Altogether Autism

Teacher Only Day  21. 8. 20

Autism / ASD

Presenter: Sanam Bagherian from Altogether Autism

BACKGROUND:    Clinical Psychology

Ph.D. Austism

Altogether Autism is based in Hamilton.

Trusted autism information and advice in New Zealand.

Advice is available.

What is Autism?

• Children born with autism
• Lifelong condition 
• think differently
• behave differently

Autism?

Spectrum?

Disorder?

Takiwātanga (in his and her own time and space) Māori worldview.

Criteria for the diagnosis of autism

Social communication

and social interaction

Restricted and Repetitive thinking, behaviour and Sensory

Severity rating

Level 1. requiring

Level 2. requiring substantial support

Level 3. requiring very substantial support

Asperger's labels are now all called "Autism"

The average age for diagnosis for boys - early childhood and for girls early teens (13yrs).

Executive Functioning?

Executive function skills are the mental processes that enable us to organize, plan, remember instructions, understand complex or abstract concepts, and deal with change. These processes are also responsible for inhibition of actions and impulse control.

Challenges related to EF difficulties

• not being able to follow multiple instructions
• being organised
• understanding the consequences of different actions
• completing a task
• impulsive reactions
• repetitive actions
• differentiating fiction from fact

We don't rely on the memory of Autistic persons - sometimes visual cues can be helpful with their processing, self-regulating, and moving to the next step.

Autism and anxiety

• 75% of children and 50% of adults with autism experience intense anxiety.
• Anxiety can lead to:
• lack of engagement in activities
• Avoidance of new situations
• Lack of friendships/relationships
• misunderstood and seen as 'difficult'
• 
  

(noise-canceling headphones)

Strategies for Anxiety

• identify key stressors
• quiet/low stimulation spaces available
• keep your voice quiet and tone calm
• teach self-calming strategies
• build on strengths
• limit choices
• break cards - show us when things are getting out of hands
• sensory box

Strategies for Anxiety

•  5 colours of stress level

Meltdown or Tantrum

Tantrum

• driven by want or a goal
• will check if you are watching
• aware of surroundings
• in control of behaviours
• will stop when the person gets their way
• won't hurt

Meltdown

• overwhelmed 
• loss of control
• unaware of own safety and surroundings. Could hurt themselves
• trying to escape or withdraw
• a medical event not a behaviour

Build Up

Build up Strategies

• intervene early
• introduce a break
• switch the staff (change of state)
• provide a safe, cool down space
• provide a physical outlet - bouncing on the tramp, squeezing a stress ball, tearing up paper
• remain calm and quiet - be aware of body posture and tone of voice, remain nearby but necessarily

Meltdown strategies

• protect everyone
• use as few words as possible
• protect dignity/mana of the child
• prompt the child to their safe place
• have an exit strategy
• prevent power struggle - you will not win

Recovery Stage strategies.   Five R's

• relax
• reconnect 
• reflect
• recharge
• re-prepare

Reframing the behaviour

Behaviour = communication

If a person can't easily communicate using verbal language, what is the quickest/easiest tool available to them to communicate their needs/wants or to avoid something they don't want?

-use a break card

Sensory Sensitivity

Our central nervous (brain) processes all the sensory information we receive.

This helps us to organize, prioritise and understand the information

we then respond to the information we receive through our senses in an appropriate way. e.g. blinking to bright light

many (but not at all) people with autism have difficulty processing information. This can be called Sensory processing difficulties or Sensory Sensitivity

Interoception

Stimming

Communication

Non-verbal does not mean that they have nothing to say. It means you will need to listen to me with more than just our ears.

Impact of communication difficulties

• relationship difficulties
• often seen as rude
• hard to support people when we do not know what they are thinking
• easily misunderstood
• problem behaviours use to communicate
• frustration

Strategies for communication

• make sure you have a person's attention
• avoid complicated instructions
• keep your language polite, clear, and factual without being patronising.
• allow the person enough time to process
• supplement verbal instruction with visual information (hands to offer choices)
• have important conversations in a quiet area
• profile books

Benefits of visual Supports

Social stories

Video Self-modelling

Recap