Understanding ASD: Parent's Time Out Session Introduction

2. SESSION 1 Understanding ASD

3. TIME OUT FOR PARENTS AIMS TO: • increase your understanding of ASD • identify suitable interventions and therapies for your child • work out the best ways to manage challenging behaviour • provide the tools needed to better support your child

4. SESSION PLAN • What is ASD? • Interventions and therapies • Sensory difficulties • Reflection • Focus for the week

5. WHAT IS ASD? Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder that affects the way a person communicates and relates to people around them.

6. DIFFERING AND DUAL DIAGNOSES • Autism spectrum disorder • Pervasive developmental disorder • Autism • High functioning autism • Asperger syndrome • Dyspraxia • Sensory processing disorder • Communication disorder • ADHD

7. HISTORY OF AUTISM The development disorder that is now called autism was first described by doctors in 1943

8. SOME STATS • 1 in 100 people diagnosed • 1 in 5 children excluded from school • Affects 133,500 under 18’s

9. EVERY CHILD WITH ASD IS DIFFERENT

10. 3 FEATURES OF ASD Known as the ‘triad of impairments’

11. WHERE OTHERS SEE PROBLEMS WE MAY SEE POTENTIAL!

12. OTHER FEATURES • Sensory issues • Love of routines • Repetitive activities • Special interests • Anxiety

13. PEOPLE’S RESPONSE TO ASD

14. PERSONAL PORTFOLIO

15. BREAK

16. WHAT CAUSES ASD?

17. NOTHING TO DO WITH POOR PARENTING?

18. NEUROLOGICAL AND GENETIC

19. “Accept difference, not indifference.” The National Autistic Society

20. INTERVENTIONS AND THERAPIES “There is no known ‘cure’ for autism. This does not mean, however, that nothing can be done for a person with autism. There is a growing movement among adults with autism who don't think in terms of ‘curing’ autism but, instead, of celebrating difference.” The National Autistic Society

21. “Autism is both a disability and a difference. We need to find ways of alleviating the disability while respecting and valuing the difference.” Professor Simon Baron-Cohen

22. INTERVENTIONS AND THERAPIES • Communication based therapies • Behavioural techniques • Special diets • Sensory integration • Intensive interaction • Combined approaches • Medication

23. PARENT’S CHOICE • Accept the condition • Work with it rather than against it • Help the child feel a valued member of the family OR • Make no allowances • Be critical and hostile • Apply more and more force

24. SERENITY PRAYER “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference!” Reinhold Niebuhr

25. SENSORY PROCESSING DIFFICULTIES What do we mean by the senses?

26. OTHER SENSES Vestibular system • Area in the inner ear that controls our balance Proprioceptive system • Sensors in our joints and muscles that tell us our body position

27. SENSORY SENSITIVITY They may show this by being either extra sensitive (hyper) or under sensitive (hypo) or both hyper and hypo at different times.

28. IDENTIFYING SENSORY DIFFICULTIES Identifying and compiling a list of your child’s sensory likes and dislikes will be a great help in understanding and managing their difficulties.

29. SENSORY PROCESSING DIFFERENCES • Sight • Hearing • Touch • Taste/smell • Balance • Body awareness

30. REFLECTION • We have got to know each other • Started to understand what ASD is • Looked briefly at the ‘triad of impairments’ • Considered some of the interventions • We have focussed on sensory issues

31. FOCUS FOR THE WEEK • Compile a list of your child’s sensory likes and dislikes to share with teachers and family members • Draw up a list of things to avoid and things that can be used as rewards for acceptable behaviour

32. NEXT WEEK We will be looking at the triad of impairments

33. SESSION 2 Understanding the triad of impairments

34. SESSION PLAN • Triad of impairments • Communication • Social interaction • Imagination • Special interests • Reflection • Focus for the week

35. TRIAD OF IMPAIRMENTS Communication

36. TRIAD OF IMPAIRMENTSCOMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES Remember that someone on the Autistic Spectrum will always have greater difficulty in understanding what is meant, and try to make allowances for this

37. TRIAD OF IMPAIRMENTS COMMUNICATION PROMPTS • Verbal • Visual • Physical • Modelling • Gesture

38. VISUAL AIDS As people with ASD think very visually, picture boards can be used to show them what’s going to happen that day and order it happens in.

39. TRIAD OF IMPAIRMENTS Social interaction

40. SOCIAL STORIES™ Social Stories™ are a series of sentences (short stories) which give very clear information about people, events and situations in the real world.

41. TRIAD OF IMPAIRMENTS Imagination

42. HELPING IMAGINATION

43. BREAK

44. SPECIAL INTERESTS About 10% of children with ASD have some special skill at a much higher level than their general ability. Examples are music, art, numerical calculations or jigsaw puzzles.

45. USING SPECIAL INTERESTS • To improve learning • As rewards • To build self-esteem

46. REFLECTION • Reviewed how everyone got on with their homework • Looked in detail at the ‘triad of impairments’ • Considered ways in which we can help our child in these three areas • Looked at special interests and their effects for the child and carer

47. FOCUS FOR THE WEEK • Take something from today that you have found useful, make a note in your handbook and try it at home. • List your child’s behaviours that particularly concern you for us to look at in the next session.

48. NEXT WEEK We will be looking at ASD behaviours

49. SESSION 3 Behaviours that annoy or worry

50. SESSION PLAN • Behaviours that annoy or worry • Behaviour management • Anxiety • Oppositional behaviour • There’s always a reason • Reflection