“The American Psychiatric Association has already included sensory issues – as part of the criteria for diagnosing Autism, yet the public still perceives Autism as a behavioral problem or mental illness more than they do a disorder of the nervous system. said Elizabeth Torres, associate professor of Psychology and director of the New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence. This misperception of what Autism is and is not is especially detrimental to treating it in schools. Without neurologists on hand, teachers and aides may not know how to cope with the somatic and sensory-motor issues that we have measured in research settings.”
