One at a time. Simplify. Break down into small steps. Be Patient.
Tips for Directing Autistic Children:
1) Give them one direction at a time and be specific. If you need him/her to clean up their desk after snack, tell him/her to first take their cup to the sink. Wait for him/her to complete the task. Then, tell them to throw away their napkin. Wait for task to be completed. Finish by telling them to push in their chair. Do this in the same order each time. This causes them to be successful rather than just saying "clean up your desk" and walking away, which will cause the child to fail at the task.
2) One thing in their hands at a time. If the child needs to put his/her things away in their locker, hand each item to them separately and in the same order each time. First, jacket. Once they have it hung up, hand them the next item. One at a time is much easier...for them it is to think when too many things are in their hands or too many general directions are given at once.
3) Do things the same as much as possible. Take the same route to the same locations. Use the same words each time so they become familiar with them.
4) Kids on the spectrum love TV shows and movies to be enjoyed over and over again because they are predictable and animated. They like knowing what is going to come next, and they also like the over-acting or exaggerated dialogue in children's shows. Use the same language to encourage good behavior. For example, if a child has completed a task, give them praise in a silly accent in an exaggerated way. They will look for that praise and come to enjoy it!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Autism, Sign Language and PEC's
Sign Language can be a miracle intervention for children with Autism. It was after introducing signs to my autistic 3 year old that he used his first words and signs simultaneously "more juice"....still gives me goosebumps!
What I have come to learn from using signs with other children with Autism, may be surprising.
If we are teaching a child a sign, such as "more" during lunch and snack time, and the child is learning to do the sign when he wants "more" food on his/her plate. We may think we have successfully taught them how to communicate "more", when what we have actually taught them is to communicate "food", or more specifically "I want food now".
If we are teaching the child to do the sign for "bathroom" or "potty", and every time they show us the sign we rush them to the bathroom. Instead of "bathroom", they may have learned "leave". Their thought may be, if I don't like this activity, or if I'm tired of it, or bored, I can do this sign to get out of the situation."
If we are teaching the child to ask for "help" when they come to a difficult part of a game on the Ipad, and they learn to get the "help" PEC and bring it to you so you can "help" them with that part of the game, it may be easy to think they could apply that to any time they need "help" with something, like opening their juice box. But if given the PEC, the child would be expecting the Ipad, even at lunch, even holding his juice he is unable to open. To him, the PEC of the helping hands means that specific Ipad game.
Keep these thoughts in mind if you have children you are working with sign language and PEC's.
What I have come to learn from using signs with other children with Autism, may be surprising.
If we are teaching a child a sign, such as "more" during lunch and snack time, and the child is learning to do the sign when he wants "more" food on his/her plate. We may think we have successfully taught them how to communicate "more", when what we have actually taught them is to communicate "food", or more specifically "I want food now".
If we are teaching the child to do the sign for "bathroom" or "potty", and every time they show us the sign we rush them to the bathroom. Instead of "bathroom", they may have learned "leave". Their thought may be, if I don't like this activity, or if I'm tired of it, or bored, I can do this sign to get out of the situation."
If we are teaching the child to ask for "help" when they come to a difficult part of a game on the Ipad, and they learn to get the "help" PEC and bring it to you so you can "help" them with that part of the game, it may be easy to think they could apply that to any time they need "help" with something, like opening their juice box. But if given the PEC, the child would be expecting the Ipad, even at lunch, even holding his juice he is unable to open. To him, the PEC of the helping hands means that specific Ipad game.
Keep these thoughts in mind if you have children you are working with sign language and PEC's.
A Reward Side-Note: Updated
Choosing rewards can be tricky. You may think it's easy to "bribe" toddlers with suckers or stickers to go potty. Then, when they get older, maybe a trip to the park after the grocery shopping if they are "good".
Some children have such undesirable behaviors, parents or teachers may give up quickly when conventional forms do not work.
When helping children learn, you need three key things:
1)Individuality
2)Creativity
3)Think of child's needs above your own and weigh what really matters.
4)Consistency
Individuality: Always remember each child is an individual, despite knowing a sibling, or their diagnosis....whatever preconceived notions should come second to simply getting to know the child. See what really makes them interested...what makes them smile...what they are good at and enjoy. At the same time, note what weaknesses they have and be in tune to why they might have this behavior. One size does not fit all when it comes to picking goals and/or reward systems.
Example:
A sticker chart. Teacher's LOVE themselves a good 'ole sticker chart. Cheap and easy. And may work really well for some students. Others will not care one bit. I saw this with my son's. One uses a sticker chart proudly. The other needed to earn a cookie after getting five stickers. Be flexible and be ok with changing a reward system. Some kids like time outside, running in the gym, being read to, talking to them, playing a board game one on one with an adult.
This leads me to the next key: Creativity. Once you know the student, you can be creative in encouraging the good behavior with something specific to their "likes".
I once worked with a four year old who just would not poop on the potty. He would poop in his pants or squat on the floor in his bedroom rather than go on the toilet. This particular child was constantly on the go...tons of energy and his parents thought he was just too busy to stop playing to run to the bathroom. He was also an only child, who had two bedrooms with piles and piles of toys, daily candy and treats anytime he wished. It was a challenge to figure out something he would like enough to encourage that trip to the bathroom.
This child also had Sensory Processing Disorder, so I was aware of the possible discomforts of bathrooms he would need to overcome. After establishing a bathroom routine, the sensory issues in the bathroom started to fade, but he was still having accidents.
Sticker chart. Nope.
Candy Reward? Nope.
Then I found one of his true loves....ChuckECheese. The idea was forming and I weighed whether I could really pull it off. He asked me everyday since he had been to ChuckECheese for a birthday party if he could go back. It was a twenty five minute drive away, so this was something new and fun he did not get to normally do.
I took a leap of faith. I told him he could go if he went poop in the potty. And then I had to be prepared to follow through.
He did. That day, in fact. And the minute he was wiped up, we headed out the door.
I gave him four quarters and we were there for 20 minutes, but he was ecstatic!
Two days later...no accidents....he goes in the potty....same routine.
So how long were we going to pull this off?? His parents asked the same question....but I had it all planned out. After two weeks and six trips to ChuckECheese...I told him the next time he went on the potty we would go ride the toys at Walmart....you know the one's the kids always want to ride? It was closer and cheaper and he loved it...didn't even care it wasn't ChuckECheese. Then we worked our way to the park....just across the street. It was amazing how this kid, who seemed unteachable to some, learned so quickly once he had my trust.
Most interventions are not this elaborate.
One autistic child I worked with did not have a lot of physical energy. He was often carried by his parents and caregivers and had come to expect it. He was always very tired and did all tasks with the least amount of effort possible. This proved challenging when encouraging him to participate in Gym class. I took what I knew about him personally. He followed me everywhere. I knew he loved it when I was silly and played with him. So, when he was expected to run with the class for a game, rather than focusing on "playing the game" which he did not understand, I worked on getting him to run. How? Well, I ran with him! I started walking off to get him to follow me. Then, I would go faster and he would go faster to catch up with me. I turned around and laughed and asked him if he was trying to catch me. He giggled and smiled and started to gallop. So, I ran started to jog, and let him catch me once he jogged to my pace. I grabbed him around the waist from behind and picked him up about 1 inch off the ground and swung him giving him praises for "catching" me. He LOVED this game! I increased the speed and length of time before I would let him catch me and soon he was running laps with periodical "swings" in between.
One of my favorite experiences was potty-training an autistic kindergartner. This kid reminded me so much of my son, with all his "TV-talk" and animated movements. He was so fun! When teaching him to use the potty, he was not very interested. We tried special books and social stories. The first time he used the potty, I was so excited for him, I swooped him up under the arms( his pants around his ankles) and swung him in a circle giving lots of animated praise. Because of his love for routines, he preferred me taking him to use the restroom so this could be part of our routine. As time went by, he would go potty on his own, and then spin in a circle and act our our routine on his own. Some people will criticize, I know, but in my experience, these types of rewards are weaned away as you begin to tackle other behaviors or goals.
In my opinion, an example of a reward system that doesn't work, looks like this:
A child is expected to participate in shooting hoops with a playground ball. This particular child has difficulty understanding tasks, especially when left alone, and when he is in an unusual setting....where maybe he has not practiced this skill before. The caregiver puts him in the middle of the gym in front of a hoop that is very high. She gives him a piece of candy and then sits in the bleachers. The child stands there with the ball, not knowing what to do and starts to get agitated after a few minutes. The well-intentioned caregiver runs out to him with lots of "good-job" praises and gives him another piece of candy. She continues this cycle. The child never attempts to throw the ball.
In this situation, the child has learned, only, when I get agitated, someone will give me candy, thus reinforcing behavior to become whiny when he wants candy.
So, when you choose a reward system, it has to make sense to the child. It has to be what they think is a reward and for the right reasons.
One student was given Ipad time as a reward for doing a required task. (Another new fav of teachers in this technology age.) Even though it was her free time, she was expected to use the Ipad appropriately...sit at a desk, and no hitting the screen. This is reasonable, and if she did these things the Ipad was taken away and she could choose from another reward activity she enjoyed. But, when she used the Ipad she was just learning about, she would click on app after app after app. The teacher did not like this and thought she should stay on one app for the whole time and used a special lock to keep her there. Even though she had chosen the app, she didn't want to stay there, and so when it locked up she lost interest and left the Ipad after only a minute or two.
Looking at it from another perspective might help one to understand why this child might have used the Ipad in the way she was.
Do you remember the first time you used apps, an Ipad, or Android? Was it confusing at first? Did you spend a lot of time clicking on things you didn't mean to until you figured out what you wanted?
When this child was able to explore this device, as long as being appropriate, she was figuring it out! She was trying to see what everything was....what was fun and interesting and what wasn't. Once she had the hang of it, she found the photo app and took pictures of herself. One time, a boy she had a crush on got in the picture. She was soooo happy that every time she was allowed Ipad time, she was able to find that picture and smile the biggest grin!
Think of child's needs above your own and weigh what really matters.
If it is their reward, let them choose it and deal with it. I don't care how many times you have to listen to Barney, read a book, or sing a song....GET OVER IT! This is about THEM and NOT YOU. Don't change up their routine when it is their choice time. If it is recess and all the kids get to do whatever they want for 45 minutes (granted it is safe) then let your special needs child pick their activity as well. And if that means you push a swing for each recess for five years...DO IT! :)
Consistency: They are smart. They are only going to comply if you have shown them they can trust you to hold up your end of the bargain!
I know this has been a long post and if you have stuck with me this long, I appreciate it! I hope this helps some people who may be looking for ways to help their special needs loved ones!
***Be prepared! If you use a reward for something like going to the bathroom, the child may figure out they can go to the bathroom 10x throughout the day and squeeze a little tinkle out to get the reward. You need to be prepared to keep up your end of the bargain! If you promised a 30 min Elmo video each time, you may be in trouble, because you need to keep up your end of the bargain for the child to trust you enough to listen to you. This relationship is built and functions on trust. You have to do what you say you are going to do or they will not believe you or comply. That being said, you have to think ahead if your reward is practical.
Some children have such undesirable behaviors, parents or teachers may give up quickly when conventional forms do not work.
When helping children learn, you need three key things:
1)Individuality
2)Creativity
3)Think of child's needs above your own and weigh what really matters.
4)Consistency
Individuality: Always remember each child is an individual, despite knowing a sibling, or their diagnosis....whatever preconceived notions should come second to simply getting to know the child. See what really makes them interested...what makes them smile...what they are good at and enjoy. At the same time, note what weaknesses they have and be in tune to why they might have this behavior. One size does not fit all when it comes to picking goals and/or reward systems.
Example:
A sticker chart. Teacher's LOVE themselves a good 'ole sticker chart. Cheap and easy. And may work really well for some students. Others will not care one bit. I saw this with my son's. One uses a sticker chart proudly. The other needed to earn a cookie after getting five stickers. Be flexible and be ok with changing a reward system. Some kids like time outside, running in the gym, being read to, talking to them, playing a board game one on one with an adult.
This leads me to the next key: Creativity. Once you know the student, you can be creative in encouraging the good behavior with something specific to their "likes".
I once worked with a four year old who just would not poop on the potty. He would poop in his pants or squat on the floor in his bedroom rather than go on the toilet. This particular child was constantly on the go...tons of energy and his parents thought he was just too busy to stop playing to run to the bathroom. He was also an only child, who had two bedrooms with piles and piles of toys, daily candy and treats anytime he wished. It was a challenge to figure out something he would like enough to encourage that trip to the bathroom.
This child also had Sensory Processing Disorder, so I was aware of the possible discomforts of bathrooms he would need to overcome. After establishing a bathroom routine, the sensory issues in the bathroom started to fade, but he was still having accidents.
Sticker chart. Nope.
Candy Reward? Nope.
Then I found one of his true loves....ChuckECheese. The idea was forming and I weighed whether I could really pull it off. He asked me everyday since he had been to ChuckECheese for a birthday party if he could go back. It was a twenty five minute drive away, so this was something new and fun he did not get to normally do.
I took a leap of faith. I told him he could go if he went poop in the potty. And then I had to be prepared to follow through.
He did. That day, in fact. And the minute he was wiped up, we headed out the door.
I gave him four quarters and we were there for 20 minutes, but he was ecstatic!
Two days later...no accidents....he goes in the potty....same routine.
So how long were we going to pull this off?? His parents asked the same question....but I had it all planned out. After two weeks and six trips to ChuckECheese...I told him the next time he went on the potty we would go ride the toys at Walmart....you know the one's the kids always want to ride? It was closer and cheaper and he loved it...didn't even care it wasn't ChuckECheese. Then we worked our way to the park....just across the street. It was amazing how this kid, who seemed unteachable to some, learned so quickly once he had my trust.
Most interventions are not this elaborate.
One autistic child I worked with did not have a lot of physical energy. He was often carried by his parents and caregivers and had come to expect it. He was always very tired and did all tasks with the least amount of effort possible. This proved challenging when encouraging him to participate in Gym class. I took what I knew about him personally. He followed me everywhere. I knew he loved it when I was silly and played with him. So, when he was expected to run with the class for a game, rather than focusing on "playing the game" which he did not understand, I worked on getting him to run. How? Well, I ran with him! I started walking off to get him to follow me. Then, I would go faster and he would go faster to catch up with me. I turned around and laughed and asked him if he was trying to catch me. He giggled and smiled and started to gallop. So, I ran started to jog, and let him catch me once he jogged to my pace. I grabbed him around the waist from behind and picked him up about 1 inch off the ground and swung him giving him praises for "catching" me. He LOVED this game! I increased the speed and length of time before I would let him catch me and soon he was running laps with periodical "swings" in between.
One of my favorite experiences was potty-training an autistic kindergartner. This kid reminded me so much of my son, with all his "TV-talk" and animated movements. He was so fun! When teaching him to use the potty, he was not very interested. We tried special books and social stories. The first time he used the potty, I was so excited for him, I swooped him up under the arms( his pants around his ankles) and swung him in a circle giving lots of animated praise. Because of his love for routines, he preferred me taking him to use the restroom so this could be part of our routine. As time went by, he would go potty on his own, and then spin in a circle and act our our routine on his own. Some people will criticize, I know, but in my experience, these types of rewards are weaned away as you begin to tackle other behaviors or goals.
In my opinion, an example of a reward system that doesn't work, looks like this:
A child is expected to participate in shooting hoops with a playground ball. This particular child has difficulty understanding tasks, especially when left alone, and when he is in an unusual setting....where maybe he has not practiced this skill before. The caregiver puts him in the middle of the gym in front of a hoop that is very high. She gives him a piece of candy and then sits in the bleachers. The child stands there with the ball, not knowing what to do and starts to get agitated after a few minutes. The well-intentioned caregiver runs out to him with lots of "good-job" praises and gives him another piece of candy. She continues this cycle. The child never attempts to throw the ball.
In this situation, the child has learned, only, when I get agitated, someone will give me candy, thus reinforcing behavior to become whiny when he wants candy.
So, when you choose a reward system, it has to make sense to the child. It has to be what they think is a reward and for the right reasons.
One student was given Ipad time as a reward for doing a required task. (Another new fav of teachers in this technology age.) Even though it was her free time, she was expected to use the Ipad appropriately...sit at a desk, and no hitting the screen. This is reasonable, and if she did these things the Ipad was taken away and she could choose from another reward activity she enjoyed. But, when she used the Ipad she was just learning about, she would click on app after app after app. The teacher did not like this and thought she should stay on one app for the whole time and used a special lock to keep her there. Even though she had chosen the app, she didn't want to stay there, and so when it locked up she lost interest and left the Ipad after only a minute or two.
Looking at it from another perspective might help one to understand why this child might have used the Ipad in the way she was.
Do you remember the first time you used apps, an Ipad, or Android? Was it confusing at first? Did you spend a lot of time clicking on things you didn't mean to until you figured out what you wanted?
When this child was able to explore this device, as long as being appropriate, she was figuring it out! She was trying to see what everything was....what was fun and interesting and what wasn't. Once she had the hang of it, she found the photo app and took pictures of herself. One time, a boy she had a crush on got in the picture. She was soooo happy that every time she was allowed Ipad time, she was able to find that picture and smile the biggest grin!
Think of child's needs above your own and weigh what really matters.
If it is their reward, let them choose it and deal with it. I don't care how many times you have to listen to Barney, read a book, or sing a song....GET OVER IT! This is about THEM and NOT YOU. Don't change up their routine when it is their choice time. If it is recess and all the kids get to do whatever they want for 45 minutes (granted it is safe) then let your special needs child pick their activity as well. And if that means you push a swing for each recess for five years...DO IT! :)
Consistency: They are smart. They are only going to comply if you have shown them they can trust you to hold up your end of the bargain!
I know this has been a long post and if you have stuck with me this long, I appreciate it! I hope this helps some people who may be looking for ways to help their special needs loved ones!
***Be prepared! If you use a reward for something like going to the bathroom, the child may figure out they can go to the bathroom 10x throughout the day and squeeze a little tinkle out to get the reward. You need to be prepared to keep up your end of the bargain! If you promised a 30 min Elmo video each time, you may be in trouble, because you need to keep up your end of the bargain for the child to trust you enough to listen to you. This relationship is built and functions on trust. You have to do what you say you are going to do or they will not believe you or comply. That being said, you have to think ahead if your reward is practical.
Avoiding Forceful Compliance
Most of working successfully working with an autistic child is finding out what they like. It's like what candy is to ABA therapy. In most cases, I would guess, there would be little to no need of restraint and seclusion for Autistic individuals if a patient, consistent system were to be put in place to encourage their learning.
Often children with autism will act out aggressively as a protest, saying in a non-verbal way "this is how much I do not want to do what you are asking me to do". An observant caretaker should be able to keep them safe from harming themselves or others by evaluating each situation that arises before actually speaking and/or giving any directions.
1)Is the child able to carry out the required task?
2) Make sure the tasks you ask the student to do are IMPORTANT. Think about how this pertains to their life as it is now and how it may be in the future. Does it make sense to them what you are asking them to do? Many times teachers make the mistake of thinking that practicing a task will somehow train the child to go into autopilot and do the task unassisted. If they have no interest in the task, or if they see no way it benefits them, they will not do the task un-monitored or without some kind of reward. ( For example: Practicing pedaling on a stationary bike to "train" the child to pedal on a tricycle. The child is getting nothing out of pedaling on a stationary bike, except maybe burning in their leg muscles, which will make him NOT want to comply. Even if he does comply, he will need repeated prompts. If you start out on a tricycle that the backwards motion of pedaling puts on the brakes, he will learn pedaling-forward-means-I'm -moving-which-is-fun-so-i-want-to-pedal. Teaching him on a stationary bike only teaches him pedaling causes my legs to hurt. Then, he may not even want to try on a tricycle.)
3) Are you willing and able to enforce this task? What are the possible outcomes?
Once you decide the task is important enough that requesting it and enforcing it will be worth the time, patience and possible struggle it may take to get there...STICK WITH IT. Simple words, repeated calmly each time the child refuses will keep your intentions clear. This is when the "first, then..." strategy works best. If the child refuses to comply immediately, give them time to think about it. They may be thinking on whether you are going to give in or change your mind. NEVER change the expectation at that point. Later, you may re-evaluate after that experience, but you must always stick to what you have said. That does not mean that you have to forcibly make a child comply at the exact moment you gave the direction. Give them a chance to do it on their own in a reasonable amount of time. Tell them you will help them carry out the task if they cannot comply reasonably. Sometimes waiting with the "first, then..." direction is all they need. Sometimes you must redirect with something they might like that will take their mind off of the situation like their favorite sport or a silly song. Many times a child goes into crisis mode when forced to do something they do not want to do. Using the method above, avoiding restraint and seclusion should be attainable.
When learning Crisis Prevention Intervention, you are taught to use it as the LAST RESORT at all times. If you are vigilant in evaluating situations and have thought through requirements for the child, this should not be hard to do.
Examples:
1) Toilet Training- Is there any way to FORCE someone to use the toilet?? No. So, you must always approach this topic using "first-then" with the child's FAVORITE thing to done once using the potty. They cannot have or use this item until they have used the bathroom successfully.
2)Laying on the floor so as to not comply- WAIT. Be silly. Change their thought process. Change their mood. Don't be in a rush. Use a "first-then". Let them choose the "then". There may be a natural consequence of missing something they enjoy if they do not follow directions. Never get frustrated and take it personally.
***Be prepared! If you use a reward for something like going to the bathroom, the child may figure out they can go to the bathroom 10x throughout the day and squeeze a little tinkle out to get the reward. You need to be prepared to keep up your end of the bargain! If you promised a 30 min Elmo video each time, you may be in trouble. This relationship is built and functions on trust. You have to do what you say you are going to do or they will not believe you or comply. That being said, you have to think ahead if your reward is practical.
Often children with autism will act out aggressively as a protest, saying in a non-verbal way "this is how much I do not want to do what you are asking me to do". An observant caretaker should be able to keep them safe from harming themselves or others by evaluating each situation that arises before actually speaking and/or giving any directions.
1)Is the child able to carry out the required task?
2) Make sure the tasks you ask the student to do are IMPORTANT. Think about how this pertains to their life as it is now and how it may be in the future. Does it make sense to them what you are asking them to do? Many times teachers make the mistake of thinking that practicing a task will somehow train the child to go into autopilot and do the task unassisted. If they have no interest in the task, or if they see no way it benefits them, they will not do the task un-monitored or without some kind of reward. ( For example: Practicing pedaling on a stationary bike to "train" the child to pedal on a tricycle. The child is getting nothing out of pedaling on a stationary bike, except maybe burning in their leg muscles, which will make him NOT want to comply. Even if he does comply, he will need repeated prompts. If you start out on a tricycle that the backwards motion of pedaling puts on the brakes, he will learn pedaling-forward-means-I'm -moving-which-is-fun-so-i-want-to-pedal. Teaching him on a stationary bike only teaches him pedaling causes my legs to hurt. Then, he may not even want to try on a tricycle.)
3) Are you willing and able to enforce this task? What are the possible outcomes?
Once you decide the task is important enough that requesting it and enforcing it will be worth the time, patience and possible struggle it may take to get there...STICK WITH IT. Simple words, repeated calmly each time the child refuses will keep your intentions clear. This is when the "first, then..." strategy works best. If the child refuses to comply immediately, give them time to think about it. They may be thinking on whether you are going to give in or change your mind. NEVER change the expectation at that point. Later, you may re-evaluate after that experience, but you must always stick to what you have said. That does not mean that you have to forcibly make a child comply at the exact moment you gave the direction. Give them a chance to do it on their own in a reasonable amount of time. Tell them you will help them carry out the task if they cannot comply reasonably. Sometimes waiting with the "first, then..." direction is all they need. Sometimes you must redirect with something they might like that will take their mind off of the situation like their favorite sport or a silly song. Many times a child goes into crisis mode when forced to do something they do not want to do. Using the method above, avoiding restraint and seclusion should be attainable.
When learning Crisis Prevention Intervention, you are taught to use it as the LAST RESORT at all times. If you are vigilant in evaluating situations and have thought through requirements for the child, this should not be hard to do.
Examples:
1) Toilet Training- Is there any way to FORCE someone to use the toilet?? No. So, you must always approach this topic using "first-then" with the child's FAVORITE thing to done once using the potty. They cannot have or use this item until they have used the bathroom successfully.
2)Laying on the floor so as to not comply- WAIT. Be silly. Change their thought process. Change their mood. Don't be in a rush. Use a "first-then". Let them choose the "then". There may be a natural consequence of missing something they enjoy if they do not follow directions. Never get frustrated and take it personally.
***Be prepared! If you use a reward for something like going to the bathroom, the child may figure out they can go to the bathroom 10x throughout the day and squeeze a little tinkle out to get the reward. You need to be prepared to keep up your end of the bargain! If you promised a 30 min Elmo video each time, you may be in trouble. This relationship is built and functions on trust. You have to do what you say you are going to do or they will not believe you or comply. That being said, you have to think ahead if your reward is practical.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Energies and Doorways
Although there are no two autistic individuals who are exactly the same, a person who spends a significant amount of time helping them navigate the world might start to see similarities. I am in no way an expert, but what I have learned from my experiences may be of help to someone who is looking for some further understanding.
Something small: People with Autism have a difficult time going into new rooms. Even more specifically, going through a door frame into said room. I feel this is from anxiety. They are unsure of what to expect in the new room and/or what kind of energy might be in there. If the energy is too overwhelming, the child will be reluctant to go in. This energy could be the kind when children have just gotten into trouble by the teacher, so they are quiet and uncomfortable; or maybe there is a substitute and the class is hyper and loud. In my experience, it has been, more than lights or sound effecting the children. I have found that giving the child the power to enter a room at their own cautious pace is much more comforting to them. Let them know you are there....right there by them for comfort and support if need be, but let them open the door, then you hold it while they venture inside the room. They may look to you for reassurance, and you can tell them it is OK This technique works much better than opening a door and walking through it yourself while holding their hand...dragging them through at your own pace. Even if this hasn't seemed to be a problem, the more and more rooms they are expected to enter and leave in a short amount of time could lead to a nasty meltdown when the child can no longer handle the anxiety of it all.
This also ties into routine, as I mentioned some about in a previous post. Children with Autism like to do things the same way every time they are presented with a situation because it eases their anxiety. They like to enter a building through the same door every time, and take the same route to their destination every time. Some may argue that doing too much routine will give the children a false sense of security so that they will not be able to handle change when it occurs. I would have to disagree. In my experience, the more comforted the child is by the routine, because it eases their anxiety, they can better handle unforeseen changes.
Example: I learned quickly when taking my autistic son to the grocery store, that he would meltdown and scream when we did not take the same route through the store to get our groceries each time. I had to start near the door and weave my way through each and every aisle, making my way to the back of the store where the cash registers were so we could check out and go home. Forgot the ketchup?? We went home without. The meltdown from going back towards where we had started would be so traumatic, it was definitely not worth it.
I took him to the grocery store with me twice a month and after he started to feel comfortable in our journey through the store, he became less anxious and I was able to try going back for a forgotten item. I would sing his favorite song or do silly swerves with the cart to distract him. Soon, he became ok with little changes in his routine. Now, at 15, he will follow me around wherever, but if we go "in circles" too many times, he will whine and tell me he is getting dizzy.
I suspect these children have an instinctive sense of direction. I think circling can be calming on their terms....frightening when they do not feel in control of it. It's almost like they have a map of point A and point B and if they started at A they can't concentrate or be calm until they have reached point B.
A person who is helping an autistic individual has to be calm, reassuring and always listening to their energies as well. They can tell when you are agitated, worried, busy.....and they will use it to their advantage. They will take their cues from you also to help them deal with the world.
Something small: People with Autism have a difficult time going into new rooms. Even more specifically, going through a door frame into said room. I feel this is from anxiety. They are unsure of what to expect in the new room and/or what kind of energy might be in there. If the energy is too overwhelming, the child will be reluctant to go in. This energy could be the kind when children have just gotten into trouble by the teacher, so they are quiet and uncomfortable; or maybe there is a substitute and the class is hyper and loud. In my experience, it has been, more than lights or sound effecting the children. I have found that giving the child the power to enter a room at their own cautious pace is much more comforting to them. Let them know you are there....right there by them for comfort and support if need be, but let them open the door, then you hold it while they venture inside the room. They may look to you for reassurance, and you can tell them it is OK This technique works much better than opening a door and walking through it yourself while holding their hand...dragging them through at your own pace. Even if this hasn't seemed to be a problem, the more and more rooms they are expected to enter and leave in a short amount of time could lead to a nasty meltdown when the child can no longer handle the anxiety of it all.
This also ties into routine, as I mentioned some about in a previous post. Children with Autism like to do things the same way every time they are presented with a situation because it eases their anxiety. They like to enter a building through the same door every time, and take the same route to their destination every time. Some may argue that doing too much routine will give the children a false sense of security so that they will not be able to handle change when it occurs. I would have to disagree. In my experience, the more comforted the child is by the routine, because it eases their anxiety, they can better handle unforeseen changes.
Example: I learned quickly when taking my autistic son to the grocery store, that he would meltdown and scream when we did not take the same route through the store to get our groceries each time. I had to start near the door and weave my way through each and every aisle, making my way to the back of the store where the cash registers were so we could check out and go home. Forgot the ketchup?? We went home without. The meltdown from going back towards where we had started would be so traumatic, it was definitely not worth it.
I took him to the grocery store with me twice a month and after he started to feel comfortable in our journey through the store, he became less anxious and I was able to try going back for a forgotten item. I would sing his favorite song or do silly swerves with the cart to distract him. Soon, he became ok with little changes in his routine. Now, at 15, he will follow me around wherever, but if we go "in circles" too many times, he will whine and tell me he is getting dizzy.
I suspect these children have an instinctive sense of direction. I think circling can be calming on their terms....frightening when they do not feel in control of it. It's almost like they have a map of point A and point B and if they started at A they can't concentrate or be calm until they have reached point B.
A person who is helping an autistic individual has to be calm, reassuring and always listening to their energies as well. They can tell when you are agitated, worried, busy.....and they will use it to their advantage. They will take their cues from you also to help them deal with the world.
Friday, March 15, 2013
The "Outgrowing" Propaganda
The new autism information circling around Medscape is calling a "take-back" to the mainstream medical community's previously sedimentary definition of Autism.
What was once thought of as a life-long sentence, has a new definition.
If you are a biomed Mom or Dad, you may be excited at this point, thinking that maybe....just maybe....the battle we have fought for our children with our blood, sweat, tears is being acknowledged at long last!
Instead, Medscape, a resource available to doctors and nurses, is now stating that children simply "outgrow" autism.
I remember the day in 2000, when my son had barely turned two, and the neurologist, after reviewing notes from a speech therapist, sat me down in his office. After a few short minutes of observing my child, he told me he had Autism. He told me it wasn't my or my husband's fault...nothing we did caused it. He told us to continue Early Intervention, even though there wasn't much data on how much that would help. He told us to test our youngest child, a few weeks old, for Fragile X to see if he would have Autism, too. He shook my hand and said my husband could call him if he had any questions....and we should start saving for Tristen's long-term care in a specialized facility.
Everything I read at first told me there was no hope and no cure. Autism just happens to one in ten thousand children and you have to accept it.
But my child was sick. He was constantly ill and had problems eating since birth. No doctor or nurse would take us seriously...they only saw his Autism.
"Autistic kids are just constipated."
"Autistic kids get sick all the time....stop worrying so much."
"You are being overprotective because you feel guilty."
I stopped reading articles about hopeless futures and I started reading about illnesses. I started to read everything I could find on the immune system so when I went back to the doctor with another 105 degree fever, I would have something to suggest to him....maybe this....or this....
I heard rumors of recovery. Recovery of Autism. False hope? Maybe....I wasn't sure. But I wasn't worried about recovering from from Autism, I just wanted him to be healthy and live a happy, pain-free life. As I kept reading about illnesses, and sick children with autism, it became very clear I wasn't alone and that healing his sick little body would actually help lessen the severity of his Autism. It had to be worth a shot.
When I approached our new pediatrician with this information, I brought in books and links to websites. I was so excited to show her I had found the way to heal him from his undiagnosed illness that plagued him every month. Instead of rejoicing with me in this newly found information, she looked at me with pity.
"I hate to see you waste your time and money on things like this. I've known people in the past who have gone down this path to only see no results or progress. You should proceed with caution."
That was the third and last time we saw that doctor.
We have spent the last 5 years spending every last cent along with every last bit of energy to keep my autistic son healthy. It only took a month after his first visit with a Biomedical doctor to stop his cyclical fevers. And as his health improved, so did the severity of his Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Mainstream Medicine did not acknowledge this. They said it was impossible and a ploy to exploit grieving parents.
So, now my Tristen is not the only one getting better. People across the world are proclaiming recovery. So, what do the docs say now?? Oh, it wasn't anything YOU did......they were going to outgrow it all along!
Well, I am calling their BS! They figured out a loophole to explain the progress and recovery of hundreds of autistic children so they wouldn't have to admit they should have been listening to parents and treating their children like real patients, instead of handicapped children that are no use to the world and better off in an institution.
The DSM-V used to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorders has changed the criteria for labeling someone Autistic. This will drastically decrease the number of children diagnosed with an ASD, yet they will still remain under different names. It just happens to tie in perfectly to the new claim, as they will no doubt soon advertise a new study where the rates have declined, and those who where Autistic no longer are, thus proving their claim that they just outgrew it.
My son's brain was damaged by the Hepatitis B vaccine given to him at two days old. They gave me, a nursing mother, the MMR the same day. He was never the same after. My son will not grow out of his brain damage. Whether the DSM-V decides to classify him as Autistic anymore, or if they call him a purple dinosaur.....he will still be damaged, and he will still continue to make gains towards a better life, because I won't stop spending my every waking hour trying to help him succeed at life.
But don't you dare tell me, that I could have spent the past 15 years on the couch eating bon-bons, letting him spin in circles, making high-pitched screetches and drinking milk out of the jug by the gallons, and just SAT there and WATCHED as he MAGICALLY GREW OUT OF IT!
Society has lost their faith in mainstream medicine. They have been ignored for too long. This claim is another nail in the coffin. If doctors would have done their jobs in the first place, none of this would be an issue. First, DO NO HARM. The oath doesn't mention screwing up and then offering a "take-back".
What was once thought of as a life-long sentence, has a new definition.
If you are a biomed Mom or Dad, you may be excited at this point, thinking that maybe....just maybe....the battle we have fought for our children with our blood, sweat, tears is being acknowledged at long last!
Instead, Medscape, a resource available to doctors and nurses, is now stating that children simply "outgrow" autism.
I remember the day in 2000, when my son had barely turned two, and the neurologist, after reviewing notes from a speech therapist, sat me down in his office. After a few short minutes of observing my child, he told me he had Autism. He told me it wasn't my or my husband's fault...nothing we did caused it. He told us to continue Early Intervention, even though there wasn't much data on how much that would help. He told us to test our youngest child, a few weeks old, for Fragile X to see if he would have Autism, too. He shook my hand and said my husband could call him if he had any questions....and we should start saving for Tristen's long-term care in a specialized facility.
Everything I read at first told me there was no hope and no cure. Autism just happens to one in ten thousand children and you have to accept it.
But my child was sick. He was constantly ill and had problems eating since birth. No doctor or nurse would take us seriously...they only saw his Autism.
"Autistic kids are just constipated."
"Autistic kids get sick all the time....stop worrying so much."
"You are being overprotective because you feel guilty."
I stopped reading articles about hopeless futures and I started reading about illnesses. I started to read everything I could find on the immune system so when I went back to the doctor with another 105 degree fever, I would have something to suggest to him....maybe this....or this....
I heard rumors of recovery. Recovery of Autism. False hope? Maybe....I wasn't sure. But I wasn't worried about recovering from from Autism, I just wanted him to be healthy and live a happy, pain-free life. As I kept reading about illnesses, and sick children with autism, it became very clear I wasn't alone and that healing his sick little body would actually help lessen the severity of his Autism. It had to be worth a shot.
When I approached our new pediatrician with this information, I brought in books and links to websites. I was so excited to show her I had found the way to heal him from his undiagnosed illness that plagued him every month. Instead of rejoicing with me in this newly found information, she looked at me with pity.
"I hate to see you waste your time and money on things like this. I've known people in the past who have gone down this path to only see no results or progress. You should proceed with caution."
That was the third and last time we saw that doctor.
We have spent the last 5 years spending every last cent along with every last bit of energy to keep my autistic son healthy. It only took a month after his first visit with a Biomedical doctor to stop his cyclical fevers. And as his health improved, so did the severity of his Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Mainstream Medicine did not acknowledge this. They said it was impossible and a ploy to exploit grieving parents.
So, now my Tristen is not the only one getting better. People across the world are proclaiming recovery. So, what do the docs say now?? Oh, it wasn't anything YOU did......they were going to outgrow it all along!
Well, I am calling their BS! They figured out a loophole to explain the progress and recovery of hundreds of autistic children so they wouldn't have to admit they should have been listening to parents and treating their children like real patients, instead of handicapped children that are no use to the world and better off in an institution.
The DSM-V used to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorders has changed the criteria for labeling someone Autistic. This will drastically decrease the number of children diagnosed with an ASD, yet they will still remain under different names. It just happens to tie in perfectly to the new claim, as they will no doubt soon advertise a new study where the rates have declined, and those who where Autistic no longer are, thus proving their claim that they just outgrew it.
My son's brain was damaged by the Hepatitis B vaccine given to him at two days old. They gave me, a nursing mother, the MMR the same day. He was never the same after. My son will not grow out of his brain damage. Whether the DSM-V decides to classify him as Autistic anymore, or if they call him a purple dinosaur.....he will still be damaged, and he will still continue to make gains towards a better life, because I won't stop spending my every waking hour trying to help him succeed at life.
But don't you dare tell me, that I could have spent the past 15 years on the couch eating bon-bons, letting him spin in circles, making high-pitched screetches and drinking milk out of the jug by the gallons, and just SAT there and WATCHED as he MAGICALLY GREW OUT OF IT!
Society has lost their faith in mainstream medicine. They have been ignored for too long. This claim is another nail in the coffin. If doctors would have done their jobs in the first place, none of this would be an issue. First, DO NO HARM. The oath doesn't mention screwing up and then offering a "take-back".
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The Schedule
If you are an autism parent, you know about the schedule. You live your life by it...heck you plan your own potty breaks by it!! Schedule is EXTREMELY important to children on the spectrum. They tend to have anxiety and knowing what is coming next is necessary for them to calm down enough to focus on what is going on at the moment.
I am surprised by how many professionals who work with children with autism are unaware of it's importance.
In my experience, I have found that not only the knowledge of future expectations ease anxiety, but a predictable sequence is often as comforting as a squeeze machine or moon-sand. Routine. It's calming.
I recall an experience when potty-training a child who loved to be spun in the air after going potty. We would go through the same dialogue each time and end with a swing around the bathroom, pants down and all. My co-workers were disgusted that he might drip some pee somewhere...or worse, on us. I really wasn't worried about that...it was about the calming, comforting routine to set into place a vital life skill.
Also working with students, I have seen them try to establish a pattern in their work to get the right answer, rather than remembering the right answer. For example, you ask a child to choose their name from a board full of 15 or so names, At first they just guess, pointing randomly until they happen upon their name and get their reward. But instead of reinforcing their correct choice of name, the child tries again each time to remember the exact pattern of names to choose...or times to point on the board, to achieve the desired reward. In other words, instead of remembering "Tristen" is what I push when I'm asked to point to my name, the child tries to mimic all events up to the ending reward, such as, I put my heals down, my teacher talks, I point to Max, then I look at my teacher and she talks, and I point to Sam, and I look at my teacher and she talks and I point to Tom and I look at my teacher and she talks and I point to Tim and I look at my teacher and she talks and I point to Tristen and THEN I get my reward.
It makes it difficult to teach a child to recognize their name, especially when their printed name has no meaning to them. Is that mine? If that question is in the child's mind, it doesn't have the same meaning. Is that mine is more like, Do I want that? If I want it, then it's mine.
The children with autism I have had the privilege of learning with also do not like waiting. ( Who does? ) They need their schedule filled with as little "waiting" time as possible. There is always something to fill in between tasks that are enjoyable for them. But if there is too much time for any one given thing....besides maybe TV.....they get bored and frustrated wondering when they can get on with their day. The day should also be made of relatively short tasks divided up by sensory breaks. We can relate! Don't our days go by faster at work when we are busy? Most individuals prefer that to a day where there wasn't much to do and the day slowly dragged on.
Last Example:
If a child with autism is used to his afternoon routine, and is given too much unstructured time, he may get impatient and want to get the day over with and go home already. This may happen "just-because" the child wants to go home to watch Sesame Street rather than be at school also, you might not know for sure, but the point is it happens. He/she decides they want to go home. But, the child knows they have a certain routine to go through to before going home. They start to tantrum to get to the next task.
This is where schedule, routine, visual aids, and possibly timers are crucial. It also takes a very calm and firm individual to carry out the tasks at hand.
No matter how fast you were to get through the end of the day tasks, the child still cannot go home. If he is upset now, he will continue to be upset the rest of the afternoon up until the bus comes to take him home. The only thing accomplished by rushing through the tasks is to reinforce the idea that if I whine or tantrum I make people scurry around to give me whatever I want.
Filling a child's day with "jobs" or expectations actually results in less behaviors from being bored and trying to manipulate.
Sometimes you cannot help when a routine is interrupted....there are plenty of unpredictable things that happen in life. So, we should be even more vigilant in keeping a routine to keep them as calm and comfortable as possible so they can better handle the changes. Whether it's a swing around the bathroom, or singing a favorite song as we walk down the hallway or just remembering to follow the patter of "snack, bathroom, bus".......it will make ALL the difference in the success of the child.
I am surprised by how many professionals who work with children with autism are unaware of it's importance.
In my experience, I have found that not only the knowledge of future expectations ease anxiety, but a predictable sequence is often as comforting as a squeeze machine or moon-sand. Routine. It's calming.
I recall an experience when potty-training a child who loved to be spun in the air after going potty. We would go through the same dialogue each time and end with a swing around the bathroom, pants down and all. My co-workers were disgusted that he might drip some pee somewhere...or worse, on us. I really wasn't worried about that...it was about the calming, comforting routine to set into place a vital life skill.
Also working with students, I have seen them try to establish a pattern in their work to get the right answer, rather than remembering the right answer. For example, you ask a child to choose their name from a board full of 15 or so names, At first they just guess, pointing randomly until they happen upon their name and get their reward. But instead of reinforcing their correct choice of name, the child tries again each time to remember the exact pattern of names to choose...or times to point on the board, to achieve the desired reward. In other words, instead of remembering "Tristen" is what I push when I'm asked to point to my name, the child tries to mimic all events up to the ending reward, such as, I put my heals down, my teacher talks, I point to Max, then I look at my teacher and she talks, and I point to Sam, and I look at my teacher and she talks and I point to Tom and I look at my teacher and she talks and I point to Tim and I look at my teacher and she talks and I point to Tristen and THEN I get my reward.
It makes it difficult to teach a child to recognize their name, especially when their printed name has no meaning to them. Is that mine? If that question is in the child's mind, it doesn't have the same meaning. Is that mine is more like, Do I want that? If I want it, then it's mine.
The children with autism I have had the privilege of learning with also do not like waiting. ( Who does? ) They need their schedule filled with as little "waiting" time as possible. There is always something to fill in between tasks that are enjoyable for them. But if there is too much time for any one given thing....besides maybe TV.....they get bored and frustrated wondering when they can get on with their day. The day should also be made of relatively short tasks divided up by sensory breaks. We can relate! Don't our days go by faster at work when we are busy? Most individuals prefer that to a day where there wasn't much to do and the day slowly dragged on.
Last Example:
If a child with autism is used to his afternoon routine, and is given too much unstructured time, he may get impatient and want to get the day over with and go home already. This may happen "just-because" the child wants to go home to watch Sesame Street rather than be at school also, you might not know for sure, but the point is it happens. He/she decides they want to go home. But, the child knows they have a certain routine to go through to before going home. They start to tantrum to get to the next task.
This is where schedule, routine, visual aids, and possibly timers are crucial. It also takes a very calm and firm individual to carry out the tasks at hand.
No matter how fast you were to get through the end of the day tasks, the child still cannot go home. If he is upset now, he will continue to be upset the rest of the afternoon up until the bus comes to take him home. The only thing accomplished by rushing through the tasks is to reinforce the idea that if I whine or tantrum I make people scurry around to give me whatever I want.
Filling a child's day with "jobs" or expectations actually results in less behaviors from being bored and trying to manipulate.
Sometimes you cannot help when a routine is interrupted....there are plenty of unpredictable things that happen in life. So, we should be even more vigilant in keeping a routine to keep them as calm and comfortable as possible so they can better handle the changes. Whether it's a swing around the bathroom, or singing a favorite song as we walk down the hallway or just remembering to follow the patter of "snack, bathroom, bus".......it will make ALL the difference in the success of the child.
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