Embracing The Spectrum

Did you know that 1 in 59 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder? ASD is one of the most common developmental disabilities affecting our society today, affecting more than 3.5 million Americans.

Although there is no medical detection or cure, researchers are now able to make a fairly accurate diagnosis based off how  the salience network,  a key region of the brain that selects which sensory information to process, is working. Those on the spectrum are all too familiar with sensory integration difficulties -- sensitivity to lights, noises, touch, and changes in temperature are enough to cause avoidance, anxiety, and extreme meltdowns.  

When sensory overload occurs in individuals with Autism, the brain engages in F3 activation; the body’s fight, flight or freeze response to stress. The result is that people on the spectrum have extreme difficulty functioning in typical classrooms, social settings, or in situations where the sensory stimuli are not controlled. They are often flooded with anxiety in everyday situations that others’ find tolerable, resulting in an inability to focus, learn, or experience joy. Since the salience network is highly integrated with other brain networks that control social behavior, self-awareness, and communication, it is easy to understand why many individuals are turning to advances in neuroscience to help manage the outcomes.

TouchPoints offer a passive, non-invasive solution that may be more powerful than other methods in preventing nervous system hyperarousal in real-time. The BLAST technology helps keep the brain in a rational, logical state of thinking to help it go from sensory overload to sensory tolerant. They can be used in conjunction with therapy, medications, and other interventions.

If you want to learn more about  how TouchPoints can help individuals with Autism,   turn up your volume and press play on the video below to hear from neuropsychologist Dr. Amy Serin.