Autism and Smells

[SimplyWandering]

I saw this article recently and found it super interesting:

Social smells evoke unusual responses in people with autism

Ihave issues with overpowering scents. It could be musky, it could be sweet ... BO is the Worst. Sometimes I don't mind a scent if I am in on the activity... however Marijuana is usually a really annoying smell to me.

How do you deal with overpowering scents or are there scents you can't get enough of?

 

[AuBurney Tuckerson]

My brother's breath just KILLS me! Other things like the smell of urine, poop, cabbage, greens (really strong if you cook Bacon or whatever my mother does), indigestion (through farting), sometimes my own B.O. (I'm the first to smell myself), many more I can't think of right now. I'm the first person in the house to smell when something's spoiled, and I'm always the only one constantly smelling an odor in the kitchen. It sucks to have to hold my breath or breathe with my shirt over my mouth whenever I go into the kitchen just to get something to eat...

 

[UberScout]

Nothing beats the empty pangs of hunger like a stove-cooked steak. I say stove-cooked because my mother knows how to do it just right.

You ever been to McDonalds, gotten a combo meal and got lucky enough to get fries fresh out of the trap? Awww MAN! The smell, the saltiness, the taste even. Makes you wanna do backflips.

There was something nostalgic about going to school and having a freeze-pack chilled sandwhich and chips in my lunch bag. I never thought the inside lining of a lunch bag could bring back so many memories.

I don't know what kind of air freshener Jungle Rapids used in their arcade sections, but every time I go there and think about going back there I remember the overlapping craziness of Street Fighter characters beating each other up, guns firing, cars driving around and ticket games making their musical chimes.

I used to have an aroma vaporizer, you could get different scents from the pharmacy and load them, and they had different effects on me. Whenever I was having trouble sleeping I just plug in some lavender, it smelled so sweet and it had the weirdest way of helping me sleep.

 

[Fino]

Nothing beats the empty pangs of hunger like a stove-cooked steak. I say stove-cooked because my mother knows how to do it just right.

You ever been to McDonalds, gotten a combo meal and got lucky enough to get fries fresh out of the trap? Awww MAN! The smell, the saltiness, the taste even. Makes you wanna do backflips.

There was something nostalgic about going to school and having a freeze-pack chilled sandwhich and chips in my lunch bag. I never thought the inside lining of a lunch bag could bring back so many memories.

I don't know what kind of air freshener Jungle Rapids used in their arcade sections, but every time I go there and think about going back there I remember the overlapping craziness of Street Fighter characters beating each other up, guns firing, cars driving around and ticket games making their musical chimes.

I used to have an aroma vaporizer, you could get different scents from the pharmacy and load them, and they had different effects on me. Whenever I was having trouble sleeping I just plug in some lavender, it smelled so sweet and it had the weirdest way of helping me sleep.

You need to be a writer, that was such a wild ride, I feel like I was someone else for however long it took me to read that.

 

[Progster]

I like the smell of some things such as freshly baked bread, but people smells, body odour, etc, are nearly just unpleasant to me, and I really detest perfume, aftershave or scented deoderant.

 

[Pats]

Most women's perfumes give me a headache, yet I can be walking through a store and a man wearing light cologne will lead me to taking a deep breath and smile. My day is made.
I have a powder scented candle that sits close to me that I enjoy the smell of all day long, though I've never had to burn it.
I do have a lot of wax melts and scented candles - don't like the soapy smells.
I've also learned to hold my breath when it comes to BO.
I remember once when I was on the truck with my husband, telling him that I could smell burning wires (of course I was pregnant and senses are stronger). He wouldn't believe me. About an hour down the road he had to pull over because there were burning wires. It was almost like I could tell you exactly what the smell was, even if it was an unfamiliar smell.
And my daughter was so funny when she was little. She'd be going to the bathroom and crying that her nose hurts. Was definitely not like smelling a rose. lol

 

[Graphin]

Sometimes I can smell certain things much earlier.
There are various smells that I weirdly like or hate.
The worst are various artificial smells, perfumes - essentially all the soap and washing stuff smells very strong and bad. And when it comes to perfumes people put on themselves directly, I smell it far away and it's so iRrItAtInG

 

[tlc]

I don't like a lot of food smells. Any salad dressings, ketchup, vinegar. Ranch is the worst. Makes me think of house paint in the days before low VOC, that was horrible too. Cigarette smoke is horrible too. I've learned that if I have to pass by smokers, I take a breath first, and slowly expel it to keep a positive pressure so I don't take any in.