I have an idea for you! ( And I hope this will be the first of many such posts.)

In any social science, there are so many questions that go unasked, so many unnoticed assumptions, and so many ways that data can be interpreted. Sometimes, you need an outside perspective. Here’s one for you to consider:

One of the classic “early signs” of autism is an aversion to being touched/held, even in infancy. This aversion seems to support the hurtful (but sadly still prevalent) idea that autistic* people are innately bad at forming “normal” connections with other human beings.

I suggest a different interpretation. My hypothesis: early touch aversion is not due to discomfort with human contact itself but to a related sensory sensitivity. Support for this hypothesis would:

Weaken the notion that autistic people have an inherent deficit in the ability to bond with other humans. Change primary caregivers’ emotional response to touch aversion. Understandably, many parents interpret touch aversion as personal rejection by their child, and this can be very damaging both for the caregiver and for the developing parent-child relationship. Suggest a very different early intervention track focused on sensory accommodation and sensory integration rather than on reinforcing typical social responses such as eye contact. I would go so far as to speculate that addressing sensory needs earlier might actually forestall or mitigate the social withdrawal shown by so many autistic children and likewise presumed to be an inherent aspect of autistic neurology.

With this in mind, I would love to see studies addressing the following questions about the development of touch-averse responses in infants, many of whom are later diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum (and what of those touch-averse babies who aren’t later considered autistic? Another great area for potential study):

Could the baby be reacting to something on a primary caregiver, like a perfume? Hypersensitivity to many of the chemicals we ingest or inhale is common in autistic people, affecting everything from food preferences to medication dosing to tolerating public spaces. Resistance to being held might result from something as simple as Mom’s shampoo or Dad’s aftershave. (I suspect that it doesn’t take many uncomfortable experiences for a baby to develop a general aversion to being picked up by anyone.)

Tangentish bit: my personal experience of a chemical sensitivity.

My mother and I both have allergic reactions to the majority of manufactured perfumes. Not just the ones you spray on yourself but, you know, the stuff that’s in air fresheners and scented candles and deodorant and hand soap and carpet cleaners and many, many more things. Fabric softeners are among the worst offenders; since the fragrances are designed to remain even after washing (as they are in soaps and shampoos, which are also major culprits), they are incredibly difficult to get rid of. I’ve handled a single item of contaminated clothing and then spent over 20 minutes scrubbing my hands with everything from soap to salt to vinegar in an attempt to remove what most people would consider a pleasant smell. This stuff is on people everywhere. People who might hand you their coat, or sit near you in a car, or give you a hug, or (if you are small enough), pick you up and snuggle you. If you have an autistic baby/child, please switch to fragrance-free everything, at least for long enough to see if that makes any difference.

Tangent over. More questions:

Does it make a difference whether the baby can see that they are going to be touched before the touch occurs? Autistic people often have exaggerated startle responses and find unexpected touch particularly distressing.

Is the caregiver usually talking? Most of us instinctively use higher-pitched voices when speaking to infants (possibly because their hearing range is higher). But I’ve seen autistic clients wince or cry at the sound of higher-pitched noises, including the sounds people make.

Does the type of touch matter? Many autistic people (as everyone now knows thanks to Temple Grandin) find gentle touch uncomfortable even to the point of pain but are soothed by deep pressure. Some also prefer being touched through fabric rather than on bare skin, or prefer very targeted touch (such as a high-five or fist-bump) over being hugged, which involves variable pressure over a larger area.

The most important thing here is that, if my idea is supported, the distress of both infant and caregiver in these situations can be resolved by fairly small adjustments to the caregiver’s behavior. What a difference it would make to autistic babies and their families if the simplest of changes could restore opportunities for comfort and bonding provided by physical contact between parent and child!

***

[Ha! This was supposed to be a short note, just a few quick questions. More than 2 hours and nearly 800 words later… This is why I don’t write more often. My ideas tend to run away with me.]

***

* I use identity-first language (ie “autistic person” rather than ”person with autism” for reasons that have been written about extensively by various autistic adults and young adults. Curious? Please ask the internet!