Sensory issues can manifest themselves as either sensory-seeking or sensory-avoiding behaviors.  For instance, toe-walking is common amongst autistic children.  This behavior could be considered sensory-seeking, e.g.:  the child seeks additional input into the balls of their feet, or sensory-avoiding, e.g.:  the child is sensitive to the feel of the various surfaces and avoids them by having as much of their foot as possible off of the floor.

My daughter has mostly outgrown her sensory-avoiding behaviors, which in the past included aversions to many sounds, such as the cries of other children or vacuum cleaners.  But her sensory-seeking behaviors are more compulsive than ever.   She seeks out sensory stimulation of all kinds.  Visually, she loves to look at flashing, spinning baby toys, full moons, running water, and a host of other sights that are stimulating to her.  Smell-wise, like many kids with autism, she unfortunately seeks out some less than pleasant odors, and will run her fingers between her toes or jam them under my arms.  As far as sounds go, she will as me to repeat certain words or phrases over and over again.  And she still loves the deep pressure of hugging, rough-housing, and squishing herself under our sofa cushions.

And so I’ve composed a little ode to all of my daughter’s “favorite things” to the melody of the famous song from The Sound of Music.  I assume that everyone knows the tune so feel free to sing out loud…uh one and uh two and uh…

Numbers and letters and mall escalators

Pushing the buttons on the store’s elevator

Fountains and sprinklers and toilets flushing

These are a few of my favorite things

Gluten-full food that I’m not s’posed to eat

Smells that are nasty like poop, pits, and feet

Toys that are beeping, flashing, or spinning

These are a few of my favorite things

When the light’s bright

When my ears ring

When I’m feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don’t feel so bad

Dora and Wiggles and Baby Einstein

Watching those shows til Mom loses her mind

Rocking and flapping and elbow pumping

These are a few of my favorite things

Bright shiny full moons and microwave ovens

Fridge doors and sewers and oak-tree-trunk-lovin’

Canadian geese and their stinky droppings

These are a few of my favorite things

When the light’s bright

When my ears ring

When I’m feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don’t feel soooooooo bad!

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