Conditioning

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How long does it take to condition yourself to sensory issues, or lose routine behaviour? I know there’s been recent discussion on growing out of autism, which I don’t believe. But I would like to hear others opinions and stories.

I had an argument with my sister, which sparked this. She believes her boy has Asperger’s but he only showed traits for a short time. He was very routine, couldn’t eat his dinner if the different foods were touching and screamed every time a fire alarm went off. After about 6 months all this behaviour had gone, without therapy. He still has behavioural problems but it’s unrelated to what I mentioned above. I just thought it unusual how fast he grew out of those particular traits.

As for your nephew, there is such a thing as behavioural phase. Being especially picky about something or other for a while, then being much more relaxed about it after. That is not necessarily evidence of psychological disorder. Children run through several different approaches to life as they grow and personality solidifies. I would not be concerned about things your nephew may have had problems with in the past but seems to no longer. Autism spectrum cannot be "grown out of". Coped with, adapted to, yes. But it never goes away.

For the latter, that depends much on the specific situation. Some things, in terms of behaviour routine, just sort of slowly get phased out of usual routine over a lengthy span of time. Not deliberately or even consciously. Doing so deliberately would be (is) very hard.

Conditioning self to sensory issues; that is much harder. Impossible, even. I don't condition so much as I find ways to blunt the input (ear plugs, sunglasses, dark curtains, gloves for tactile stuff).

Thanks for your reply. I think I needed a second opinion. I left out that I am diagnosed Autistic and I have in no way been able to condition myself to sensory issues at 22. It's why I found my nephews behavior so confusing as he is apparantly on the spectrum.

Well I know I lost some of my childhood fixations regarding food and such as I matured. But Asperger's is far more complex than the manifestation a couple of traits. I'd have to see a much longer list than that before I'd consider saying someone may have Aspergers.

Conditioning myself to sensory issues usually takes up to 90 days. The same goes with trying to purposely break an established routine or to establish a new routine. And that's applying a lot of conscious effort and taking baby steps.

I can't condition myself to sensory issues. I've learned a lot of coping mechanisms for dealing with them -- especially since going to OT -- but I don't think I will ever not have sensory issues.

I think I was at least 14 or 15 before I stopped having meltdowns over my mom moving things in the house, and it took a lot of conscious effort. I still get disoriented and upset when things are changed in my environment, but I don't tend to go into full-blow meltdown mode -- it's easier for me to process the change and to calm myself, and it's very rare indeed for me to start screaming and freaking out over such changes.

If I became unable to use routines, I would lose a great deal of functional ability, so......