Andrew has several issues with the way he experiences his senses.
Bright light really bothers him. Sound is the worse. It is as if he cannot filter foreground from background. Environments with a large number of noise layers (like a crowded store or street) can be almost impossible for him to endure. His sound sensitivities have nothing to do with loudness it is the number of layers. He loves loud music with a regular beat pattern (of any genre) ... I think the fact that it can finally wash out the sounds he can’t filter and the reoccurring beat pattern really help him to focus.
Andrew’s has a number of issues with touch. He craves certain kinds of tactile sensations.
He often loves deep pressure touch, to bury himself in wood chips at a playground .. or garden rocks ... or mud. His recent discovery is being tightly “mummy wrapped” in a blanket .. however when he is very upset touch sensations that are normally calming and focusing are unbearable and he has to be alone and quiet.
Pain sensations are another issue with Andrew ... He will often have no reaction to what must be severe pain ... Once a number of years ago he jumped through a basement window and had a large piece of glass give him a severe slash under his armpit. He never uttered a sound. He simply ran up stairs and jumped in our bed. Andrew loves to soak his feet in the water of cold mountain streams and rivers when we are out hiking. Often I have to
pull his feet out before they end up completely blue from the cold.
Anxiety
