15th July 2018
So this week the summer heat has really been getting to me. I need rain and it has not rained for a period of about five or six weeks now. Most people are now saying the same – the lawns are dying, it’s hard to keep the garden healthy, the constant threat of water rationing and even moorland fires. This means that what they are saying is a chorus of “We need rain!” My reason is a little different though. I want it to rain because for me rain is a source of positive sensory seeking that can really help to restore me. This has led me to thinking about how Autistics sometimes lose the one thing that helps them to combat meltdowns, shutdowns and sensory overloads through no fault of their own.
For me the rain is so important. I love the positive recharging of the smell, sounds, feel etc. so that when my energy is spent or I am feeling overly anxious, it gives me that something to give me a boost. There is a lot of information online about energy accounting and “spoon theory” which explains how positive sensory activities can make a real difference to a person’s life. They explain it better than I can, and demonstrate how common this is in Autistic people who have sensory and energy issues anyway. My problem is that one of the key ways I restore that balance is dependent on something that I do not have control over – the weather. What is worse, the opposite happens when it is sunny, I lose energy as the temperature leads to sensory overload.
That is when it becomes difficult. When you are relying on something that can make you feel better that can be taken away from you. This also reminds me of a story I read about in Steve Silberman’s book “Neurotribes”, about a boy how is dependent on green plastic straws as a stimming aid to comfort himself. In fact the whole of the second chapter is about this boy and his love of straws. It might seem obsessive when you read it, but I totally understand what they mean to him. The comfort that for whatever reason, plastic straws give him. The level of routine with them is important too, as the book states, he prefers green straws to red ones.
In the news recently there have been a lot of stories about banning single use plastics, and in particular plastic drinking straws. Now I know that there is a serious plastic pollution problem in the world that must be addressed, and we have to reduce plastics entering the natural environment, but when I read these news stories, I always think about this Autistic boy and his need for green plastic straws. If there was a decision to completely ban plastic straws, he would be denied the one thing he depends upon to make him feel safe, comfortable, that gives him energy and allows him to stim.
This is extremely important to an Autistic person. It makes me feel sad for him that he could lose his straws. I understand that he is just one person, and that there is a bigger issue here, but that does not mean I don’t feel sad about it. It hasn’t rained for six weeks, what would I feel if it never rained again? One of the main things that means so much to my well being just disappearing. It’s a terrifying thought and as an Autistic person, I feel empathy towards this boy. I understand what he could lose.
Then I start to think that if you are Autistic and do depend on either material objects for stimming, sensory input and energy accounting, or other factors beyond your control – is this healthy? You cannot help what works for you and everyone is unique, so a favourite stim toy may work for one person but not another. A lot of Autistics bought fidget spinners during the craze, but that craze is now over and you can already see that they are no longer being sold in a lot of shops. If you bought one and found it helped you, great, but if you started to use it daily and in five years time it breaks or you lose it, could you buy a replacement?
There was another story in the news about a fourteen year old Autistic who would only drink out of a particular brand of sippy cup. His parents were desperate to find a replacement before his cup was completely worn out, and this story made the national news when the manufacturers made him a lifetime supply of the now discontinued cup. A lovely act of human kindness that shows that there are people willing to help others. So if we find ourselves drawn to a material object should we buy duplicates to prepare for the future? Should the green straw boy’s parent fill a spare room from ceiling to floor to ensure he has enough to last him? A nice idea but could be costly and impractical?
I think the solution is to try and find several varied things that provide the same effect and make sure that some of these things are not materialistic. I do appreciate though that this is harder than it sounds as you can’t always decide what works for you. I have no idea why I love the rain so much instead of the sun. If you asked most people they would pick the sun every time. Right now though I cannot have the rain and there is nothing I can do about that but accept it.
I have other things though; my Rubik cubes but I could lose all of them one day. I have my favourite movies and TV shows but again they could be lost too as anything recorded on VHS tape now is, unless they are lucky enough to be transferred onto modern formats like DVD. I have Origami which is better as paper is a very wide resource that is extremely unlikely to disappear in all forms – look how much paper is thrown away as rubbish. This is a good stim and energy restorer. Finally I have animals and nature. I live in a world with them and they are always there to enjoy – not pets which unfortunately have a limited lifespan, but wildlife, plants, fungi, insects and flowers. A great resource for relaxation; thought provoking and fun.
So to conclude, when you are indulging in intense interests, stimming with or without objects, enjoying a positive sensory experience, stay in the present with it and appreciate it what it is and what it may do for you. Try new things and have a wide range of things that make you happy to combat the negatives of life and keep smiling no matter what. Oh and here’s hoping for rain soon!