Sensory Integration Education

Moyna Talcer on Why This is Such an Important But, Until Now, Neglected Topic 

I am delighted to finally have got my research (A Qualitative Exploration into the Sensory Experiences of Autistic Mothers) published and to be able to share it with you now. My research explored the sensory experiences of autistic mothers and is, to my knowledge, the only paper ever to focus specifically on this topic. Despite the high prevalence of sensory processing differences found within the autistic population and the links to increased stress and anxiety, especially in motherhood, no research exists exploring the sensory experiences of autistic mothers. I used semi-structured interviews with 7 autistic mothers and then analysed the data using thematic analysis. Five major themes were identified: antenatal experiences, sensory experiences in motherhood, the impact of sensory processing difficulties, strategies and needs, diagnosis. This research provides greater insight and understanding into the sensory experiences of autistic mothers which can influence earlier diagnosis and inform appropriate support and adaptations for autistic mothers in a variety of different sectors and highlights a possible emerging role for Occupational Therapists.

The timing and findings of my publication are even more poignant since the recent release of the Government's new Autism Strategy soon to be implemented in 2022-2026 where there will be £75 million invested in improving the lives of Autistic people, the biggest investment to date, with the implementation of a staged plan aimed at: 

1. Improving understanding and acceptance of autism within society, where I hope we will stop hearing the well-meaning, but the ill-informed phrase "everyone is a little bit autistic aren't they?".
2. Strengthen access to education and support positive transitions into adulthood.
3. Support more autistic people in employment.
4. Tackle health and care inequalities. 
5. Build the right support in the community and supporting people in inpatient care by improving community support and prevent avoidable admissions of autistic people. 
6. Improve support within the criminal and youth justice systems.

I was first inspired to complete this research whilst studying part-time for an MSc in Sensory Integration and working full time in my own clinical practice. As a mother myself to a beautiful and spirited boy, I realised early on in my pregnancy that I too was experiencing heightened sensory processing differences that when compared to other mothers, were markedly different. Ever since I was young, I have always experienced sensory processing differences, however, in pregnancy and into motherhood, these were noticeably heightened. 

I experienced severe sickness in pregnancy which lasted longer than 5 months and resulted in me being unable to work for a period of time. I remember speaking to other mothers with severe sickness and finding out that the triggers for me were almost all sensory-based, which was significantly different to their triggers which were mainly limited to the smell of food. I was so sensitised, that the smell of my own skin was enough to significantly overstimulate me and bring on an episode, and I was unable to look at any moving images, so could not watch the TV or look at my phone and had to avoid any change of my head position from laying down to sitting up as movement was very challenging in the early months of my pregnancy. 

After my beautiful boy came into the world, I remember my sensory sensitivities became even more heightened. My son suffered terribly from colic and would cry frequently throughout the day and night. The pitch of his cry was painful to me and I had to wear earplugs, however, I knew I was not experiencing postnatal depression, as it was different. I breastfed him for 3.5 years as I knew that this would be the best option for him to develop his immune system, however, the payoff was that I felt extremely oversensitive to touch which affected other areas of my life due to being so sensitive. I remember referencing the other mothers in my friendship circle and thinking, how come they seem to have all this energy for meeting up and going out together and appear to be recharged from social interaction when I feel utterly exhausted from it? I started to feel like an outsider looking in. I began researching this and in closed forums, where I found a like-minded community of mothers who reported to felt the same, but despite there being a calling within this community for relatable literature, there was no research to better explain my experiences. This is why I was so inspired to conduct this valuable research. 

My hope is that other autistic mothers will have access to relatable research through which they can understand and reframe their experiences, and gain a better understanding of how they can apply tailor-made sensory strategies to make the journey into motherhood more gentle. I hope that the research will help to inform service provision and raise awareness within a number of different sectors and reduce the stigma that autistic mothers experience. As an OT it is important to remember that autistic children grow into autistic adults and may go on to have a family of their own. By empowering them to understand their unique sensory profile and clearly understanding their strengths, they will be better informed, which will ultimately improve their trajectory in the long term. 

Talcer, M.C., Duffy, O. & Pedlow, K. A Qualitative Exploration into the Sensory Experiences of Autistic Mothers. J Autism Dev Disord (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05188-1https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-021-05188-1

Moyna Talcer is an Occupational Therapist and Advanced SI Practitioner and also an eMentor on Sensory Integration Education’s postgraduate SI training for therapists. Moyna draws on her long experience in her engaging and informative online course, Designing Your Own ASI Space, aimed at SI Practitioners who are looking to set up their own Ayres Sensory Integration space.