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AUTISM (SENSORY OVERLOAD)
Sensory overload occurs when the brain receives more information from the senses than it can process. Those with Autism (ASD) often experience sensory integration difficulties. Sensitivity to lights, noises, touch, and changes in temperature is enough to cause avoidance, anxiety, and extreme meltdowns. This can make it difficult to function in settings where the sensory stimuli are not controlled. TouchPoints can be used in the classroom, at home, or during therapy sessions to attempt to reduce sensory hyperarousal for improved outcomes in people with ASD.
BLAST
TouchPoint Solution’s wearable devices are embedded with patented BLAST (bi-lateral alternating stimulation tactile) technology. BLAST is scientifically proven to alter the body’s “fight or flight” response caused by stress. The wearables emit alternating vibrations that disengage your standard stress response (sympathetic nervous system), and shift you into the calm, logical side of your brain (parasympathetic nervous system).
When to use TouchPoints
SPOT USE:
Use as soon as you're in an environment with a lot of sensory stimuli to help sensory regulation.
PREVENTATIVE USE:
If you can anticipate being in a scenario with a lot of sensory stimuli, begin use 15-30 minutes prior to going into a new environment. (You may use all day at work or school, however this will require multiple sets of TouchPoints.)
HOW to use TouchPoints
Wear on wrists, in hands, socks, or pant pockets. Use zippered sweatbands on wrists or ankles to muffle some of the noise associated with the vibrations, and to make the introduction to TouchPoints more seamless.
When introducing TouchPoints, ease into the feeling of BLAST by starting the slow/blue setting in various scenarios. Work your way up to the medium/yellow and fast/purple settings as the user becomes more comfortable. Find user’s favorite setting and continue to use this setting throughout the day.
Leave on until you're no longer in a setting with a lot of sensory stimuli.
user spotlight
USER PROFILE:
Kyle, age 8
CHALLENGES:
Autism (Sensory Overload), Inability to Stay Calm, Sensory Sensitivity, Sleep Issues, Social Issues, Tics
SOLUTION:
“Kyle uses touchpoints every single day in bed on upper arms just below armpits. Occasionally she will run them through a second cycle if she is still awake after the first cycle. She will also occasionally use them for hyperactivity, feeling fidgety/picking or otherwise unable to self regulate.”
KEY RESULTS:
Q: What significant changes have you seen?
A: “She is unable to sleep without them. They have taken bedtime from 1-2 hours of rocking, singing, back-rubbing, stories, to a 20 minute wind-down to sleep.”
Q: Have any medical providers, teachers, other family members etc. noticed a difference?
A: “We used them at the pediatricians office and the pediatrician watched her going from almost vibrating with hyperactivity to sitting calmly in a chair. I am also a physician and the difference is profound.”
Q: Anything else you'd like to share?
A: “Touchpoints have changed our lives for the better.”
* These tips and recommendations were provided by those who currently use TouchPoints to manage Autism Spectrum Disorder. Touch Points are not meant to treat Autism or any medical condition. Children and adults with Autism have used Touch Points to help stay calm, prevent stimming and startle response, focus in school, and report improved outcomes. The news reports on Autism are based on actual users of TouchPoints and we are in the process of conducting double-blind placebo-controlled studies in classrooms with Autistic children on a larger scale, but this research is not yet ready for publication.
For more helpful resources on using TouchPoints with Autism, please visit https://thetouchpointsolution.com/pages/autism.