The Anger Box: Sensory Turmoil and Pain in Autism

Citation

Mark Brown (2015), "The Anger Box: Sensory Turmoil and Pain in Autism", Tizard Learning Disability Review, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 104-105. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLDR-10-2014-0037

Phoebe Caldwell's previous books and work have highlighted the need for us to enter the world of an individual with autism, rather than looking in from the outside, in order to more fully understand and communicate with the person. Caldwell's insights have come from experience rather than research or theory. Previously, she concentrated upon the presentation of autism, its symptoms, and potential interventions. In this instance, the author has turned her insight and understanding toward the impact that sensory processing difficulties can have upon the individual with autistic spectrum disorder.

The title of the book originates from one child's visualisation of the key things that happen when he gets angry. This is no magic box that contains the child's anger, rather the “place” where his anger is stored till its release as the child loses control. This example leads in to a broader consideration of the implications of the sensory elements frequently experienced by individuals with autism. Generally, in this reviewer's experience, previous explanation of these sensory elements has tended to focus on relatively obvious sensory processing issues that many professionals and parents recognise, including proprioceptive and vestibular regulation, auditory and visual difficulties. Here, Caldwell goes beyond the obvious and explores in detail more unusual ideas of the kinds of things that can be sources of adverse stimulation, but which are frequently overlooked by those of us classed as “neuro-typical”. Throughout the book, the author links these notions with practical situations experienced by individuals with autism, including people such as Donna Williams, Temple Grandin, and Ros Blackburn, as well as a number of individuals that the author has directly worked with. Such ideas, as the physical pain described by some individuals with autism when they are being asked to think about or do a specific task which they find difficult to comprehend, are explored from the viewpoint of a person with autism rather than from the reader's “neuro-typical” world, thus providing the reader an insight into the realities of the individual's sensory universe. Caldwell then goes on to describe the actual interventions she has implemented in order to assist the individual. Many of these interventions are technically simple but appear to have made a real difference to the person's situation. Although many of these examples are limited to a brief description, the information provided places the difficulties in a real-world context, and acts as a signpost for the reader to follow in order to develop their own strategies. Subsequently, the reader is placed in a position of contemplation concerning how even the simplest of words or interactions could have a dramatic impact upon an individual's sensory processing issues in a way that may not have been previously considered.

Caldwell's “data” arise entirely from the real-life examples she describes. For some readers, this lack of a more formal evidence base may weaken the strength of the author's results and approaches, many of which are as individual as the people they have been developed for. However, by pulling together the many descriptions and stories provided by people with autism who are in the unenviable position of having to cope with such difficulties, the author has attempted to open the mind of the reader to more than just the obvious. For myself as a professional working with individuals with autism who have additional sensory issues, this book has provided a different perspective into the world of sensory processing and subsequently greater understanding about the experiences of individuals with autism. The approaches and information provided by the author help enable professionals, parents, and carers to take a step back and consider more than just environmental noises and lights as triggers, but also the individual and their own unique difficulties, making this a book that everyone working with individuals with autism should read.