Action For Autism

What is Autism?  Autism is a brain disorder that typically affects a person’s ability to communicate, form relationships with others, and respond appropriately to the environment

What is Autism? Cont.  Some people with autism are relatively high functioning with speech and intelligence intact  Some people are developmentally delayed non-verbal, or have serious language delays  Some people seem closed off and shut down, while other seem locked into repetitive behaviors and rigid patters of thinking

What is Autism? Cont Although people with autism do not have exactly the same symptoms and deficits, they tend to share certain social, communication, motor, and sensory problems that affect their behavior in predictable ways.

Who Are The Kids With Autism Spectrum Disorders ?  Three core areas of concern or cardinal features for ASD  Social impairment  Communication impairment  Restricted, repetitive behaviors and interests

Look Again an Inside View of Autism Spectrum Disorder  We experience things holistically: The sight, sound, smell, feel and emotional tone of a situation hit us all at once. It’s hard to filter anything out. Sometimes one sensation seems to trigger all our other senses, making it difficult to tell where the real signal came from. We may be alert to information others miss, but the task of processing and dealing with it can be overwhelming.

Look Again Cont.  We are visual learners with good memories. We tend to notice and remember visual details. Often this is very useful, but we may need help to separate what’s important from what is not. While others see larger patterns emerge from details, for us these are like hidden pictures that stay hidden. The unseen future is difficult to grasp.

Look Again Cont.  We are straightforward and honest. We expect people’s words and behavior to mean exactly what they seem, and not to have multiple or covert meanings. The language of emotions can prove especially tricky.  We have specialized interests. We avidly pursue and thoroughly enjoy what appeals to US, not just the latest style or fad.  We prefer routines. Sudden changes are too unnerving. You might say we’re traditionalists  Our friends are very important to us. Being a friend takes a lot of effort and energy. Some people think we don’t care about having a social life, but we do.

Theory of Mind  Refers to the notion that persons with ASD do not understand that others have their own plans, thoughts and points of view  People with ASD have difficulty comprehending when others don’t know something.  People with ASD appear to be self centered, eccentric, or uncaring

Theory of Mind Cont.  Implications of lacking a theory of mind  Social skills are one of the most debilitating parts of the ASD  People have preferences for the known  People have difficulty choosing and prioritizing  People have a lack of compliance  People have difficulty with the hidden curriculum

Hidden Curriculum  The things that……….  We shouldn’t have to be told  Are obvious to everyone  Repeatedly get persons with autism in trouble  Consists almost entirely of unwritten rules whose violations can make the child an outcast  Examples:  Getting into another person’s personal space  Swearing at the Principal  Talking about bathroom hygiene publicly

Strategies for Those Who Lack a Theory of Mind  Social Stories  Comic Strip Conversations  Relaxation techniques  Visual Cues  Listing social rules  Cue Cards

Strategies for Those Who Lack a Theory of Mind Cont. Break Cards Teach Social ConventionsTeach Social Conventions -appropriate conversations -appropriate topics -appropriate sexual behaviors

Note:  Do not expect “shaming, reasoning, or retributions” strategies to work  The person will/may not understand the consequences of their actions prior to the action so they must learn through other ways  “Theory of Mind” issues should be priority. Without this basic understanding, the person is likely to continue to fail in social, community, and family.

How Does Autism Impact Learning?  Limited social skills  Sensory over stimulation  Deficit in deciding what is relevant information  Struggle with transitions  Inflexible  Poor organizational skills

How Does Autism Impact Learning? (cont.)  Poor sequencing skills  Poor generalization skills  Deficits in communication

How Do We Help?  Arranging the Physical Environment  Providing Visual Structure  Utilizing Schedules  Developing Personal Work Systems  Recognizing Personalized Communication Needs

Visuals are nice for all children. For the person with ASD they are essential!

What are Visual Supports?  Those things that we see that enhance the communication process  Visual supports capitalize on a person’s ability to gain information from their sense of sight  Visuals are critical part of communication

Visual Supports  Provide an opportunity for the child to engage his attention before the message disappears  Build on the student’s strengths rather than place demands on weakness  Increase comprehension significantly

Benefits of Visual Supports  Create an orderliness to the environment which gives a sense of stability  Provide greater structure and predictability  Increase Independence  Cue behavior control  Increase student reliability  Make it easier for everyone to find or remember what they need

Why Use Visual Supports?  Students with ASD may  Hear information in bits, therefore not receiving the whole message  May have a delayed response for processing information  May have difficulty filtering out extraneous noise and therefore have difficulty attending  Visual information can exist for any length of time  It is easier to focus when there is something at which to look.

“….my response to what people said to me would often be delayed as my mind had to take time to sort out what they had said. The more stress I was under, the worse it became.” Donna Williams Nobody Nowhere

Individual Schedule

Individual Schedules  The individual’s schedule visually tells the student:  Where am I to be?  What activity?  What sequence?  What’s next?

Benefits of a Schedule  To provide a sequence of events  To provide predictability  To support student understanding  To build flexibility  To promote independence  To ease transitions  To prepare for change

Schedules Can  Give information about their day  Help students see logic and order in their environment  Serve as a tool to discuss and share daily events  Help develop time concepts  Teach sequences; first, then  Reduce or eliminate anxiety or stress related to transition or change  Teach flexibility

Types of Schedules  Transition object  Object Sequence  Single Picture/Photo  Picture Cards with Written Words  Written

Creating Daily Schedules  Identify and name each segment of the day (lunch, seatwork, library, etc…)  Determine the level of communication (objects, photos, line drawings, written word)  Define what the schedule need to convey, how much information, details (does it need to tell time, place, staff, materials?)  Determine the format  Stationary (wall chart, mounted)  Portable (folder, wallet, paper, clipboard)

Remember in the World of Autism Spectrum Disorders: “If I didn’t see it, you didn’t say it.” Thank You Have a great rest of the year!!!