Robotic Hugs: How a Hug Can Help Your Autistic Child

Autistic children and adults often seek pressure in a variety of ways to calm themselves and cope with sensory overload. Oftentimes, hugs and squeezes from other people can cause more distress because autistic children or adults are often unable to communicate their needs by indicating a particular amount or length of pressure. This is both frustrating and ineffective for both the autistic person and whoever is hugging or squeezing them.

The hug machine was created to help relive this frustration, putting autistic individuals in control of their situation. Both children and adults who suffer from autism sometimes crave pressure to help calm anxiety. Because of this, one woman with autism developed the hug machine, also known as a hug box or a squeeze machine. The hug machine has two padded sideboards connected near the bottom of the boards to form a V-shape. A lever helps push the sideboards together to create pressure; the lever also allows the autistic child or adult the ability to control the amount and length of pressure.

Studies are still being conducted to find out why those with autism respond to pressure and how it can produce a calming effect. The hug machine may affect the heightened sensory perceptions of those with autism who often feels disruptive or distressing behavior. By applying pressure, perhaps the autistic child or adult moves his or her focus to a single feeling-the pressure-which in turn produces a calming effect. For many autistic children and adults, anxiety can be completely incapacitating. Not being able to function with the anxiety is frustrating, and so appropriate social behavior is even more difficult. Sometimes, the only release from such anxiety is through pressure. To this day, the hug machine is used by several programs and researchers studying autism as well as therapy programs.

Remember that hugging or squeezing an autistic child may not help him or her. You may, in fact, increase their senses and cause more anxiety. Though you may not be able to purchase a hug machine, you may be able to create a similar object. Try wrapping the autistic child or adult in a blanket, where they can control how much pressure to apply. You can also look into buying padded boards that more closely simulate the hug machine's side-boards and perhaps tie or tape some heavy-duty yarn to each side to allow the autistic child or adult control over how much pressure to apply and for how long. Contact your child's school to see if there has been any interest in purchasing a community hug-machine. This may not be a cure to all your child's problems, but it works well to help many autistic individuals cope with the world.

Living With Asperger's Syndrome

There are certain characteristics or signs that someone may exhibit if they have Asperger's Syndrome such as not being able to meet the gaze of someone that they are greeting, having difficulty with personal space recognition, demonstrating motor clumsiness and a decreased ability to function in social situations. Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome lack nonverbal communication skills, which can affect work life, school performance and interpersonal relationships.

Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome often have difficulties when it comes to change or when it is necessary to transition from one thing to another. They may also have extreme sensitivities to sights, smells, and sounds and tastes adding to the difficulties in social situations in which these sensitivities could make it difficult to participate.

Communication is difficult for the individual with this syndrome because so much of what we express to one another is in the form of nonverbal communication. How many times do we communicate with each other with a smile, wink, and shrug of shoulders, facial expressions or hand signals? Someone with Asperger’s Syndrome is missing all of these nonverbal communications, which is like having a conversation with someone and losing your hearing halfway through the communication and being expected to know what was discussed.

Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome often show a high level of intelligence, have perseverative interests and shy away from romantic relationships, and general social banter like that seen at parties or around the office water cooler.

Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome typically have large vocabularies. They also may have difficulties with lying. People are seen to be boring, humorless and often accused of being too literal.

When listening to someone who has Asperger's Syndrome his or her tone of voice may appear to be monotonous and emotionless. They will also miss facial expressions, or body gestures from those that are listening to them so they are unaware of the fact that they are perceived as being boring. It is easy for someone with this syndrome to entirely misinterpret the meaning of a communication or completely miss something that is being communicated to them.

Individuals who have Asperger's syndrome typically have obsessive interest in things that have a great deal of detail and their interests can be all-encompassing to the point of seeming weird, nerdy or obsessive by others.

Sensory perceptions are usually different for those who have Asperger's Syndrome for instance they may hear high-frequency noises that others cannot hear. Hearing can also be distorted to the point of not hearing correctly what is being said and misinterpreting the words that were spoken. Visually sometimes it is difficult to distinguish objects that are in front of them and can be missed entirely by the person, this can make doing things like math difficult.

Social relationships like having friends, and romantic partners are difficult to foster because of their perseverative interests, literal interpretations, and rigidity and conservative personalities. Many individuals who have Asperger's Syndrome long for the experience of friends and romantic relationships.

Many individuals also have other disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder of the inattentive type, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social phobia, or avoidant personality disorder and also suffer from depression.

Know Your Rights: Laws and Autism

If you or your child has autism, some of the most basic things you can study and learn are your rights. Every American citizen is protected under the constitution, and there are special laws that have been passed to help protect people with autism and other disabilities. By knowing the laws that protect you or your autistic loved ones, you can live in a world that provides better opportunities to everyone, regardless of not only disability, but also race, gender, and ethnicity. This is simply the first step to creating a more tolerant world in general.

The first law with which you should become acquainted is I.D.E.A., or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The I.D.E.A. covers children ages 3 to 21 and provides autistic children with the special educational programs they need. The I.D.E.A. gives parents the right to be involved with education decisions concerning their child made by the school. Your child first needs to be assessed to qualify under the I.D.E.A., and this is best done by a private professional. In the end, your child has the right by law to receive a free public education that is appropriate for his or her skill level. If your public school has no such program, they are required to find one or create one at no cost to you.

Also become familiar with and knowledgeable about the American Disabilities Act. Under this act, discrimination due to disability is prohibited in the workforce, as well as with state and local government, public accommodations, the United States Congress, public transportation, and telecommunications. For example, if you are autistic, but have the skills to do a certain job, you cannot be refused the job because of your autism.

Other laws provide rights for people with autism so that they are constitutionally equal to others. One such law says that people with autism have the right to vote, and accommodations must be made so that this is possible. Another says that autistic individuals cannot be refused housing based on disability. Others provide equal rights in all other aspects of life, and these should especially be studied if your loved one with autism is in a health care institution. By knowing the law and how it applies to yourself or others with autism, you can be sure that justice is upheld. If you have questions, local law officials should be ready and willing to answer you or provide you with material to answer your own questions. Remember that ignorance of the law is not a valid excuse for anyone, so be an advocate for yourself or others with autism to prevent mistreatment.

When Lying isn't a Problem: Theory of Mind Difficulties

There are many symptoms that an individual with autism may experience; however, one of the most frustrating and hard to understand is what has recently been named Theory of Mind. Within the last few decades, this problem has been more thoroughly discussed and studied, but it is still largely a mystery. Because of Theory of Mind problems, social interactions are even more strenuous for autistic individuals.

Theory of Mind causes these social behavior difficulties in almost every aspect, from playgroups as children to the social world as adults. The concept behind Theory of Mind is that autistic people fail to recognize that other people in the world have different ways of looking at things. Although an autistic person may not be egocentric, he or she probably inherently assumes that everyone thinks, feels, and knows the same things he or she thinks, feels, and knows. Most autistic people have an inability to lie, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but is clearly unnatural. They don't even consider lying an option because they assume everyone knows the truth as they know it.

Because autistic individuals have an inability to lie, they also do not realize that other people do so. In fact, it is a rude awakening for autistic people to find out that others lie or are bad in general. This is especially unnerving when first experienced in the business world, and many autistic individuals do not know how to cope with this. Because they believe that everyone sees the world as they do, it is difficult for them to put themselves in others' shoes. Of course, this can be taught, but it is unfortunately a hard process that those with autism have to constantly remember to do.

Even children have trouble with Theory of Mind-they find it difficult to play games with other children that require keeping a secret. They also often must be reminded of sharing and releasing aggression in ways that are not harmful. Some of an autistic person's frustration may stem from this inability to understand why another is not reacting in a situation in the "correct" way. Autistic children also have a hard time understanding why people don't know certain facts-if they know it, so should everyone else.

Theory of Mind still needs to be studied in order to be able to better understand and treat this symptom of autism. Currently, the best teaching method is continuous social interaction, along with role-playing and other games that require autistic children to see things from many angles. Until modern medicine finds a better answer to Theory of Mind problems, the best thing to do is be patient with autistic individuals and be willing to explain your thought process to them.

Preparing an Asperger's Syndrome Child for the Learning Environment of School

As the parent or caregiver of a child with Asperger’s Syndrome you know that there is a lot that goes into the daily parenting experience. At the same time, there are a lot of processes you need to prepare for, especially when it comes to letting the child leave the safe environment of your home in favor of the classroom. Fortunately, there are a number of steps a parent can take when it comes to preparing an Asperger’s Syndrome child for the learning environment of school.

* Model and role play social situations. Do not focus on all the things that could go wrong, but instead keep it positive and upbeat. Teach the child how to make friends, how to introduce themselves, and also how to interact in a group environment. Role playing is very useful when it comes to meeting new people, learning how to ask someone else to play, wanting to joint a group of kids who are already playing together, and also communicating dislikes to others.

* Introduce the child to the learning environment before the first day of class. Asperger’s Syndrome students loathe the unknown and if you can take your child to the school ahead of time and allow her to see her room and maybe even her desk, the initial few days in a new environment will be a lot less stressful.

* Set a routine that incorporates nutritious food and plenty of sleep for the child. A child who is tired or has not eaten well cannot function at the best possible to begin with; for a child with Asperger’s Syndrome it is a recipe for disaster.

* Use a large number of verbal stories and anecdotes that show the educational process in the best light possible. Recount funny stories from your youth that show how much fun school is. If you need to fib a little to make a story have a good outcome, do it. This is not the time to burden the child with your anxieties and failures and instead should be an exercise of building him up and getting him ready to join the ranks of so many others who thoroughly enjoy school.

* Enlist the help of a buddy. If your child has a good friend who also goes to the school, even if she or he is a few years ahead of your child, this might be a great way for the fears to also be dealt with on a peer level. Someone who has been there and knows the ropes can make the transition easier by looking for your child on the first day of class and welcoming them onto the playground. Even as this is only a very small gesture, it goes a long ways to making the transition process easier.

Granted, these steps can only prepare your child to go into a situation that neither you nor the child can be totally sure of, but if you remember to listen to your child’s recounting of the events of the day, you will be clued in quickly where additional help is needed.