Overview of Autism - Easterseals...with autism spectrum disorders • Identify the learning...
Transcript of Overview of Autism - Easterseals...with autism spectrum disorders • Identify the learning...
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Grandparents & Autism Connect
Overview of Autism
Learner Objectives
• Identify the 3 areas of impairment associated
with autism spectrum disorders
• Identify the learning characteristics of children
with autism
• Use information about learning characteristics to
learn about your grandchild
Did You Know • Autism is a spectrum disorder
• Some people with autism have average or
above average IQs. Many children with autism
have mental retardation
• Autism is 4 times more common in boys than
girls
• Once considered a rare disorder it now occurs
in approximately 1 in every 91 people
Autism
• Children with autism experience
difficulty in the areas of:
1. Communication/Language
2. Social skills/Interacting with others
3. Have narrow interests and repetitive
behaviors
Communication
• Development of language is
significantly delayed
• Some do not develop language
• Difficulty with using language to get
their wants and needs met
• Difficulty understanding when others
are talking
Communication
• Difficulty starting or ending conversations or
keeping conversations going
• Robotic, formal speech
• Echolalia: Repeat back what is just said or
repeat back whole or partial scripts from
movies, cartoons, commercials
• Difficulty with the practical use of language
Social Interaction
• Difficulty making friends
• Difficulty with give and take of social
interactions
• Hard time understanding body language/facial
expressions of others
• Hard time using body language/facial
expressions
• May not be motivated by same things as other
kids (like verbal praise “good job”)
Narrow Interests/Repetitive
Behaviors
• Can become intensely focused on things that are different from what a typical peer is interested in
• Can have very strong rituals
• May move their body in a certain way, over and over (hand flapping, rocking)
• May become very focused on the part of an object
• May use their behavior as a way to communicate
Video Guide
• Make three columns on your paper and
label them Communication, Social Skills
and Behavior
• What characteristics of autism does this
child display that would fit into these
categories?
• Is there overlap between the columns?
Revisiting Autism
• Challenges in the areas of Social,
Communication and Behavior
• 1 in 91
• Spectrum disorder
11
Learning Characteristics
Concrete and Literal Thinkers
• Have difficulty thinking in
the abstract
Concrete and Literal Thinkers
• What this means for you?
– Avoid the use of figurative language, idioms
• Activity: Draw a picture of what one of these phrases would mean to someone who takes everything literally.
– Cat got your tongue?
– Hit the road
– You’re out in left field
– People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
– Here’s mud in your eye
– You’re the whole enchilada
– Or think of your own phrase and illustrate. Share with the group.
Overselectivity
• Child may pay attention to one detail of a
task/activity/toy/person instead of the whole
thing
• May miss the main point of the task or
activity
Overselectivity
• What this means for you
– Be sure to point out, highlight what is the main
point of the task/activity
Lack of Generalization
• May learn a skill in one place and may not
be able to do it in a different place
Lack of Generalization
• What this means for you: – Teach your grandchild with ASD the skills they need in
the places where they will use them!! Practice those skills in lots of different settings.
• Choose 1 skill Work with your group- how many places could you work on that skill? – Standing in a line
– Taking turns
– Ordering food
– Sharing materials
– Using money
– Asking for help
Distractibility
• Easily distracted by things from the outside
world and within themselves
• External things: Noise level of the room,
things on the wall, smells, lighting,
closeness of other people
• Internal things: Hunger, stress level,
tiredness, sickness
Distractibility
• What this means for you:
– Be aware that certain settings might be hard for
your grandchild (e.g. Walmart, crowded
museum, loud movie)
– How could you reduce the distractions in those
settings?
Strong Visual Learners
• Visual is their premium cable channel
• Your grandchild will often learn by seeing
and doing
Strong Visual Learners
• What this means for you:
– Point
– Show them
– Draw a picture
– Write it down
– Give them an example of what it should look like
Strong need for Routines
and Rituals
• Once learned, it is difficult to change
• Asset, liability or both?
Strong Need for Routines and
Rituals
• What this means for you
– Be aware of routines and rituals (if they are not
disruptive it is okay to follow the routine or ritual)
– Talk to your son or daughter about how to be
supportive and how to encourage flexibility for
when change is necessary
Motivation
• Motivation is often different from their peers
• Your grandchild’s parents may have
excellent ideas about what motivates your
grandchild
Guess What’s in the Box
Did anyone guess that a piece of
PVC pipe and a feather duster
would be in the box?
Communication
• Difficulty understanding spoken words Especially in times of stress – Remember to give wait time. After saying
something wait five seconds to allow your grandchild to process
• Difficulty using their words -Especially in times of stress
Communication
• What this means for you: – Use less spoken language
– Reduce your talking significantly when giving a direction!!!!! Especially if they are upset. Show them instead. Pair words with a visual.
– It is very important that you remain calm. Your behavior will influence your grandchild’s
– Have a back up system available
Myth Busters!!!
• You and your partner will be given a colored card with a myth on it
• You will also be given a blank card
• Read the myth
• With your partner, write the correct information on the blank Myth Buster card
• When all the groups are finished, share the myth and the Myth Buster Card!
Learner Objectives
• Identify the 3 areas of impairment associated
with autism spectrum disorders
• Identify the learning characteristics of children
with autism
• Use information about learning characteristics to
learn about your grandchild
Questions
Generations & Autism Connect
Your Family
Learning Objectives
• Increase understanding of how having a grandchild with autism affects you and your family – Grief
– Stress
• Emotional
• financial
• Increase understanding of how you can support your family – Emotional support
– Respite
– Sibling support
– Information gatherer
– other
Who are members of Your
Family?
• Whomever you identify as a family
member
• Every family defines itself
Family Stress
• Parents of children with disabilities rate
themselves as more stressed than
parents of children without disabilities.
• Parents of children with ASD rate
themselves as more stressed than
families of children with any other
disability.
Characteristics of Children with
Autism Related to Family Stress
• Work with your team to identify
characteristics of ASD that may be related to
family stress
Sources of Family Stress • Reactions from society
• Feelings of isolation
• Concerns over future care giving
• Finances
• Ethnic/Cultural/Religious Differences
• Feelings of grief
• Others??
Video Guide
• What are sources of stress for this family?
• What are things they celebrate?
Marital/Relationship Stress
• Readjusting expectations
• Challenges may increase
• Cumulative effect of stress
Sibling Stress
• What would be sources of sibling stress?
Strategies to Address Family Stress
• Their spirituality
• Exercise
• Relaxation Techniques
• Advocacy
• Counseling
• Keeping a log of daily goals and successes
What Does this Mean for You?
Opportunities to Offer Support
– Emotional support
– Respite
– Sibling support
– Information gatherer
– other
Review of Learning Objectives
• Increase understanding of how having a grandchild with autism affects you and your family – Grief
– Stress
• Emotional
• financial
• Increase understanding of how you can support your family – Emotional support
– Respite
– Sibling support
– Information gatherer
– other
Communication
Strategies, Ideas and Supports
Review
Impairments in:
• Communication
• Social interaction
• Narrow interests and repetitive behaviors
Learning Characteristics:
• Learn best by seeing
• Difficulty generalizing
• Strong need for routine
Learning Objectives
• Identify the different ways people communicate
• Understand that even people who use spoken language sometimes need help communicating
• Increase knowledge of how to develop communication aids for your grandchild
Activity
• What do we mean by “communicate”
• There are lots of different ways we
communicate
• How many different messages can we
communicate with the words:
• “Thanks a lot Mom”
• “That’s great”
Types of Communication
• Expressive: What is spoken or
communicated with nonverbal
communication. It is the OUTPUT part of
communication
• Receptive: What is heard or understood
by nonverbal communication. It is the
INPUT part of communication
Just Because you Can’t Talk
Doesn’t Mean you Can’t
Communicate
What is Needed to
Communicate • Understanding Cause and Effect
Understanding Cause and Effect
• Does the child recognize that their
actions can cause something to happen
in their environment?
• Example:
1. John loves bubbles
2. He presses the button (cause)
3. Bubbles come out (effect)
Understanding Cause and Effect
Communicating with Pictures
What is Needed to
Communicate • Understanding cause and effect
• The need to communicate
The Need to Communicate
• Communication opportunities can occur throughout the day
• Example: – Rose drinks juice during three meal times, when she
comes home from school and in the evening. Rose has the chance to communicates about juice FIVE times per day.
– Rose asks for juice by handing you a cup
– You give her a a ¼ cup of juice in her cup so she can ask for juice several times before she is finished drinking
What is Needed to
Communicate
• Understanding cause and effect
• The need to communicate
• Someone with whom to communicate
Someone with Whom to
Communicate
• If adults are always the ones initiating,
children may only respond
• Provide opportunities your grandchild to
initiate and ask for things independently
– Provide temptations
Someone with Whom to Communicate
What is Needed to
Communicate
• Understanding cause and effect
• The need to communicate
• Someone with whom to communicate
• Something to communicate about
Something to Communicate
About
• Let the child determine what he wants to
communicate about
• Try to figure out the child’s interests by
watching him, and asking his parents.
This is where communication can begin.
• Make a list of 5 really exciting things that
you think your grandchild would want to
communicate about
Something to Communicate About
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Worldwide. Used with permission.
Something to Communicate
About
• Review your list of 5 things – How many opportunities would the child
have to use the messages you selected?
– What good things would the child receive
if he/she communicated those messages?
What is Needed to
Communicate • Understanding cause and effect
• The need to communicate
• Someone with whom to communicate
• Something to communicate about
• A way to communicate
What is Needed to
Communicate - A Way to
Communicate
• Children who do not have spoken
language CAN communicate using
different means other than speech.
A Way to Communicate
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication
(AAC)
– Most people use AAC to Augment (add to) their message
(body language, facial expressions, tone)
– Sometimes we use Alternatives to speaking (pointing,
writing, drawing)
• AAC can be used by people with disabilities who
have difficulty communicating
• AAC can be simple or it can involve technology
A Way to Communicate - Gestures
A Way to Communicate
Actual Objects
A Way to Communicate
Picture Symbols
A Way to Communicate
Picture Symbol Book
A Way to Communicate
Written Word
AAC- High Tech Device
What This Means For You
• Try to create opportunities for your
grandchild to communicate.
• That means
– Understands cause and effect
– Has a need to communicate
– Has someone with whom to communicate
– Has something to communicate about
– Has a way to communicate
Learning Objectives
• Identify the different ways people
communicate
• Understand that even people who use
spoken language sometimes need help
communicating
• Increase knowledge of how to develop
communication aids for your grandchild
Choice Making
Choice Making with Objects
Picture List of Choices
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Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.
Picture List of Choices
The Picture Communication Symbols ©1981–2008 by Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights
Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.
Written List of Choices
Choice Making
Grandparents & Autism Connect
Socialization
Learner Objectives
• Increase understanding of why it’s
important to work on socialization
with all children
– Why it is especially important to work on
social skill development with children
with ASD
• Increase skills in setting up social
opportunities
– How to enlist the help of other children
Importance of Socialization
• How well we are able to get along with
others predicts school performance in first
grade even more than intelligence and
family background
• Getting along with others is Important
• Children who are unpopular, aggressive,
disruptive and unable to sustain close
relationships with other children are at risk
for long term problems
Importance of Socialization
• Friendships are important
• Friendships promote social and
intellectual development
• Friendships contribute to successful
adulthood
Help Children Recognize Their
Feelings
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Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.
Help Children Manage Their Feelings
Challenges
• Difficulty understanding social situations
may result in inappropriate responses
– You can help your grandchild learn to
how to socialize
• Challenges continue into adulthood
Strategies for Success
• Find places where there are children
without disabilities available for play
and interaction
• Plan for social activities when you’re
planning your outings or visits
• Praise and encourage the your
grandchild and other children when
they are playing appropriately
together
Strategies for Success
• Support play by suggesting play ideas.
(Example “Hey, Bill likes Thomas the Tank
Engine, why don’t you two play with
Thomas!”)
– Be sure to allow for wait time. Many children
with autism need processing time and may
be slow to warm-up to an idea
• Consider times during your visit when you can
focus on social skills
• Arrange the environment to promote social
interactions
Example: Interactive Activity
Example: Arrange Materials
Example: Arrange Environment to
Encourage Interaction
Example: Using Names
Example: Reminder to “Play with
Your Friends”
Write a Story
• My Grandpa and I
sometimes go to the park
• I like go on the slide and
swing
• I can try to play on the
merry-go-round with the
other kids
• Grandpa will help me
• Playing on the toys is
fun!
Remember
• Individuals with autism can socialize
successfully with support
• As a meaningful adult in your grandchild’s
life you can help them learn simply by
being a great social partner
Closing Thoughts
Who would choose to live, even if
possessed with all other things,
without friends? - Aristotle
Grandparents & Autism Connect
Community Inclusion
Learning Objectives
• Increase understanding of how
programs not children with autism
adapt for success
• Increase awareness of how to adapt
community outings for success
Inclusion is a Principle Not a
Place • Inclusion can extend to
– Family
– Neighborhood
– Church programs
– Recreation centers
– Community presence
Community Inclusion is
Successful with Preparation
To Ensure Success • The learning situations and
environments must be as real as possible.
• Practice makes perfect
Where do Children Play Together
in Your Community?
Structuring the Community
Increase predictability of activity
Make Expectations Clear
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Worldwide. Used with permission.
Bring Communication Devices
Prepare Them Ahead of Time
The Picture Communication Symbols ©1981–2008 by Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights Reserved
Worldwide. Used with permission.
People With Autism Can Be
Included
A Field Trip to the Police Station
At The Beach
At the Grocery Store
At the Park
At the Park
At the Movies
People with autism Can
included!
Anywhere and
Everywhere!!!!!
Grandparents & Autism Connect
Behavior
Learning Objectives
• Increase understanding of why children with
autism might have challenging behavior
• Increase ability to decrease the occurrence
of challenging behavior
• Increase ability manage challenging
behavior if it does occur
From the Point of View
of the Child with Autism
• Problem behavior can results from
– Not understanding what he/she is
being asked to do.
– Difficulty communicating wants and
needs
– Difficulty understanding consequences
From an Adult’s Point of View
• A child’s behavior might look and feel
like
– Lack of compliance
– Tantrums
– Destruction of property
– Aggression
– Self-Injury
A Grandparents Perspective
Important Point to Ponder
To improve a child’s behavior we must
know WHY they are engaging in
challenging behavior
Similarities and Differences
Similarities- Most challenging behaviors
displayed by YOUNG children with autism,
may be observed in young children without
disabilities.
Differences- How often, how severe and how
long it goes on.
Access
• Does the child want something?
• Some challenging behaviors are a
way for the child to communicate
they want something (attention, an
object, activity, person, food item
etc.), or to protest when a desired
object or activity is taken away or
stopped.
Escape/Avoid
• Does the child want to get away from
something/someone?
• Escape behaviors communicate the desire
to escape or avoid certain activities or
people
Sensory-Self Regulation
• Repetitive movements, such as body
rocking, hand waving or head wagging,
may be a person’s way of dealing with the
amount of activity going on around them.
They may be over stimulated or under
stimulated.
Remember
• There is no magic solution
• Ounce of Prevention
What You Can Do to Help
Help the Child Understand the
Rules
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Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.
Help the Child Understand the
Steps of a Task or Activity
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Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.
Help Prepare the Child
for Changes in Routine
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Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.
Adjust Demands for the Child
Help the Child Understand
the Order of Events
Teach a Better Way to
Get Their Needs Met • Challenging behavior communicates a
message
– Escape
– Avoidance
– Sensory
• Children with autism CAN learn to get
their needs met without challenging
behavior – and you can HELP!
Give Them a Way to Communicate
Give Them a Way to Ask for a
Break
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Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.
Provide a Place Where They Can
Go for a Quiet Break
Provide Activity Choices
Provide Rewards When
Appropriate
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Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.
Help Practice Different Solutions
To Problem Behavior
The Picture Communication Symbols ©1981–2008 by Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights
Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.
Help Them Learn to Calm Down
There are lots of ways you
can help children with autism
learn to manage their
behavior
When Problem Behavior Happens
Success In Action
In Conclusion
• Three general categories of WHY challenging behavior occurs – Access
– Avoid
– Sensory
• We can help children with autism learn alternatives to problem behavior.
Prepare, prepare, prepare to keep problem behaviors from happening in the first
place!