COPING STRATEGIES FOR EVERYDAY LIFE

A DISCUSSION ON AUTISM, SELF MANAGEMENT AND THE CHALLENGES OF EVERYDAY LIFE

WHAT WILL BE DISCUSSED IN THIS SESSION

• BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO WHO I AM, HOW I AM AFFECTED BY AUTISM AND WHAT ARE MY SPECIFIC SYMPTOMS.

• WHAT INSPIRED ME TO DEVELOP THESE COPING MECHANISMS AND WHY.

• AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MULTIPLE COPING STRATEGIES AND MECHANISMS THAT ARE IN PLACE FOR EVERYDAY CIRCUMSTANCES.

• EXAMPLES AND SITUATIONS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THESE COPING STRATEGIES ARE PUT INTO PRACTICE.

• REASSESSMENT OF PERSONAL SYMPTOMS – WHAT HAS CHANGED AND WHY?

• HOW HAVE THESE CHANGES IMPACTED ME AND AS I ENTERED ADULTHOOD.

THE FAMILY

SALLY MUM KERRY

ADAM & LAYLA DAD

WHAT IS ASPERGER SYNDROME?

• ASPERGER SYNDROME IS A NEUROBIOLOGICAL DISORDER ON THE HIGHER-FUNCTIONING END OF THE AUTISM SPECTRUM.

• AN INDIVIDUAL’S SYMPTOMS CAN RANGE FROM MILD TO SEVERE.

• IN GENERAL, PEOPLE WITH ASPERGER’S USUALLY HAVE TROUBLE WITH SOCIAL INTERACTION, COMMUNICATION, AS WELL AS REGULATION OF THE MOTOR SKILLS AND SENSORY SYSTEMS.

• BECAUSE OF THIS, YOU CAN LAG BEHIND PEERS IN SOCIAL SKILLS, AND MAY COME TO AVOID SOCIAL INTERACTION ALTOGETHER.

SYMPTOMS• RESTRICTED SOCIAL SKILLS –

INABILITY TO READ SOCIAL CUES AND BODY LANGUAGE

• PRONE TO MELTDOWNS AND TRAUMA IN UNFAMILIAR CIRCUMSTANCES

• REGULATED ROUTINES, LIMITED HABITS AND ENVIRONMENTAL INTOLERANCE

• DISRUPTIVE SLEEPING PATTERNS AND INSOMNIA

• HYPERSENSITIVITY (SOUND AND TASTE)• NAIVE AND VULNERABLE TO

MANIPULATION• SEVERE ANXIETY AND OVER

EVALUATIONS OF SOCIAL INTERACTION• DEPRESSION• POOR ENGLISH, BOTH VERBAL AND

WRITTEN AND INADEQUATE MOTOR SKILLS (DYSLEXIA AND DYSPRAXIA)

LAYING DOWN THE BASICS• IT CAN BE DAUNTING BUT IF I WANT TO BE GOOD WITH PEOPLE, I NEED TO PRACTICE. THAT'S IT.• GO EASY ON MYSELF. YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT TO PASS GCSE MATHS WITHOUT WORKING AT IT. NO

ONE BECOMES A DAZZLINGLY POPULAR, ASSERTIVE PERSON OVERNIGHT.• START SLOW. FIND A BUNCH OF FRIENDS OR FAMILY, THEN TRY TO GET A WORD IN EDGEWAYS. NEXT,

TRY ASKING A QUESTION AT THE END OF A LESSON OR EVEN PUTTING A HAND UP IN CLASS.• WAIT UNTIL I’M CONFIDENT HERE BEFORE TAKING THE PLUNGE WITH STRANGERS. I COULD START

WITH SHOP ASSISTANTS - ASKING ABOUT THE CLOTHES THEIR SELLING, MAKING EYE CONTACT AND SMILING. WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL SITUATIONS, TRY ASKING PEOPLE ABOUT THEMSELVES AND GET THEM TALKING. THIS TAKES THE PRESSURE OFF.

• IF YOU SUFFER KNOCK-BACKS, PICK YOURSELF UP AND TRY AGAIN. NO ONE GETS IT PERFECT EVERY TIME.

• MOST IMPORTANT: BE HAPPY. YOUR OWN APPROVAL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYONE ELSE'S. SO WRITE THAT LIST OF ALL THE THINGS YOU'RE GOOD AT - EVEN TRIVIAL THINGS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE LOUDMOUTH TO SUCCEED. (SOURCED FROM THE BBC WEBSITE)

COPING STRATEGIES#1 COMMUNICATION NETWORKING

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COPING STRATEGIES#1 COMMUNICATION NETWORKING

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COPING STRATEGIES#1 COMMUNICATION NETWORKING

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COPING STRATEGIES#EYE CONTACT

COPING STRATEGIES#EYE CONTACT

• 1) ENGAGE SOMEONE WITH CONVERSATION• 2) START EYE CONTACT AND COUNT TO ONE SECOND IN YOUR

HEAD• 3) TRY TO REPEAT PROCESS AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE WITH AS

MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO NORMALISE THE EXPERIENCE OF EYE CONTACT

• 4) WHEN YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS, EXTENDED YOUR EYE CONTACT TIME TO TWO SECONDS, FOUR, EIGHT ETC

COPING STRATEGIES#2 EYE CONTACT

COPING STRATEGIES#3 STAYING CALM WHEN UNDER PRESSURE

COPING STRATEGIES#3 STAYING CALM WHEN UNDER PRESSURE

COPING STRATEGIES#3 STAYING CALM WHEN UNDER PRESSURE

COPING STRATEGIES#3 STAYING CALM WHEN UNDER PRESSURE

Type of mood

Anxious Excited (Nervous

)

Stressed Chilled Sleepy/Tired Pensive Content

Type of Genre

Soul/Hip-Hop/Rap/

House/DnB/

Electro-swing

Electronica/Jazz Reggae/

Acoustic

Dub/Folk/Rhythm &

Blues

Psychedelic

Rock/Trip-Hop/Ambi

ent

BritPop/Alt/Rock

Example

Gnarls Barkley, J.

Cole

Hannah Wants, Mickey

Finn

Fat Freddy’s Drop, Hot Chip

Bob Marley,

The Skints,

Jack Johnson

Prince Fatty, Ani DiFranco,

Bob Dylan

Tame Impala, Chance

The Rapper,

Apex Twin, Radiohead

Blur, Arctic

Monkeys, Queen, Red Hot

Chili Peppers

Best used for

Claustrophobic

Environments

Preparing for an event

Before, during or after stressful

situation

In my room or

with friends

On the train home or bedtime

Whenever I am in deep

thought or feeling

impulsive

Any other time

and/or situation

SYMPTOMS• RESTRICTED SOCIAL SKILLS –

INABILITY TO READ SOCIAL CUES AND BODY LANGUAGE

• PRONE TO MELTDOWNS AND TRAUMA IN UNFAMILIAR CIRCUMSTANCES

• REGULATED ROUTINES, LIMITED HABITS AND ENVIRONMENTAL INTOLERANCE

• DISRUPTIVE SLEEPING PATTERNS AND INSOMNIA

• HYPERSENSITIVITY (SOUND AND TASTE)• NAIVE AND VULNERABLE TO

MANIPULATION• SEVERE ANXIETY AND OVER

EVALUATIONS OF SOCIAL INTERACTION• DEPRESSION• POOR ENGLISH, BOTH VERBAL AND

WRITTEN AND INADEQUATE MOTOR SKILLS (DYSLEXIA AND DYSPRAXIA)

Matt Bagshaw(Baggy)

Kieran Dodd (Doddy)

James Nesbitt (Jezbitt)

Sean Petch (Shorn) Arran

(Chicken)

Ben Hood (Benson)

THANK YOU QUESTIONS?