Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1439667
L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 59 bodywork and manual therapy journals (with one notable exception published some years ago). 12 Therefore, it is worth doing a keyword search of PubMed using "autism" and "massage" or other massage therapy techniques if exploring this further. A further important point is that autism is strongly associated with increased comorbidity and heredity of Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS)/hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD). It has even been suggested that EDS/HSD may represent a subtype of autism, though this is a relatively recent finding and requires further research. 13 EDS/HSD affect proprioception and so does autism, and it has been suggested that the neurodevelopmental parameters causing this may also affect executive functioning (if too much attention is being focused on walking in a straight line or not banging into the furniture, the brain can get overwhelmed and present with what look like attention or other cognitive deficits, even seizures. This is common for autistic people). 14 Accompanying neurodevelopmental issues may also be responsible for dysregulation of the immune system and autonomic disorders affecting the peripheral nervous system, resulting in overactive sympathetic responses (fight/f light) and underactive parasympathetic functioning (rest/digest). This means that the heightened anxiety and strong reactions to apparently mild sensory stimuli often seen in both autism and EDS/HSD are a result of neurological differences that can also result in a number of other comorbidities (such as gastrointestinal or cardiac problems). This is one of the best examples of where autistic people get shortchanged: A strong expression of anxiety of something a non- autistic person may see as minor (like a strong reaction to an unfamiliar texture, or sound, or change in routine) is the reflection of that hardwired overactive fight/ flight response, not the person just being highly strung. This leads to emotional dysregulation: What would be an irritant to most is perceived by the autistic person's nervous system as a life-threatening event, and they may react accordingly. This cannot be controlled at will, nor can the person be trained out of it, although coping IN THE HEALTH-CARE SET TING, AUTISTIC INDIVIDUALS OFTEN FACE SEVERE CHALLENGES THAT ARE DIFFERENT FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS.