Author: smackenz

My vision, my identity

smackenz/ / Art, Emotion, Haptic touch, Hearing, Multisensory, Philosophical Approach, Posts, Vision

The case of S.B. and later research have helped answer Molyneux’s question, posed to Locke, about whether a man born blind and now made to see can recognise a cube and a sphere by vision alone. Molyneux’s question was a pure thought experiment, aimed at exploring the structure of sensory knowledge. And over the years, it has been turned around and nuanced by both philosophers and scientists. (See our blog for the philosophical approach and the scientific approach.)

“We differ, blind and seeing, one from another, not in our senses, but in the use we make of them, in the imagination and courage with which we seek wisdom beyond the senses.” (Attributed to Helen Keller.)

But are people in general able to take up William Molyneux’s challenge and imagine life from a different sensory perspective? And if so, do they reach the same conclusion as Helen Keller – that true understanding goes beyond what the “blind and seeing” can or cannot do?

This time, I have invited Sidsel Størmer to share her lived experiences of how everyday beliefs have shaped her sense of self and confidence in relying on other senses rather than vision. And her journey towards reshaping her identity – both for herself and in the eyes of others. Sidsel holds a degree in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge, has worked as an analyst at The Government Pension Fund Global (also known as The Norwegian Oil Fund), and is currently pursuing a degree in Law at the University of Oslo. Her eyesight has been limited for as long as she remembers: No vision in her right eye and tunnel vision in her left, with less than 20% of the normal visual field.

I wasn’t blind

Growing up I was never blind. Yes, I had a white cane, and yes, early on I had braille lessons, but I was never blind. One of the first phrases I learnt – after my name – was to tell people that I did not see very well. I could see the sun, I could see pictures in art galleries, I could see my outfit in the morning when I got dressed. I could see enough to read in print – sometimes – and very slowly. To my parents and teachers, this made me “not blind”.

I soon learnt to embody this vision of myself. To me, being not blind was very important, because the people I saw around me and the people I admired were not blind. The people I had met who were blind seemed – to me – strange, scary and fundamentally different from me. As I grew up, I learnt that “the blind” were unable to work, dressed badly, and did not care about architecture, art, design or fashion – things which all mattered deeply to me. But: that was okay – I wasn’t blind.

This attitude carried me into adulthood. While I needed many adjustments during my undergraduate degree, I still took notes by hand, even while needing everything to be recorded for me. I colour coded my notes, as I had always done, in order to get as much as possible out of the pinprick of vision I had. I went clubbing, not knowing who I was going with or where we were. “Blind people don’t go clubbing” I thought, terrified, as I tried to find out where I was.

As I entered the workforce, my blindness caught up with me. I had landed a job in Oslo, where I had grown up, and was going to be living independently for the first time. I continued as I had always done, getting the most out of my vision and pretending like I could see more than I actually could.

Slowly, I came to realise how unsustainable this approach was. My psychologist diagnosed me with burnout two years into working full time. In the year and a half that followed, I slowly began to realise how little I could see and that I had to do something about how I navigated the world. I learnt to use a screenreader, and took time off from work to improve my slow braille and re-learn mobility and orientation skills. I started learning to echolocate, to use my fingers and ears to read instead of my eyes. This journey continues.

Now I choose both – I am blind, and I am sighted

I still love art, fashion and design. I am still deeply invested in the visual aspects of my life. But: I have also come to realise that my other senses sometimes work better than my eyes.

Yet, I have come to realise that I have the privilege of choice. I can choose which senses I want to use on different occasions. When using my recently acquired national gallery membership in London, my guide dog leads me through the halls, but I look at the paintings. I sit in the a nearby cafe reading The Times in print, before reading the braille sign on the bathroom door, I still like to know where I am and to be able to decide “ladies, not men”.

These actions are not contradictory to me. They embody the choice to use different senses for different things.

The thought of blindness is probably scarier to the sighted than it is to the blind. For me, this fear led me to live in a strange in-between state I was neither sighted nor compensating as well as my peers who are “fully blind”. While enjoying the privilege of using all my senses to the full, I wish I had learnt to do so sooner. To be proud of my blindness and my sight. To love art while reading with my fingers and orienting with my ears.

If you know a child who is blind and have some vision, teach them to be proud of their blindness and their sight. Teach them to read with their fingers, orient with the ears and see things that matter to them with their eyes. They will thank you.

See our blog for Activities; especially 91-93.

Some suggestions for further listening, reading, and watching:

Why Is Sleeping More Difficult for Some Children?

smackenz/ / Emotion, Haptic touch, Hearing, Interoception, Posts, Proprioception, Sensory Profile, Sleep, Smell, Taste, Vestibular, Vision

Although all brains perceive and process sensory information, people differ in how much sensory input it takes for their brain to respond. For example, some only notice vivid colours, while others are overwhelmed by soft pastels – without trying to actively change the colour by adding or removing light. These groups simply respond passively. Other people seek sensory input, sometimes even creating it themselves by fidgeting, and some become overstimulated by certain types of input and withdraw. Both of these groups respond actively. (See our blog for the crossmodal correspondences between the senses, Crossmodal brain plasticity and empowering of sensory abilities, Multisensory processing, Growing into one’s own body and How the internal senses may connect sight and sound). And, how the brain responds to sensory information, may also affect how well people sleep.

In this post, I have invited Assistant Professor, Büşra Kaplan Kılıç, University of Health Sciences, Turkey to write about how people’s responses to sensory information can affect their sleep. She calls it: “the hidden link between sleep and sensory processing.” Her research includes several scientific publications on sensory integration, sensory processing, and sleep.

The Hidden Link Between Sleep and Sensory Processing in Toddlers

Sleeping child - icons for loud and quiet noise above their head.
AI-generated illustration for SmartSense

When a baby or toddler has trouble falling asleep, it is often thought to be due to fussiness, habit, or excessive activity. However, science tells us that sleep is not only a state of rest, but also a process closely related to how the baby perceives the world. Especially in the first years of life, the connection between sleep and sensory development becomes quite important.

So, the question we should be asking is not, “Why aren’t they sleeping?”. But rather: Do children perceive the world the way we think they do?

How Do Children Perceive the World?

We constantly receive information from our surroundings: light, sound, touch, movement, taste, smell… Our brain filters and organizes this information and ensures we behave accordingly. This process is called sensory processing. Each individual has a different threshold value for these stimuli. Some of us can comfortably read a book in a crowded environment, while others may be disturbed by even the ticking of a clock.

Each child has a different sensory threshold: Child's head surrounded by icons for strong and weak sensory input.
AI-generated illustration for SmartSense

Similarly, some young children notice environmental stimuli immediately and experience them very intensely. Others notice stimuli later or ignore them. Some become distressed and prefer to avoid them. All these differences are part of children’s sensory profiles and are not problems in themselves. However, when these sensory characteristics are combined with a sensitive process such as sleep, challenging situations may arise. This suggests that sleep is not only a behavioral problem, but also deeply connected to the child’s biological makeup and sensory world.

We therefore conducted a study1, with 220 children aged 1-3 years, half with and half without sleep problems, to explore two key questions:

  • Do children with and without sleep problems have different sensory responses?
  • In which areas do these differences appear?

 

The results were quite surprising

Compared to their peers, the sensory profiles of children in the group with sleep problems differed from typical development in three areas.

  1. They had excessive sensory sensitivity

Children with sleep problems can be much more sensitive to sounds, visual stimuli, or touch. These children become irritated more quickly by stimuli in their environment and react more intensely. This can cause them to wake up at the slightest sound during sleep. Even small movements during sleep, such as turning or stretching, can cause rapid arousal in some children and make it difficult to maintain sleep.

  1. Their sensory avoiding tendencies were high

Some children may feel sensorially overwhelmed because they notice stimuli very quickly. This situation can increase the child’s tendency to avoid daily activities, starting with bedtime routines. A constantly avoiding and alert profile can cause the child to become restless during bedtime routines. For example, brushing teeth, putting on pajamas, and the characteristics of sheets and blankets can be overly stimulating.

  1. They exhibited intense low awareness behaviour

Another notable finding in the study was the low registration behaviour exhibited in response to sensory stimuli. In other words, some children needed more intense input to notice stimuli from their environment. These children may struggle to notice the calming stimuli in their environment (such as lullabies or gentle rocking). In this case, they may miss the relaxation signals needed to fall into sleep. Consequently, the transition to sleep can naturally take longer.

This study tells us that we should approach infant and child sleep problems from the perspective that “sleeping is difficult for them” rather than “they don’t want to sleep.”

Understanding sleep through the lens of sensory processing offers everyone a more nuanced and compassionate framework for supporting children and their families.

Recommendations

  • Consider sensory processing as part of sleep assessments. When observing a child with sleep difficulties, it may be valuable to reflect on their sensory profile. How does the child respond to sound, light, touch, or movement throughout the day? Sensory sensitivity, avoiding, or low registration patterns may help explain why falling asleep or staying asleep is challenging.
  • Think developmentally, not diagnostically. Sensory differences are part of typical developmental variability. Rather than labeling sleep difficulties as “problematic behavior,” interns and professionals are encouraged to view them as signals of how the child interacts with their sensory environment.
  • Reflect on the role of the environment. Sleep does not occur in isolation. Lighting, noise levels, textures, and routines can all interact with a child’s sensory thresholds. Understanding this interaction can support more individualized and supportive approaches in both educational and clinical settings.
  • Value interdisciplinary perspectives. Our study1 underscores the importance of collaboration between disciplines such as occupational therapy, psychology, pediatrics, and education. Addressing sleep difficulties through a sensory lens often requires shared perspectives and integrated support strategies.

See our blog for Activities; especially 88-90.

Some suggestions for further listening and watching:

– How do Parents Assess Their Child’s Sensory Profile?

– Sensory Processing Disorder

– Sensory Profile explained

– Understanding your sensory code

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1Kaplan Kılıç, B., Kayıhan, H., & Çifci, A. (2024). Sensory processing in typically

developing toddlers with and without sleep problems. Infant Behavior and Development, 76, 101981.