High Functioning Autism Social Impairment Inability to interact with peers Lack of understanding of social cues Inappropriate social and emotional responses

Limited interests preoccupations Hyper focused Exclusive of others interest

Repetitive routines Rituals Imposed on self Imposed on others

Motor Clumsiness

Why do we need to look at people? To see if we recognize them Judge gender and age Determine their mood

STATISTIC 65% of adolescents with AS have an affective or mood disorder… OCD, PTSD, depression, paranoia, anxiety…

Challenges are a function of AS Empathetic difficulties Impaired conversation skills Atypical learning styles Sensory processing deficits Reduced social reasoning This predisposes them to : Stress Anxiety Emotional exhaustion Frustration

People with AS are unaware how others see them… Odd, weird, rude, foolish, goofy, strange… Inability to identify and describe feelings Can’t read emotions in others Limited vocabulary to describe feelings

Executive Functioning ( The ability to engage in goal-directed activity, along with the mental processes that make this possible) Typical characteristics associated with AS… Disinhibited Impulsive

I DON’T CARE !!! Why is it important to CARE ??? I only want to talk about the things I like…

WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP Interpersonal Distance Too close/too far Floor tiles Arms length Hoola hoop

No Means No! Don’t fall into the trap of an argument Define work areas Help with organization skills Use visual cues to assist in organization

continued… Help students to recognize social problems and develop choices to deal with them Each choice has a consequence Break up work loads into manageable units Remember to reinforce

Room consistency Change creates anxiety Anxiety creates emotional distress Emotional distress creates behaviors Use a Tutor Tutors help individuals without the interaction and difficulty of having mom and dad do it

Proximity Just get closer to redirect Don’t need words Task lists A form of visual strategy May require a more detailed description of how to complete the task Timeline Assists in executive functions

Academic issues identify the issues Exam taking Initiating work Motivation Attention Reading comprehension Cognitive processing

Four major behaviors that can develop if we don’t help in supporting these individuals Inappropriate behaviors Creepiness Dangerous Criminal

60% - 80% IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY TO THESE INDIVIDUALS ITS HOW YOU SAY IT !