Low self-esteem

Most children with ADHD suffer from low self-esteem. Many unwanted behaviours that are seen in children with ADHD are due to problems with self-esteem. It is essential that parents and teachers recognize this before trying to treat the behaviour. This chapter discusses low self-esteem in ADHD, including self-appraisal as a function of the brain, control of the self-appraisal system in the brain, dysfunctional coping behaviours (quitting, avoiding, adverse responses to praise, tactile defensiveness, cheating, lying, clowning, regressive behaviour, school avoidance, homework avoidance, computer game and TV ‘addiction’, aggression, controlling behaviour, passive aggression, and denial), and the importance of self-esteem maintenance mechanisms.

Clothes, Sensory Experiences and Autism: Is Wearing the Right Fabric Important?

Tactile defensiveness in autistic individuals is the least investigated sensory modality. The current multi-component, explorative study aimed to understand the experiences of ten autistic adults regarding tactile defensiveness and fabrics, using semi-structured, one-to-one interviews. Participants were asked to discuss the effects of seven provided samples of fabrics and were also asked to bring their ‘favourite’ fabric (s) and express their thoughts about their choices. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Content Analysis, the findings showed that some fabrics can impact individuals’ reported wellbeing. Participants’ experiences with several stimuli appeared to have helped them implement coping strategies. By understanding tactile defensiveness, society could move towards increasing autism-friendly approaches with appropriate fabrics. Recommendations for future research, policy and practice are also discussed.

Touch and olfaction/taste differentiate children carrying a 16p11.2 deletion from children with ASD

Background Sensory processing atypicalities are frequent in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Different domains of sensory processing appear to be differentially altered in these disorders. In this study, we explored the sensory profile of two clinical cohorts, in comparison with a sample of typically developing children. Methods Behavioral responses to sensory stimuli were assessed using the Sensory Processing Measure (parent-report questionnaire). We included 121 ASD children, 17 carriers of the 16p11.2 deletion (Del 16p11.2) and 45 typically developing (TD) children. All participants were aged between 2 and 12 years. Additional measures included the Tactile Defensiveness and Discrimination Test-Revised, Wechsler Intelligence Scales and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2). Statistical analyses included MANCOVA and regression analyses. Results ASD children score significantly higher on all SPM subscales compared to TD. Del16p11.2 also scored higher than TD on all subscales except for tactile and olfactory/taste processing, in which they score similarly to TD. When assessing sensory modulation patterns (hyper-, hypo-responsiveness and seeking), ASD did not significantly differ from del16p11.2. Both groups had significantly higher scores across all patterns than the TD group. There was no significant association between the SPM Touch subscale and the TDDT-R. Limitations Sensory processing was assessed using a parent-report questionnaire. Even though it captures observable behavior, a questionnaire does not assess sensory processing in all its complexity. The sample size of the genetic cohort and the small subset of ASD children with TDDT-R data render some of our results exploratory. Divergence between SPM Touch and TDDT-R raises important questions about the nature of the process that is assessed. Conclusions Touch and olfaction/taste seem to be particularly affected in ASD children compared to del16p11.2. These results indicate that parent report measures can provide a useful perspective on behavioral expression. Sensory phenotyping, when combined with neurobiological and psychophysical methods, might have the potential to provide a better understanding of the sensory processing in ASD and in other NDD.

Noli Me Tangere: Social Touch, Tactile Defensiveness, and Communication in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Tactile defensiveness is a common feature in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Since the first studies, tactile defensiveness has been described as the result of an abnormal response to sensory stimulation. Moreover, it has been studied how the tactile system is closely linked to socio-communicative development and how the interoceptive sensory system supports both a discriminating touch and an affective touch. Therefore, several neurophysiological studies have been conducted to investigate the neurobiological basis of the development and functioning of the tactile system for a better understanding of the tactile defensiveness behavior and the social touch of NDDs. Given the lack of recent literature on tactile defensiveness, the current study provides a brief overview of the original contributions on this research topic in children with NDDs focusing attention on how this behavior has been considered over the years in the clinical setting.

Math Manipulatives for Students with Severe Intellectual Disability: A Survey of Special Education Teachers

A survey was conducted with 86 teachers across 10 states regarding their students’ ease of use of physical manipulatives incorporated with implementing evidence-based early numeracy instruction. The majority of respondents indicated significant student accessibility barriers. Specifically, 75% of respondents had students with tactile defensiveness or lack of gross motor skills; 85% had students with weak to no fine motor skills; and 83% had students who lost track of the math objectives while manipulating materials, making the use of manipulatives difficult or impossible. Ninety-four percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the use of manipulatives are valuable for students to gain early numeracy concepts; however almost half indicated difficulty using them within math instruction. Finally, respondents overwhelmingly noted their student’s engaged with technology (e.g., iPad, Smart Board) to support learning. Overall survey results and need for future research, including the use of virtual manipulatives are discussed.