
answer? Already, with one kid with an attachment disorder, I have to watch the
every move of one person in our home. With G, I’ve tried charts, lists, points…and
am beginning to conclude that these are not the solution.
My own experience
shows that -- for those of us with sensory processing differences -- self-awareness
(emotional, social, physical…) may have more to do with finding ways to
modulate one’s overall sensory and neurological situation than with the rote
learning of ways to manage schmutz. I am in a place now where I am just very
much hoping that somewhere in his own particular developmental process he/we
will create the mental/physical space in which it becomes possible to note the
intrinsic value of Booty Crumb removal.
For now, though, it’s
back to brushing our teeth together.
Love,
Full Spectrum Mama
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