Autism Awareness. An Introduction to Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Insert author(s) name(s) Sense Scotland Insert date of presentation

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1 Autism Awareness An Intrductin t Autistic Spectrum Disrder (ASD) Insert authr(s) name(s) Sense Sctland Insert date f presentatin

2 Learning Outcmes (1) T understand what ASD means T understand the scial issues surrunding ASD T understand the cmmunicatin issues assciated with ASD

3 Learning Outcmes (2) T increase awareness f individuality T increase awareness f staff issues

4 Grup Activity: Bunty Bar Write dwn what yu see?

5 What is Autism? (1) A develpmental disrder Affects 120,000 peple in Britain 75% f these peple als have a degree f learning difficulty Affects all levels f cmmunity and intellectual ability

6 What is Autism? (2) Peple with Autism d nt fall int a cnvenient steretype Individuals can have a cmbinatin f impairment and differing levels f learning disability Each persn has their wn unique persnality just as yu and I d!

7 What is Autism? (3) Le Kanner published a dcument in 1943 which referred t children with similar characteristics Shared alneness self-absrbed delay r absence in speech repeating phrases missing wrds such as in, n, because, under e.g. g car shp Lng replies t questins as if learnt

8 What is Autism? (4) Hans Asperger wrte a paper in German arund the same time nt translated fr many years. He referred t: High functining r mild autism Increased language abilities Althugh Activities requiring scial skills can be difficult

9 Where des the term Autism and Syndrme cme frm? Autism cmes frm the Greek meaning self Syndrme means wide range f ability and disability Saying Autism as a stand alne term des nt mean anything!

10 Autism during the develpmental stages Failure f scial gaze (fluctuating eye cntact) Failure f pinting gesture (8mths) Semantic/pragmatic difficulties Failure f thery f mind (36mths) Failure f abstract thught prcessing

11 The Triad f Impairments Dr Lrna Wing and Judy Guld Studied scial behaviurs in children and fund: Behaviurs that were inapprpriate t mental age Fund impairments in 3 key areas nw knwn as the triad f impairment

12 The Triad f Impairments Scial cmmunicatin Scial interactin Flexible thinking & behaviural & scial imaginatin

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15 Flexibility f thinking & Behaviural and scial imaginatin Thery f mind lying tddlers have develped thery f mind. Peple with Autism may believe that thers knw what they knw r are thinking abut a subject. Abstract thught fr us, abstract language is ften used t explain abstract thught we d it instinctively.

16 Persnal Advert Single black female seeks male cmpaninship, ethnicity unimprtant. I m a very gd-lking girl wh lves t play. I lve lng walks in the wds, riding in yur pickup truck, hunting, camping, fishing trips and csy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners culd have me eating ut f yur hand. Rub me the right way and watch me respnd. I ll be at the frnt dr when yu get hme frm wrk, wearing nly what nature gave me. Kiss me and I m yurs. Call and ask fr Daisy

17 Daisy Over 15,000 men fund themselves talking t a lcal humane sciety abut an 8 week ld Labradr!

18 Scial Interactin (1) This is the way we interact with thers and ur envirnment Pssible issues fr peple with ASD may include: finding scial rules difficult t understand, Invasin f thers bdy space, Inapprpriate use f tuch Fcusing n nn-scial aspects f a persn (glasses, height r size)

19 Impairment f scial interactin 3 typical types f scial interactin which have been identified in peple with ASD are Alf Passive Active but Odd

20 Alf Behaving as if peple d nt exist. Little r n eye cntact made. N respnse when spken t. N respnse t cuddling r ther utward signs f physical affectin. Seem t be in wrld f wn.

21 Passive Accepts Scial Gaze Accepts scial respnses May becme invlved as passive part f game

22 Active but dd Pay n attentin t thers Little eye cntact r prlnged staring Hug r shake hands t lng

23 Over frmal Grup Try very hard t stick t rules f scial interactin withut understanding them Gd level f language Can be plite and Frmal

24 Scial cmmunicatin (1) Adding t these difficulties is using verbal and nnverbal cmmunicatin Pssible issues include difficulty in making chices, narrw range f cnversatin, difficulty in understanding facial expressins r using behaviurs as a frm f cmmunicatin

25 Interpretatin f Language Cnfusin between sunds f wrds such as Meet and Meat Literal Interpretatins such as raining cats and dgs Humur if abstract can be misinterpreted Literal meanings can be taken Wash yur hands in the tilet

26 Scial cmmunicatin (2) Issues in ne area are nrmal and staff must learn t understand and cmmunicate with individuals Cmmunicatin systems shuld be lked at if necessary Scial interactins can be stressful and even painful fr individuals Staff behaviur and expectatins must take accunt f this

27 Views f peple wh live with Autism (1) Temple Grandin talks abut life being full f guidelines and rules that we learn in early age that cntinue int adult life every day f my life, cping with everyday things causes me as much stress as yu might feel n the day yu tk yur final exams t qualify fr yur future career

28 Views f peple wh live with Autism (2) Wendy Lawsn talks abut wishing as a yungster that she had been taught it was kay if things did nt g accrding t plan She ges n t say that peple find sense in their rules and rituals, therefre, it s distressing when life des nt g accrding t plan

29 Staff Issues (1) Staff s mds and tlerance levels can fluctuate thrughut the day This means staff give an incnsistent apprach f behaviurs at different times f the day Staff are unpredictable by nature Fr individuals with Autism it causes stress and anxiety, nt knwing what staff will be like when they enter a rm

30 Staff Issues (2) Staff are entitled t have mds but shuld remain tlerant at all times Change f appearance can be dealt with mst dn t ntice thers; are fascinated by md, tne and vlume. We can be knwn t smene with Autism by ur temperament Dnna Williams says the nly warmth is in the clurs, patterns, sunds, textures and smells f things that stay the same lng enugh t be cnsidered trustwrthy

31 Daily prgrammes Shuld be structured and well rganised Timetables shuld take accunt that things can change life can be unpredictable Where pssible changes in activities, staff and rtas shuld be predictable Sudden unnecessary changes shuld be avided New activities shuld be intrduced slwly and in a planned manner Individual interests/skills shuld be reflected in daily prgrammes

32 Rutines Rutines are a self-cmfrting pattern t add stability t ur lives If yu lk at all the things yu did this mrning frm when yu gt ut f bed until yu left the huse, yu will find a set patterns Think hw yu wuld feel if smene interrupted r changed yur rutine hw ften d we d this with individuals we wrk with?

33 Repetitive behaviur Lk at yur wn rutines: Autistic peple have ritualistic/bsessive behaviur as it is their way f getting sameness- making yesterday the same as tday It is nt knwn where these behaviurs cme frm and they can appear frm nwhere Sme d nt last a lifetime but it is nted that where ne disappears anther may appear It is imprtant t ask yurself when lking at behaviurs- d they get in the way f nrmal living r are they causing harm?

34 Rituals, stress & behaviurs We all suffer frm stress but have mechanisms in place t deal with it In scial situatins we may twiddle, tap r fidget t cmbat stress Peple with Autism are nt as cncerned abut what is scially acceptable They react in the same way t stress, it may be jumping, flapping r flicking Frequent behaviurs can be called ritualistic and can be due t increased stress Think abut yur wn ritualistic behaviurs and hw yu wuld feel if yu were made t stp

35 Change (1) It is a miscnceptin that peple with Autism cannt accept change There shuld nt be change just fr the sake f change It shuld be well cnsidered and planned It needs t be individually based and planned frm the perceptive f the individual with Autism The persn s cping strategies need t be taken int accunt

36 Change (2) Establish the fllwing:- Change will happen Make it clear Make it secure Share the prblem Reiterate when it will be right Have a script/be sure

37 Strengths & Abilities Nted belw are sme f the strengths & abilities t cnsider when wrking with Autism:- Excellent memry and recall D nt lie r deceive Exceptinal talents Frank view f the wrld Encyclpaedic knwledge f a subject

38 What d peple with Autism say abut us and the envirnment We are an unreliable surce f infrmatin Infrmatin frm the envirnment is cnsistent There is a certainty f what it will be It is a mre reliable surce f infrmatin than thse wrking with them

39 Physical envirnment (1) Temple Grandin describes it as having a hearing aid stuck n super lud Sudden nises are like a dentist drill and it is difficult t tune ut backgrund nise Luke describes schl as shuting at him Hw is he meant t cncentrate with the trees utside rustling and the persn behind him flicking their pencil and the teacher writing n the blackbard with chalk

40 Physical envirnment (2) It is imprtant t cnsider sensry sensitivity Bright lights Calm and safe envirnment Patterns Fabrics Sme peple with Autism want t wear the same clthes everyday. It may be the need fr sameness r a sensry based difficulty Dealing with issues arund envirnment and senses shuld never be frced. They are very persn centred

41 Object status 90% f the time we are standard bjects, nt a persn- Peple with Autism want us t be an bject that is knwn and cnsistent It tends t be I knw yu are cnsistent rather than I can t wait t be in yur cmpany Our acceptable behaviurs are gverned by the + r reactins f thse arund us We have scial awareness and generally think we have the same frm thers We als knw ur cmfrt znes and when we can take n mre

42 Transference f infrmatin & behaviurs Peple with Autism generally cannt transfer a set f rules f behaviurs frm ne place t anther This can cause prblems fr parents/carers wh expect behaviurs t be the same Often a behaviur is nly displayed where it has been taught pssibly nly able t swim in ne pl Thught shuld be given t hw and where is the best fr new behaviurs t be taught

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