Scent research in Autism

An older article from 2015 on scent and sniffing pleasant and unpleasant odors, noted that Autistics sniffed at pleasant and unpleasant odors with the same intensity whereas neurotypicals sniffed more intensely with pleasant odors and less intensely with unpleasant odors.

We wonder if the more intense sniff is increasing the intensity of the scent and thus contributing to increased sensory overwhelm to scent?

We would love to see some research into whether this could be developed into an easy intervention. We searched articles this week and could not find interventions but please let us know if there are some.

We would propose an intervention where Autistic children could learn to visually identify potentially unpleasant scents (this would need to be individually tailored)  and also learn to control the intensity of their sniff to decrease the overwhelm. This could focus on scents that are more commonplace in everyday environments (schools, shops) and where the scent is impacting on occupations.

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(15)00651-X?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS096098221500651X%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

It has been difficult to research the olfactory (scent) sense in Autism, partly due to the difficulties with accuracy of measurement. A new precise and easy to use system has been developed – the odor pulse ejection system. It is described in this article:

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2020.523456/full

This system was designed to more accurately measure olfactory processing including odor detection, identification and evaluation. Findings of the study using the odor pulse ejection system suggest differences in aspects of olfactory processing for autistics, including olfactory working memory and/or attention.

Xu, M., Minagawa, Y., Kumazaki, H., Okada, K., & Naoi, N. (2020). Prefrontal Responses to Odors in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Functional NIRS Measurement Combined With a Fragrance Pulse Ejection System. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2020.523456

The NSW Government is investing $20 million to help hospital managers improve the therapeutic environment inside acute mental health units – isn’t that great news!

Julie and I have had a lot of conversations over the years about designing our ideal mental health inpatient unit and in this blog we discuss some of the main points.

The sensory aspects of eating and drinking (the smell of hot chips, the taste of chocolate milk, the chewing and swallowing of biscuits) may provide people with the neurological input needed to help shift how they feel. While the goal of changing negative feelings is a good one, some strategies used to achieve this (such as over-eating) may result in negative outcomes. Different sensory strategies could therefore be adopted to provide the desired sensory input, without the negative effects of emotional eating on health and well-being.

The Sensory Modulation Resource Manual was published earlier in 2018 as an ebook and paperback. We have been getting some feedback from different people and professional groups about what they find useful about the book. We have had feedback from Nurses, Teachers, Occupational Therapists, Parents, Architects, Dentists, Non-Government workers and many others.

Nurses:

Clinical Nurses in Mental Health are finding that the book provides useful resources for using sensory modulation to reduce seclusion and restraint on the inpatient unit. This includes information on designing  different spaces or zones within the inpatient unit  for different sensory input (sensory spaces), suggestions for equipment for the sensory spaces and a guide to getting starting in using sensory modulation with a client. In June 2018, the NSW government allocated $20 million to improve therapeutic environments within mental health units. The Sensory Modulation Resource Manual is a useful resource for this project. 

Teachers:

Teachers are reporting that the Sensory Modulation Resource Manual is useful in understanding the individual sensory preferences of the children in the classrooms and tailoring strategies to the individuals. The section on calming strategies has been popular, in particular using the playground for calming. High school teachers and Guidance Officers have liked the lists of strategies to improve focus, and decrease anxiety.

Studies conducted over the last two decades continue to demonstrate the strong connection between nature and well-being, for example:

·         Contact with ‘blue space’ (living near the ocean) is associated with reduced levels of psychological distress (Nutsford et al, 2016).

·         Views of nature (ie - mountains, oceans, waterfalls, star filled skies) create feelings of wonderment and awe, altering our experience of time and increasing feelings of unity, connection, patience, and a desire to help others (Rudd, Aaker & Vohs, 2012).

There is growing evidence that balance, movement and proprioception (the sense or awareness of our body in space) can play an important role with managing anxiety.

Mental Health inpatient units are increasingly using Sensory Modulation strategies to provide options for people to self soothe and self regulate. One strategy that many people find useful is the use of cold temperature items. This can include using ice sprays, disposable ice packs, zip lock bags with cold water, cold slushies, cold water in sinks, cold stress balls, and chill towels.

At Sensory Modulation Brisbane, we have clinicians who often identify topics for research, but who are unable to research them due to time or logistical restraints. We are very aware of the need for further research on Sensory Modulation, so we are going to list ideas through blogs when we have them.

Sensory room or sensational space?

Find a leisure or sport interest to suit you

Co-regulation - calming everybody down

Sensory Interventions have been found to be effective in reducing agitation