Sensory issues maybe? Maybe not

Hello
The majority of the things you describe in your post are a result of your autistic child’s unique sensory profile. We autistic people have a very different sensory experience to non autistic people. This means our sensory needs can fluctuate all the time.

For example, we autistic people can be highly sensitive to certain stimuli (like the buzzing sound you describe) and be avoidant or overwhelmed by other sensory experiences. This is because we autistics have a different nervous system. In the situations you describe below, your child may love busy/noisy play areas because she is sensory seeking. They may scream and shout themselves also because they are in control of that noise which could potentially drown out any other distressing or distracting stimulation.

Furthermore, I hate shows and pantos too because the sensory experience is incredibly chaotic. Your child may feel the same way about these experiences because they can be incredibly unpredictable, they may be able to identify where the next source of stimulation will come from. This means they are not in control of their environment.

It’s great that your child is refusing to attend these experiences because it means they are setting boundaries to avoid overload. Setting boundaries like this is really important and means your child understands their own autistic experience. 

Autistic people process much more information than non autistic people- which is why we find environments such as pantos chaotic.

Have you heard of monotropism? This theory will you understand your autistic child’s neurology.

https://monotropism.org/

Catlady31 said:

Can a child be distracted/upset by a buzzing sound that no one else can really hear whilst sitting still and quiet yet love noisey, busy play areas and shout and scream themselves. They will also refuse to go to pantos and shows because they dislike the crowded seating, noise from everyone's shouting next to them and the noisey show itself. They also dislike the noisey, crowded school cafeteria and smell of the food, seeing and hearing others eat

School cafeteria are commonly one of the worst places for autistic people. It’s chaos in the school cafeteria - sensory overload. Is it possible for your child to eat elsewhere, maybe in a quiet room with a few close friends?

Catlady31 said:

At home, they seem to crave movement and will sit on the floor waching TV swaying sideways, rolling off the sofa and deliberately hitting the floor.  They will also deliberately run and drop to the ground sometimes at home and when out at the park with friends.  They can also be too loud when talking to friends or mum and dad yet hate talking and answering questions from people they don't know well and will go mute in some situations.

You child probably needs more proprioceptive input to understand where their body is in space. That is probably why they are trying to meet that need by deliberately rolling off the sofa and hitting the floor.

Have you heard of Situational Mutism? It’s an anxiety disorder which means someone physically cannot speak in certain situations or with certain people.

https://youtu.be/DJ44rHvSdMg

Finally, this video might help you understand your autistic child’s sensory experience:

https://youtu.be/51fqpWj61V8

I hope my response is helpful.

Hello NAS72221,

The way you describe the control element makes agreat deal of sense to me.  I'm not sure the assessor saw it this way though as they didn't really say much about it  I hope they understand and continue ue to assess.  Thank you.

You are very welcome.

You are very welcome.