ASD - TOD by Sanam Bagherian from Altogether AutismTakiwānga

 ASD by Sanam Bagherian 

from Altogether Autism Takiwānga

There is a website Altogether  Autism where we can find the correct information and also a helpline we can use to ask questions.

Medical term is ASD - Autism Spectrum Disorder but we say Autism as disorder is not a positive term. Autism is a life long condition, and while the impact of autism on a person's emotional and mental wellbeing and behavior can change, people do not grow out of autism and there is no cure. Autistic people will have some sort of difficulties in their ability to:

Understand and use verbal and non verbal communication

Understand social behaviour - Social communication and social interaction

Think and behave flexibly, possibly with sensory sensitivities.

Restricted and repetitive thinking and behaviour

Severity Rating - 

Level 1- require support

Level 2- Require substantial support
Level 3 - require very substantial support
Boys are diagnosed earlier as compared to girls( 13 years of age)
Good to work on their strengths rather than saying they can't do this , that ...
Its our responsibility to try to communicate and find what's wrong & what's going in their mind that is making them behave .

Autism Characteristics:

Difficulties with imaginative play (boys)
Lack of eye contact
Unusual rituals and routines
Sensory sensitivities
Repetitive motor movements
Difficulty with social cues
Poor social imitations (boys)
Unusual language
Difficulty understanding other.
Intense interests
Upset by routine changes
Rigid thinking

Executive Functioning 

 Executive function skills are the mental processes that enables us to organise, plan and remember instructions, understand complex or abstract concepts and deal with the change. Autistic kids find this very hard , may need support to mange tasks requiring executive functioning. So we need to break it down for them. one instruction at a time, visual reminder. They can do things when they are ready not when you need them to do. 

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"

Strategies for anxiety

Identify key stressors

Quiet/low stimulation spaces available

Keep your voice quiet and tone calm

Teach self calming strategies - can find something like box of toys that they can use to calm themselves.

Build on strengths

Limit choices - Do you want this or that, too many choices confuse them

Sensory box

Can use Incredible 5 point scale = online available

Meltdown or Tantrum

Tantrums are behaviour and have goals. Ignore as they want to centre of attention

Meltdown is a medical situation, similar to seizure. Person doesn't have control, they don't want to be centre of attention. It is never appropriate to punish someone for a meltdown.Need to take the audience away.

Meltdown/Shutdown

The meltdown?shutdown phase is where the person has become so overwhelmed they have lost control and cognitive function, The person is in fight, flight or freeze mode.

Meltdown: lashing out, screaming, yelling abuse, self harming, breaking furniture, increased 

stimming( also known as stereotypy or self stimulatory behaviour)

Shutdown: withdrawal from all contacts, blank stare, being stuck and unable to move forward

Recovery

The recovery phase will be different for each person. It is the stage where everyone starts to regroup and move forward from the meltdown/shutdown.

It could look like sleeping, eating, going for a walk, listening to the music, quiet time, screen time.

The 5 'R's help us to know how to respond to meltdown/shutdown

Relax

Reconnect

Reflect

Recharge

Re prepare