Youth Ministry and Special Needs Pete Maidment Maggie Maidment Thursday 3 March 2011, St. Luke’s Hedge End

What is Autism?  A lifelong developmental disability  Part of the autism spectrum – sometimes referred to as an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)  All people with autism share 3 main areas of disability – the ‘triad of impairments’  Some are able to live relatively ‘everyday’ lives; others will require a lifetime of specialist support

Triad of Impairments  Difficulty with social communication  Difficulty with social interaction  Difficulty with social imagination

Difficulty with Social Communication “For people with ASD, ‘body language’ can appear just as foreign as if people were speaking ancient Greek”  Difficulty with both verbal & non verbal communication  Very literal understanding of language  Can find it difficult to use or understand: facial expressions or tone of voice jokes and sarcasm common phrases and sayings, e.g. ’It’s cool’  Many with no speech or limited speech will use alternative means of communication  Many have good language skills but find it hard to understand the give and take nature of conversation – echolalia; one sided conversations

Difficulty with Social Interaction “Socialising doesn’t come naturally – we have to learn it”  Difficulty recognising or understanding other people’s emotions and feelings and expressing their own: don’t understand unwritten social rules appear to be insensitive prefer to spend time alone not seek comfort from others appear to behave ‘strangely’ or inappropriately - not always able to express feelings, emotions or needs find it hard to form friendships

Difficulty with Social Imigination “We have difficulty working out what other people know. We have more difficulty guessing what other people are thinking”  Understanding and interpreting other people’s thoughts, feelings and actions  Predicting what will or could happen next  Understanding the concept of danger  Engaging in imaginative play/activities  Preparing for change and planning for the future  Coping in new or unfamiliar situations

Love of Routines “One young person with autism attended a day service. He would be dropped off by taxi, walk up to the door, knock on it and be let in. One day, the door opened before he could knock and someone came out. Rather than go in through the open door, he returned to the taxi and began the routine again”  The world is unpredictable and confusing so routines help, e.g. same route to work or school exactly the same food for breakfast  Not comfortable with change – rules, once made, cannot be broken

Sensory Sensitivity “Rowan loves art but he hates wearing a shirt to protect his clothing – the feeling of the fabric against his skin causes him distress. We have agreed with his school that he can wear a loose-fitting apron instead”  Sensory sensitivity can occur in one or more of senses. Can be hyper- or hypo –sensitive  Some background sounds can be so loud or distracting, they can cause anxiety or physical pain  Hypo-sensitive people may not feel pain or extremes of temperature. May rock, spin or flap to stimulate sensation, help with balance or deal with stress  Hard to use body awareness system, making it more difficult to avoid obstructions, stand at appropriate distance from others and carry out fine motor tasks 

Theory of Mind The theory of mind (ToM) impairment describes a difficulty someone would have with perspective taking. This is also sometimes referred to as mind-blindness. This means that individuals with a ToM impairment would have a hard time seeing things from any other perspective than their own. Individuals who experience a theory of mind deficit have difficulty determining the intentions of others, lack understanding of how their behaviour affects others, and have a difficult time with social reciprocity.

The Sally-Anne Test In this story, Sally puts a ball in a basket, then leaves the room. Ann then takes the ball and puts it in an adjacent box. Children are then asked to say where Sally thinks the ball will be when she returns. Most children, including some with Down syndrome, understood that Sally would look in the basket for the ball, because that is where she left it. But the autistic children thought she would look in the box, because that is where the ball actually was.

Social Stories  Social Stories are a tool for teaching social skills to children with autism and related disabilities.  Social stories provide accurate information about situations that a child may find difficult or confusing.