Welcome back to Reading the Research, where I trawl
the Internet to find noteworthy research on autism and related subjects,
then discuss it in brief with bits from my own life, research, and
observations.
Today's article deals with a phenomenon in autism I've mostly only seen in Temple Grandin's movie: the innate dislike of being touched. If you watch the movie, she shrugs off hugs or outright rejects them. This is not because she hates people, it's because those hugs are downright painful to her. It's actually a major point in the movie when she's able to "lean into" a hug from her mother, rather than jerking away.
I haven't personally experienced hugs as unpleasant, unless they're unpleasant for more standard reasons (like the person being dripping wet, or not being comfortable being close to that particular person). But it's a common story, with autistic kids rejecting hugs or other forms of social touch (handshakes, light touches on the shoulder or arms, etc). This naturally causes conflict all around, with the neurotypical people feeling hurt that their affection and connection-gestures have been rejected, and the autistic person on the defensive because of the sensory overload.
So the question is always "why?" Why can't autistic people enjoy hugs?
At least according to this study, it's because we literally experience anxiety, like that of a phobia, at the prospect of hugs. The study had people watching pictures while their brain waves were analyzed. The autistic participants responded with anxiety to pictures of social touches, like hugs and handshakes, but not to pictures of non-touch-related social interactions. The researchers noted a positive trend between the severity of the autism and the strength of the reaction (ie: the "more autistic" the more intense the negative reaction).
The way this article is worded, it kind of feels like the authors think the anxiety-reaction is the reason we don't do well with social situations, or at least with hugs. Which is backwards, if you ask me. Say that tomorrow, you attend a family get-together. The first ten hugs you receive feel like you're being crushed and simultaneously rubbed vigorously with sandpaper. After that tenth hug, aren't you going to be hesitant about going for an 11th hug? And if this continued, wouldn't you get anxious about any future hugs? I would.
So it seems to me like the researchers are mixing up cause and effect. The comparison of the neural reactions to phobias is interesting, and one of the researchers suggested that the anxiety-reaction could be treated in perhaps the same way that phobias are treated. I'm uncertain as to whether that would work, since generally a phobia is specifically a mind thing, rather than a mind thing with a repeated sensory component. Desensitization therapy works for phobias because phobias don't reinforce themselves via your senses. If you experience hugs as crushing and sandpaper, you're not going to be able to train yourself out of being anxious about crushing and sandpaper.
I also somewhat doubt it's as simple as "more autism, more anxiety about social touch." Autism is a spectrum, with a lot of different components and facets. Having severe sensory issues with touch does not necessarily mean you have severe motor skills deficits, or severe executive functioning issues.
Today's article deals with a phenomenon in autism I've mostly only seen in Temple Grandin's movie: the innate dislike of being touched. If you watch the movie, she shrugs off hugs or outright rejects them. This is not because she hates people, it's because those hugs are downright painful to her. It's actually a major point in the movie when she's able to "lean into" a hug from her mother, rather than jerking away.
I haven't personally experienced hugs as unpleasant, unless they're unpleasant for more standard reasons (like the person being dripping wet, or not being comfortable being close to that particular person). But it's a common story, with autistic kids rejecting hugs or other forms of social touch (handshakes, light touches on the shoulder or arms, etc). This naturally causes conflict all around, with the neurotypical people feeling hurt that their affection and connection-gestures have been rejected, and the autistic person on the defensive because of the sensory overload.
So the question is always "why?" Why can't autistic people enjoy hugs?
At least according to this study, it's because we literally experience anxiety, like that of a phobia, at the prospect of hugs. The study had people watching pictures while their brain waves were analyzed. The autistic participants responded with anxiety to pictures of social touches, like hugs and handshakes, but not to pictures of non-touch-related social interactions. The researchers noted a positive trend between the severity of the autism and the strength of the reaction (ie: the "more autistic" the more intense the negative reaction).
The way this article is worded, it kind of feels like the authors think the anxiety-reaction is the reason we don't do well with social situations, or at least with hugs. Which is backwards, if you ask me. Say that tomorrow, you attend a family get-together. The first ten hugs you receive feel like you're being crushed and simultaneously rubbed vigorously with sandpaper. After that tenth hug, aren't you going to be hesitant about going for an 11th hug? And if this continued, wouldn't you get anxious about any future hugs? I would.
So it seems to me like the researchers are mixing up cause and effect. The comparison of the neural reactions to phobias is interesting, and one of the researchers suggested that the anxiety-reaction could be treated in perhaps the same way that phobias are treated. I'm uncertain as to whether that would work, since generally a phobia is specifically a mind thing, rather than a mind thing with a repeated sensory component. Desensitization therapy works for phobias because phobias don't reinforce themselves via your senses. If you experience hugs as crushing and sandpaper, you're not going to be able to train yourself out of being anxious about crushing and sandpaper.
I also somewhat doubt it's as simple as "more autism, more anxiety about social touch." Autism is a spectrum, with a lot of different components and facets. Having severe sensory issues with touch does not necessarily mean you have severe motor skills deficits, or severe executive functioning issues.
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