Tony Attwood
Professor Tony Attwood believes the "out of the box" thought processes of people on the autism spectrum will solve the world's big problems.
He is credited with being the first clinical psychologist to present Asperger's syndrome not as something to be "fixed " but as a gift, evidenced by many of the great inventors and artists throughout history.
Professor Attwood is highly regarded for his ability to connect with and bring out the talents of people with Asperger's. He describes himself as a translator between the "neurotypical" and Asperger's worlds.
What is Autism?
It is a different way of thinking, learning and relating.
Described as Italian drivers - don't read the signs, interrupt and get upset when they're not invited to birthday parties or upset other people.
What are Neurotypical - they are everyone else who is not Aspi.
Females with ASD - are observers, analysers and imitaters. These are the key cognitive components of ASD - searching for patterns in people to imitate. She puts on a mask and fakes it till she makes it. Exhausting to act neurotypical.
It can sometimes explain foreign accents because of their nature to watch their favourite programmes in isolation.
Often when ASD start school, they are self-taught.
They will either excel at school or not see the point and be unable to cope and leave.
Amercia exports ASD to NZ - American accent - challenges are social conversational.
Amercia exports ASD to NZ - American accent - challenges are social conversational.
IQ tests at 7years old to know what the learning style is - visual and verbal. Visualiser - are the engineers and artists. Male and female aspi 2 to 1. It can come out in women with eating disorder etc. They are clever at hiding their ASD. A career in Medicine is really common. they can't convert thinking into speech.
A picture paints a thousand words. ASD visualise but can't verbalise. They can't regulate the voices that are spoken in ILE> They are honest because the truth is important than social implications for telling on someone. Auditory memory decays so kids forget quickly what they're supposed to do. "Create a youtube video of what to do or record the voice and video of instructions.
www.learningappguide.com.au
Internalising reactions
They are more likely to understand what is written rather than what is taught. The difference in cataloguing friends - noticing the difference. Internalising reactions - depression reactions - catastrophising issues - escape into imagination/fiction and become authors and playwriters. They start out loud and chat with their imaginary friend because they have no friends.
Externalising reactions - Arrogance - Donald Trump syndrome - if your not good socially/sport - value intelligence so attempt to prove they are smart by correcting and complaining about people - narcissistic personality. Surface sociability - go to the library with their nose in a book - it's a safe and quiet space. The librarian is probably aspi.
Processing Time - hidden agenda may be apparent - notorious for poor handwriting skills. Delay in working out the intentions of others. Ruminate on why they may be bullied, the problem never has closure because they don't understand why. It takes time to process the motives of people.
Reading - If you change the font it's a different world. Word retrieval problems.
Maths - we teach math as quantity but aspi may see it as shapes and patterns. they can't explain their thinking. Like rules. High school is really challenging and can cause great confusion due to the variety of ways teachers teach and show their way of doing things. Comfort in number can calm and restore. Snooker is geometry Poke - bland faces
Handwriting is obsolete - as is horse riding to Auckland!!!
Dyspraxia goes by many names: developmental coordination disorder, motor learning difficulty, motor planning difficulty and apraxia of speech. It can affect the development of gross motor skills like walking or jumping.
It can affect fine motor skills - 2-dimensional choreo-form dance-like action. It hurts and exhausts them. We don not need to teach them handwriting. ASD need a keyboard - kids with ASD compare themselves to the teacher. A keyboard will bypass the problem of movement difficulty with handwriting.
One Track Mind -
they won't ask for help
hate being interrupted but interrupt all the time.
- if you wait you will forget
- the problem more important
- other kids will look to him for a problem
Don't learn from mistakes
Don't know what alternative options are if there is a problem - needs to be told
Must finish things - determination and craftsman to detail.
Many women identified as witches were aspi
Problem-solving and frustration - aspi's don't make mistakes as they have a fear of doing it. Fear of being stupid or ridiculed.
mistakes prove you are stupid.
Refusing to do things unless they're going to be perfect.
Fear of making a mistake - they don't understand emotions so you reject people and see them as inferior.
Aspi's have no plan B.
Important to model how to cope with frustration.
Don't cope with optimism
Give them a voice when a problem occurs - calm and positive self -talk Strategies Being calm is falling into the normal IQ level
The mind is a filing cabinet
Week Central Coherence
ODD - detail good but understanding the overall picture or gist is missing
Little Challenge
In pairs, one looked at the image and the other closed eyes. The one who saw image had to use gestures not talk to communicate the message/image to the other. Who noticed what?
ASPI's may be able to problem solve ahead someone else. They see the detail that we may not notice. ASD notice the patterns not social.
Classroom
Quiet, well-structured classroom
Avoid shouting - needs to be well structured and have minimal change in routines.
Visual daily schedule of activities and preparation for transitions.
Group activities - worry about the group dynamics, not the work the group is doing.
Relievers are tricky because the other children are different when their own teacher is not present.
ASPi's watch other children to see what needs to be done or happen today. Get other kids to look after him/her - spy's in camp
Recover in solitude.
Need a workstation or office
A to-do list
Extra time to complete an activity or assignment
Teacher assistant LA's
Access to special education support teacher or learning support unit.
3 major problems with TA - UNDERPAID
TA should be with the child for at least 2years. Any changeovers should occur in the middle of the year not the beginning when everything is new.
Learning support units - other than the library - are great, safe palces for students of like minds.
Kids club
Sensory room - room 13
Teachers need to be aspi friendly
Teachers need to be flexible
Managing Challenging Behaviours
1. Developing communication skills.
2. The learning profile of ASD
3. Social experiences and social engagement
4. The sensory profile
5. Managing
6. Movement disorders
7. Medical factors
Problems with communication
Activitiy using gestures but not voice - this is missng in a child o ASD because lltheir gestures are subtle. one instruction at a time to allow processing time. they need time to give an answer, don't rephrase the question. JUST WAIT! Gestures and pictures are valuable. If you treat them as an idiot they will behave accordingly. Youtube - Found Transition - Tony Attwood share ASD info.
Problems with expression
proloquo
Sonoflex
Lack of speech does not automatically imply lack of intelligence
Communication
Mannerisms have a message
Feelings such as jumping for joy or "in a flap"
Social Issues -
It's not a hug to them it's a squeeze!
They learn not to cry because crying = squeezing.
Misinterpreting body language
Dating and flirting - they don't get it. Take on board what other people say not what they do. Safety in groups is not available to aspi' girls.
They need to know the potential dangers they face - date rape.
Empathetic attunement - not good at reading facial cues but do have a strong sense of things ie. 6th sense. They can socialise but when the wheel falls off - they need to be alone safely and needs hours of solitude to recover.
Is there a cure for Autism - YES, put them in a room and leave them to it - close the door.
www.janehassall.com
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