Introduction to Autism for Individuals with Average to Above Average Verbal and Cognitive skills

Kylie Kosmacek Author

04/06/2020 Added

35 Plays

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2020 ASD Conference Breakout session

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[00:00:06.680]Okay, well hello everyone.
[00:00:08.430]Thank you for joining us.
[00:00:10.370]As Ashley mentioned my name is Kylie Kosmacek
[00:00:13.420]and I am a behavior analysts with the Nebraska ASD Network.
[00:00:18.420]My areas I typically work
[00:00:20.220]with are the metro surrounding areas.
[00:00:22.920]So ESU 2, 3 and 19
[00:00:26.060]but occasionally get to go to some of the other areas
[00:00:29.000]in the state and provide support as well.
[00:00:31.770]And prior to my role with Nebraska ASD Network
[00:00:37.110]I was a classroom teacher for over 10 years
[00:00:39.740]with a variety of students at different levels and ages
[00:00:45.040]and whether their least restrictive environment
[00:00:47.720]was in the Gen Ed classroom or self-contained room
[00:00:50.840]so I have had quite a few experiences in that realm
[00:00:53.070]and have been working with schools
[00:00:55.860]in helping support individuals with autism
[00:00:58.360]and challenging behavior for this is my 18th year.
[00:01:02.160]So lots of fun and interesting things
[00:01:04.810]I've been able to experience
[00:01:07.100]with schools and help them with.
[00:01:08.410]So hopefully today we are gonna
[00:01:09.770]go some through some information
[00:01:11.790]and we can give you some strategies and information
[00:01:13.980]that may be beneficial and helpful to you.
[00:01:17.540]All right if you haven't seen, there is a new handout
[00:01:23.130]that is updated in the virtual schedule.
[00:01:27.370]And if you would like to make sure
[00:01:29.820]that you have a chance to access that you can.
[00:01:31.870]I am going to put a link in the Chatbox
[00:01:35.060]so you don't necessarily need to navigate away from here
[00:01:38.410]to do that if you wanted.
[00:01:40.370]So that is in the Chatbox
[00:01:41.630]that will be the updated link to the handout
[00:01:43.700]for the slides that we're gonna go over today.
[00:01:47.490]All right, so getting started as it's been mentioned
[00:01:50.900]this is the Introduction To Autism
[00:01:52.440]For Individuals With Average To Above Average Verbal
[00:01:55.530]And Cognitive Skills.
[00:01:57.060]And you may have noticed on the previous handout
[00:02:00.140]it did refer to the presentation
[00:02:02.720]as introduction to high-functioning autism.
[00:02:05.560]So I just wanna give a little disclaimer
[00:02:07.560]about that and why it's changed
[00:02:10.660]to be what it is now.
[00:02:12.490]And there is some controversy currently
[00:02:14.610]in the autism and medical communities
[00:02:16.380]about the term high-functioning autism.
[00:02:19.760]So some people are on the side
[00:02:21.470]of thinking we need to stick to the term
[00:02:23.260]of autism spectrum disorder
[00:02:25.010]as it's listed in the DSM-5
[00:02:27.270]and other people are on the other realm
[00:02:30.010]of wanting to make sure that it's recognized,
[00:02:32.850]that there is a strong need for support still
[00:02:35.520]for those individuals who are on the spectrum
[00:02:37.460]and at that higher-end with verbal and cognitive skills.
[00:02:41.210]So from here on out for the presentation
[00:02:43.480]we are going to, I'll be referring
[00:02:45.190]to individuals as just individuals, students,
[00:02:48.630]or individuals with autism
[00:02:50.020]as we move through the presentation.
[00:02:54.310]Okay, so looking at what exactly
[00:02:57.250]is autism spectrum disorder?
[00:03:00.630]The definition has changed
[00:03:02.740]when we moved from the Diagnostic Statistical Manual 4 to 5.
[00:03:07.980]And so Asperger's syndrome
[00:03:11.260]is no longer a category in the DSM.
[00:03:14.630]So everything is that autism
[00:03:16.310]is referred to as autism spectrum.
[00:03:18.130]So when we read the definition looking at it
[00:03:20.550]that is a developmental disorder
[00:03:22.060]that affects communication and behavior.
[00:03:24.300]And when we think about communication
[00:03:26.320]we also mean that communication
[00:03:27.730]not only verbal communication
[00:03:29.860]but also with our communicating socially
[00:03:32.270]and our social interactions with others
[00:03:34.390]and being able to interact with our community
[00:03:36.480]and our environments.
[00:03:38.810]Individuals often have restricted interests
[00:03:40.810]and repetitive behaviors.
[00:03:42.630]And these symptoms often hurt that person's ability
[00:03:45.520]to function properly in school, work,
[00:03:47.480]and other areas of life.
[00:03:49.210]So that's what we're going to talk about today
[00:03:51.040]are just some strategies that we can look at
[00:03:53.680]and different characteristics
[00:03:55.180]that are associated with autism
[00:03:57.210]to be aware of when working with individuals
[00:03:59.650]who do have that diagnosis and are on the spectrum.
[00:04:06.150]So as mentioned we're gonna focus on these three areas
[00:04:09.190]which previously were the three target areas
[00:04:11.470]in the definition of autism.
[00:04:13.270]But they're still very relevant all in their own ways.
[00:04:16.680]You'll find as we go through
[00:04:18.830]that there is gonna be a common thread
[00:04:21.340]of underlying information
[00:04:22.990]even though these are separated into three areas
[00:04:25.750]they all really overlap and go together.
[00:04:28.250]So you'll start to see that commonality
[00:04:31.010]of how the social and the communication
[00:04:33.000]and those repetitive activities and interests
[00:04:35.650]all interact with each other.
[00:04:41.360]Okay so the big one, have to start with the big one first,
[00:04:44.050]right, that first area is that communication.
[00:04:46.940]And while individuals with autism
[00:04:49.440]who have high verbal skills,
[00:04:52.330]they're often reported to develop language
[00:04:54.480]on the same timeline as their typical peers,
[00:04:56.940]however we do also know that they still struggle
[00:05:00.620]in the area of language.
[00:05:03.370]Just sometimes it's masked by their ability to,
[00:05:06.760]they have so much language that sometimes
[00:05:08.470]it's taken for granted that maybe they understand more
[00:05:11.210]than what they do.
[00:05:12.780]And maybe that they don't need as much support
[00:05:15.300]as other individuals.
[00:05:16.633]What we do know that they often struggle
[00:05:19.550]with reading those non-verbal cues, idioms,
[00:05:22.580]having very literal interpretations to language.
[00:05:26.230]So with expression like you know it's raining cats and dogs
[00:05:29.570]or I have frog in my throat, or hit the road,
[00:05:33.180]those are phrases that sometimes are often common
[00:05:37.520]in our everyday language and conversations
[00:05:40.660]are not always something that they understand.
[00:05:43.490]They'll take 'em very literally at times.
[00:05:45.830]Look out the window
[00:05:46.680]and see well there's no cats and dogs raining.
[00:05:50.190]So just being aware of the language that we're using
[00:05:53.110]when we're speaking with an individual
[00:05:55.590]who is on the spectrum
[00:05:56.610]and may not understand those types of terms.
[00:06:00.260]Sometimes you may notice too
[00:06:01.630]with individuals who have a lot of verbal language
[00:06:04.700]that they may have an unusual rhythm to their speech.
[00:06:08.460]Certain times referred to as little professor talk
[00:06:11.350]or being very monotone in the way that they speak
[00:06:15.950]and so just noticing that
[00:06:17.500]and knowing that sometimes that can make them a trigger
[00:06:20.530]for other individuals or not a trigger, I apologize
[00:06:23.760]but a victim and target for bullying
[00:06:27.480]and different things like that from peers.
[00:06:29.570]So being aware that we're always keeping that,
[00:06:32.140]and that's gonna be another underlying theme
[00:06:33.860]that we'll talk about today
[00:06:35.040]is just as the adults in these individuals lives
[00:06:38.050]just being aware of things
[00:06:39.925]that may be taken differently from someone else.
[00:06:42.790]And so what we look at with that
[00:06:44.530]is looking how do we educate other people
[00:06:47.030]so that they understand and know too.
[00:06:51.510]So looking at a big piece too
[00:06:53.380]are those trouble reading non-verbal communication
[00:06:56.600]and those non-verbal cues.
[00:06:59.080]And we frequently use non-verbal cues all the time
[00:07:02.760]throughout our life.
[00:07:04.520]So especially in that classroom setting
[00:07:06.380]you know we have that teacher look that we give
[00:07:08.710]when we want students to stop doing something
[00:07:10.900]or start doing something sometimes.
[00:07:13.780]And so when we're doing those things
[00:07:15.300]just making sure that we're thinking about
[00:07:17.220]how we might be able to communicate those things
[00:07:19.910]that we're doing non-verbally in another manner
[00:07:22.640]or how we're able to bring attention
[00:07:25.520]to those non-verbal cues for our individuals
[00:07:28.160]who may not be picking up on those cues that we're giving.
[00:07:31.240]So Simon Baron-Cohen and Fred Volkmar
[00:07:34.070]of Yale did research with an individual
[00:07:36.710]who was on the autism spectrum
[00:07:39.990]and they were watching movies
[00:07:41.520]and tracking the eye movement of individuals.
[00:07:45.020]And what they found was that they individuals
[00:07:47.920]almost exclusively watched the actor's mouths as they talked
[00:07:52.200]and failed to use the individual's facial expressions,
[00:07:55.490]gestures, or other context clues
[00:07:58.150]that were available to inform their understanding
[00:08:02.850]of what was being communicated.
[00:08:04.210]And so this impacts the individuals theory of mind
[00:08:07.830]or the understanding of what others are thinking
[00:08:10.020]'cause they're not attending to the body language
[00:08:12.160]and facial expressions and body positioning
[00:08:15.460]that people have to one another.
[00:08:18.100]So knowing that communication
[00:08:19.300]is the basis of social interaction
[00:08:21.360]and all of our relationships with others
[00:08:23.480]we have to identify these differences
[00:08:25.730]and assess them so that we can make sure
[00:08:28.030]that we're addressing 'em
[00:08:29.390]and providing structure, and programing,
[00:08:31.560]and learning opportunities to support our individuals
[00:08:34.840]on the spectrum with developing these skills
[00:08:37.250]and recognizing these other non-verbal cues
[00:08:39.940]that they are experiencing in social interactions.
[00:08:47.300]So as we move forward
[00:08:48.540]looking at those social characteristics
[00:08:50.580]and as you can see
[00:08:51.413]that underlying theme with the communication
[00:08:53.530]and the social interactions
[00:08:55.380]but we know that people on the spectrum
[00:08:57.620]have a difficult time understanding those social rules
[00:09:00.000]and those relationships,
[00:09:01.870]which can often cause them difficulty
[00:09:04.550]with quote unquote fitting in
[00:09:06.660]with their peers sometimes, right.
[00:09:08.070]And sometimes they're considered rude.
[00:09:10.840]You know they shouldn't tell you
[00:09:12.190]that the only thing I can focus on when I'm looking at you
[00:09:15.070]is your big giant pink tongue
[00:09:17.140]when we really wanna make sure that they're listening
[00:09:18.920]to the words that we're saying
[00:09:20.110]and what we're teaching them.
[00:09:22.040]That was the greatest story I had a friend of mine
[00:09:24.430]tell me she gave a great lesson to a student
[00:09:27.220]and he looked at her at the end and said,
[00:09:29.087]"I'm sorry I was distracted
[00:09:30.197]"by your big fat pink tongue the whole time."
[00:09:33.270]So the interesting things that sometimes
[00:09:36.030]may hurt our feelings
[00:09:37.330]or we wouldn't expect somebody to say to us they say.
[00:09:41.410]They can be very honest in some of those interactions.
[00:09:45.220]Sometimes individuals on the spectrum
[00:09:46.840]also have different ways of interacting
[00:09:49.140]that are non-traditional and can be somewhat off-putting,
[00:09:52.040]hence talking about her big fat pink tongue
[00:09:55.210]when she was trying to do a lesson
[00:09:56.780]and have a conversation with a student.
[00:09:59.080]And this is why those social skills
[00:10:00.810]is such an important area to focus on
[00:10:03.760]and make sure that we have specific,
[00:10:06.720]and systematic lessons, and strategies
[00:10:09.380]that are embedded into our day-to-day
[00:10:10.880]with our students and our children
[00:10:13.790]that we're working with.
[00:10:16.370]So when we think about all of these different pieces
[00:10:18.700]and combining them with that significant difficulty
[00:10:22.060]of processing and understanding the verbal cues
[00:10:24.950]for our body positioning, and our facial expressions,
[00:10:27.620]and what we're conveying
[00:10:29.170]through those means of communication
[00:10:31.840]it can result in an awkward situation
[00:10:34.940]for them socially at times.
[00:10:37.030]And so not understanding those social rules
[00:10:40.010]and that they change from context
[00:10:42.010]of who you're with, where you are,
[00:10:44.850]what age you're with, who you're speaking to
[00:10:47.810]can inhibit their ability to develop
[00:10:49.580]those successful peer relationships
[00:10:51.380]and have those positive interactions with people.
[00:10:55.180]So we wanna make sure that we're looking at those things
[00:10:57.670]and making sure that we're providing the supports necessary
[00:11:01.530]for our students and individuals on the spectrum
[00:11:05.410]so that we help them to develop those skills
[00:11:07.750]and hopefully prevent them from becoming targets
[00:11:10.610]for teasing and bullying.
[00:11:15.710]As well as have good friendships,
[00:11:17.100]right, we always need good friendships.
[00:11:20.020]So looking at that you heard me
[00:11:21.300]mention theory of mind earlier
[00:11:23.480]and when we think about the theory of mind
[00:11:26.160]it's talking about the impairment
[00:11:28.480]in this sense with individuals on the spectrum
[00:11:31.600]that impairment that they have
[00:11:33.670]with the ability to think about other's feelings,
[00:11:36.680]understand other's thoughts and feelings
[00:11:39.130]and so we refer to that
[00:11:40.700]as an impairment of their theory of mind.
[00:11:43.220]Because they have that difficulty of not knowing
[00:11:45.560]what other people are thinking.
[00:11:47.470]Not realizing that other people have a different perspective
[00:11:50.830]than what they have.
[00:11:53.370]So knowing this can allow us to help them
[00:11:56.720]to understand how to interact with others.
[00:11:59.180]So for instance we know and other people may,
[00:12:02.320]like you know it's okay,
[00:12:03.700]I can interact and maybe if I'm at grandma's and grandpa's
[00:12:06.370]I can talk to them about you know
[00:12:09.540]asking for ice cream before dinner
[00:12:11.140]but I would never do that at home with my parents
[00:12:13.260]that would be a no no.
[00:12:14.320]Or maybe if I'm with friends in a social situation
[00:12:17.540]I could cuss with them
[00:12:19.240]because it would be more appropriate
[00:12:21.440]but if I'm in front of my parents or a principal
[00:12:23.900]that would not be acceptable.
[00:12:25.460]And so knowing those boundaries and limits
[00:12:28.160]are also part of theory of mind.
[00:12:31.260]And it's also referred to as mind blindness,
[00:12:33.850]which is an interesting take on theory of mind
[00:12:37.850]because it truly is an area for them
[00:12:40.370]that in their mind they're blind to
[00:12:42.090]and not able to see until we help teach them strategies
[00:12:46.470]and ways to acknowledge that
[00:12:48.110]and recognize those things.
[00:12:57.252]All right, so looking at those restricted patterns
[00:12:59.860]of behavior, interests, and activities,
[00:13:02.190]this is that third area and it is really, really important,
[00:13:06.250]it's a really crucial area for us to understand
[00:13:09.910]when we're working with individuals with autism
[00:13:12.280]'cause it often can cause things
[00:13:14.400]to look or sound odd or unusual.
[00:13:18.340]But our understanding of these patterns of behavior,
[00:13:22.730]and interests, and activities
[00:13:24.430]can help us to be more understanding
[00:13:26.680]and be able to recognize where and how to teach skills
[00:13:30.140]to help address some of those areas.
[00:13:33.040]So for instance right some individuals
[00:13:35.320]and just individuals in general
[00:13:37.520]not necessarily individuals on the spectrum
[00:13:39.700]but have a strong need for sameness.
[00:13:42.360]They prefer things to be predictable,
[00:13:44.330]looking at your daily schedules,
[00:13:46.140]routines, arrangement of furniture in a room,
[00:13:49.420]and so changing those activities
[00:13:51.740]just in the day from one to another
[00:13:54.530]can be difficult for some individuals.
[00:13:56.880]Just having a big change such as a fire drill
[00:13:59.620]or a substitute, or maybe on Tuesday
[00:14:02.810]we usually go to dance class
[00:14:04.400]but this Tuesday we're not going to dance class.
[00:14:07.120]Or we usually got to school in the morning
[00:14:09.400]and now we're doing school at home.
[00:14:11.180]I mean these are very big changes
[00:14:12.690]and this is an area that's really impacted a lot
[00:14:15.810]of individuals, all of us really on some form
[00:14:20.130]but really our individuals too
[00:14:21.350]who are on the spectrum who have that need
[00:14:23.300]for sameness, routines, and rituals
[00:14:25.060]these things have all changed for them.
[00:14:28.690]So the next area too looking at narrow areas so of interest
[00:14:33.510]or also referred to as special areas of interest,
[00:14:36.770]it's also looked at a restrictive behavior
[00:14:39.520]and it tends to be one of the most dominating forms
[00:14:43.860]of repetitive behavior in individuals
[00:14:46.680]who have those high average or average to above average
[00:14:51.310]cognitive and verbal skills.
[00:14:52.970]So you will see things in this area
[00:14:55.780]of repetitive behaviors often having unusual interests.
[00:15:00.020]So I had a student one time
[00:15:01.590]who loved to talk about washing machines, loved it.
[00:15:05.250]And he knew everything
[00:15:06.440]about Whirlpools and GEs, and Samsungs,
[00:15:10.100]I mean it was fascinating really.
[00:15:12.420]But it's not really something other eight-year-olds
[00:15:14.150]are interested in or know about.
[00:15:16.080]You know that was nothing I even knew about
[00:15:18.990]and that was what he wanted to talked about
[00:15:21.480]all the time every time we talked.
[00:15:23.130]So with these interests at times not being
[00:15:27.760]of any sort of interest or at the same level
[00:15:30.220]as their same age peers
[00:15:31.820]it makes those social interactions
[00:15:33.190]for them difficult as well.
[00:15:35.670]So it's really important that we understand
[00:15:38.060]that these restricted patterns
[00:15:39.270]of behavior, interests, and activities
[00:15:42.370]are a core characteristic of autism
[00:15:44.650]and knowing that will allow us to not be frustrated
[00:15:48.750]with the individual when they exhibit
[00:15:50.740]some of these restricted interests.
[00:15:52.700]And it can really help give us an insight
[00:15:54.810]and kind of a peek into their mind
[00:15:57.650]that knowing what their special interests are
[00:16:00.110]or their preferred topics as a teacher and a parent
[00:16:03.200]can allow us to consider using those areas for instruction
[00:16:07.200]to use that as motivation
[00:16:08.930]and look at how can we frame that
[00:16:10.780]and kinda harness that interest
[00:16:13.020]and turn it into a learning opportunity for them
[00:16:16.400]or bring them to learning a new skill
[00:16:19.400]along the same lines of that special interest.
[00:16:22.770]Another important piece with this area
[00:16:25.950]and characteristic of autism
[00:16:28.230]is recognizing and knowing that this is not something
[00:16:31.300]they're doing on purpose or to annoy us.
[00:16:35.200]That it is truly something that they are engaging in
[00:16:38.190]to create some of that predictability.
[00:16:39.950]It is of an interest for them.
[00:16:42.400]So we just need to harness that
[00:16:44.210]and be able to use it in a more positive way for them
[00:16:48.350]in helping them get those, you know
[00:16:49.890]have those positive social interactions.
[00:16:56.470]All right, so sensory differences,
[00:16:59.410]right so these can also have a huge impact
[00:17:01.770]on individuals with autism
[00:17:03.490]and we could talk about sensory differences
[00:17:06.390]probably in a whole training of its own, right.
[00:17:10.470]Thinking about what you're doing right now
[00:17:12.990]as you're listening to this presentation, right,
[00:17:16.640]we know that individuals can be over
[00:17:18.640]or under responsive to various sensations
[00:17:21.150]such as that are listed on this slide.
[00:17:23.060]But thinking about too
[00:17:24.180]what are you doing right now while you're listening?
[00:17:26.490]Are you chewing gum?
[00:17:27.610]Maybe you have some candy, maybe you're jiggling your foot,
[00:17:31.150]maybe you have blanket, you're cozy in bed.
[00:17:33.820]Maybe you have your favorite sweatpants on
[00:17:35.620]that are extra soft.
[00:17:37.490]Are your blinds open?
[00:17:38.680]Are they closed?
[00:17:39.790]Do you have lights on or off?
[00:17:42.260]And thinking about those things as over
[00:17:45.040]or under responsivities to different things
[00:17:47.160]that are in your environment.
[00:17:48.240]So lights, colors, aromas, movement,
[00:17:51.710]items, or things moving through space
[00:17:54.030]and knowing that our sensory responses
[00:17:56.670]as responses that individuals on the spectrum
[00:18:00.070]also experience can vary depending on the situation
[00:18:04.540]from person to person or even within ourselves.
[00:18:08.076]We can be over or under responsive
[00:18:09.550]to different sensations ourselves
[00:18:12.070]depending on what that situation is.
[00:18:14.450]So making sure that we have an appreciation
[00:18:16.370]for those things and how they have an impact
[00:18:19.510]on the ability for some individuals to function
[00:18:22.170]is very important for us to know.
[00:18:25.430]And when we're looking at interventions
[00:18:28.890]to address some of these differences
[00:18:30.530]that you may be recognizing and seeing
[00:18:32.670]it's really important to collaborate
[00:18:34.090]with your occupational therapist too
[00:18:36.230]'cause they can help do an evaluation
[00:18:38.510]and look at which areas do we maybe need to focus on first
[00:18:42.850]and what would be some appropriate activities
[00:18:46.120]that we could put into place
[00:18:47.200]and embed into their daily program
[00:18:49.200]to provide some proactive responses
[00:18:51.560]rather than some reactive programing for them.
[00:18:54.510]And remembering these differences too
[00:18:56.160]our reactions and reactions are not the choices,
[00:19:00.030]right, they're a result of the different brain wiring
[00:19:03.550]that our individuals are experiencing.
[00:19:07.380]So in case you're looking for more information on this topic
[00:19:11.190]there is that link at the bottom of the slide
[00:19:13.810]that you could check out
[00:19:14.960]it's Temple Grandin and she's speaking about
[00:19:17.570]just how different sensory issues impact day-to-day life.
[00:19:22.070]And there's also on our webinar
[00:19:24.680]or I'm sorry on our state website
[00:19:26.070]we have a webinar by Judy Endow
[00:19:28.260]who is speaking about how she's had to learn
[00:19:31.170]to become and advocate
[00:19:32.200]and the things that she needs to do
[00:19:33.590]in her day-to-day to help her advocate
[00:19:36.700]for those sensory needs that she has
[00:19:39.070]and how she's managed to deal with them in her life.
[00:19:47.270]All right, so looking at cognitive differences,
[00:19:51.220]noticing that first item on the slide, right,
[00:19:54.080]it says, "Rote Memory."
[00:19:55.680]And that is also considered a strength
[00:19:57.950]for many individuals on the spectrum
[00:20:00.330]but it's also something that can be really confusing
[00:20:02.750]to parents and educators, right.
[00:20:04.850]When we think about why aren't they answering my questions?
[00:20:09.251]Why aren't they able, we just went through this.
[00:20:11.450]They can tell me 500 facts about washing machines
[00:20:15.010]or about the states, and the capitals
[00:20:17.640]but the can't, they're not answering my question, right.
[00:20:20.317]And so sometimes as the adult
[00:20:23.480]we may feel just frustrated
[00:20:25.770]that they're not demonstrating the skills that they have
[00:20:28.030]when actuality it's an area of skill deficit
[00:20:31.880]that we may need to be addressing differently, right.
[00:20:35.210]That comprehension piece can be very difficult.
[00:20:39.210]So when thinking about those things
[00:20:42.340]and then knowing that we have
[00:20:44.580]those academic abilities that vary, right.
[00:20:47.410]They often showed some unevenness shown
[00:20:50.650]in individuals with autism within their cognitive abilities,
[00:20:54.750]sometimes they have some splinter skills
[00:20:56.580]where in one area they're doing really, really well
[00:20:59.570]and then in another area
[00:21:00.970]having a lot more difficulty.
[00:21:03.460]So thinking about reading,
[00:21:05.870]I have had a lot of students who read extremely fast
[00:21:09.760]so when I measure in fluency
[00:21:11.800]they're blowing past people in their grade level.
[00:21:14.700]But when we get to the comprehension
[00:21:17.350]were very far below grade level.
[00:21:19.380]Because yes I can read the words
[00:21:20.850]but I'm not processing their meaning
[00:21:22.960]so my comprehension isn't very strong.
[00:21:25.680]So thinking about those pieces.
[00:21:28.140]Another example would be where students
[00:21:30.950]do very well with information
[00:21:32.680]that is not open to interpretation
[00:21:35.000]but if we're reading a novel or literature
[00:21:38.030]where we're having to interpret meanings
[00:21:40.860]that's gonna be an area that may be of some difficulty.
[00:21:45.470]Looking at generalization as well,
[00:21:47.220]generalization is a big area
[00:21:49.190]that often gets looked over
[00:21:51.290]because so often students and individuals
[00:21:53.990]we work with are able to learn a skill in one setting
[00:21:56.780]and then apply it to others without additional support
[00:21:59.134]and training and that.
[00:22:01.060]But our individuals on the spectrum
[00:22:02.370]have difficulty in that area.
[00:22:04.440]So difficulty being able to carry over a skill
[00:22:07.970]that's from one setting into another.
[00:22:10.900]So if I'm learning in the classroom
[00:22:13.130]how I'm suppose to lineup to go to lunch
[00:22:15.240]and I go to the lunchroom
[00:22:16.600]I may be having difficulty in the lunchroom
[00:22:19.060]when you tell me to lineup.
[00:22:20.110]I haven't practiced it there.
[00:22:21.690]I haven't been taught that skill there specifically
[00:22:24.640]but I have in the classroom.
[00:22:26.410]So that's just one of the lower level basic ones
[00:22:28.960]but even thinking all the way down to that level
[00:22:31.020]when we're thinking of helping our kids know
[00:22:34.360]that they need to be using a specific skill
[00:22:36.110]we taught in multiple areas.
[00:22:39.720]So we will need to looking at
[00:22:41.410]how do I teach that in another area?
[00:22:43.330]How do I have the monitor in the lunchroom
[00:22:46.650]or on the playground help teach that
[00:22:48.470]so that they're able to transition
[00:22:50.680]and transfer that skill from just being learned with me
[00:22:53.820]to being able to respond and learn it with someone else.
[00:22:56.980]'Cause it's not only settings
[00:22:58.170]but it's also with people too.
[00:23:01.940]So the final one on this side is our special interests,
[00:23:04.310]which we kind touched on a little bit
[00:23:06.310]but knowing that may interfere with
[00:23:08.767]but can also boost performance
[00:23:10.520]in academic and other skill ares.
[00:23:12.650]So thinking about what's the intensity
[00:23:15.060]of that special interest
[00:23:16.500]and sometimes it can be very intense
[00:23:19.150]to the point that it's interfering
[00:23:21.490]with the individual's ability to engage
[00:23:23.460]in their everyday activities.
[00:23:24.990]And so the individual may have difficulty transitioning
[00:23:27.810]from subject to subject, completing chores.
[00:23:30.800]So thinking about what supports
[00:23:32.440]can we put in place to help transition them away
[00:23:36.020]from some of those perseverative focus
[00:23:39.010]on those special interests
[00:23:40.670]and help them be able to engage
[00:23:42.650]in their everyday activities, right.
[00:23:44.480]So thinking of visuals, using visual supports
[00:23:47.320]and visual timers to help with some of them.
[00:23:49.790]And we'll talk a lot more about visuals
[00:23:51.940]as we get through the presentation today.
[00:23:55.840]One area too for additional information
[00:23:58.730]and a book that outlines details very nicely
[00:24:02.020]around how to motivate individuals on the spectrum
[00:24:05.060]in regards, using their special interests
[00:24:07.550]is a book called "Just Give Him the Whale" by Paula Kluth.
[00:24:11.060]So if you're looking for some additional strategies
[00:24:13.690]on how can I harness these special interests
[00:24:17.150]and use them to teach additional skills
[00:24:19.500]definitely check out that book.
[00:24:25.780]So some additional cognitive differences
[00:24:27.670]that we definitely, I didn't wanna put 'em all on one slide
[00:24:33.040]and lose sight of some of 'em
[00:24:34.300]because executive functioning and auditory processing,
[00:24:37.220]abstract concepts, and cause and effect
[00:24:38.940]are also huge areas that need to be considered
[00:24:42.160]when we're thinking about the differences
[00:24:44.600]that our individuals with autism have.
[00:24:46.527]And so we absolutely have to look
[00:24:48.380]at our executive functioning skills
[00:24:51.850]as it's a predominant characteristic
[00:24:54.130]with individuals with autism.
[00:24:55.920]So for executive functioning skills, right,
[00:24:58.180]this is an area that's focusing on how the brain plans,
[00:25:01.480]how it's organizing, how it's prioritizing,
[00:25:04.030]what needs to be done, and what should come first
[00:25:06.390]in the sequence of items that they need to accomplish.
[00:25:09.450]And making sure that have such a structure
[00:25:13.300]to follow through with those plans
[00:25:14.930]that are being developed.
[00:25:16.230]So when I think about executive functioning
[00:25:18.500]I saw this, and another presenter had used it
[00:25:22.640]is looking at Pig-Pen.
[00:25:24.200]Sometimes I feel like Pig-Pen
[00:25:26.650]when I looking around for stuff
[00:25:27.960]if I haven't written my list
[00:25:29.680]that I normally do or I didn't put it on my calendar,
[00:25:32.410]which are all things that a lot of us use
[00:25:35.020]in our day-to-day life to kinda keep things organized
[00:25:37.200]and keep things running.
[00:25:40.090]So often you may see that these may be kids
[00:25:42.470]who have the messiest desk
[00:25:44.160]that looks like their stuff
[00:25:45.200]is just all around them, all over the floor.
[00:25:48.270]They may have trouble remembering
[00:25:49.950]to take what they need home for homework.
[00:25:52.230]They may do the homework, that's not necessarily the issue
[00:25:55.340]but they're not turning in the assignments the next day
[00:25:58.080]or when they're due.
[00:25:59.920]So we truly, truly have to look at executive functioning
[00:26:03.900]and consider that as an area of weakness
[00:26:05.700]to make sure that we're putting supports in place
[00:26:07.730]to address those areas, right.
[00:26:10.187]And this could fall into the same range
[00:26:12.430]for a lot of students that we work with.
[00:26:15.770]Another area when we're thinking
[00:26:17.950]about cognitive differences are spoken instructions
[00:26:21.820]are difficult and can be a challenge
[00:26:23.830]for individuals on the spectrum.
[00:26:26.600]And a lot of times when we think about our classrooms
[00:26:28.940]or just in our day-to-day life
[00:26:30.910]a lot of what we convey and a lot of the instructions
[00:26:34.340]that are given are verbally
[00:26:36.640]without a lot of visuals provided
[00:26:38.980]and so thinking about that and knowing
[00:26:41.500]that auditory processing is an area of difficulty.
[00:26:46.190]Because they tend to be very visual thinkers
[00:26:48.490]and so making sure that we have a lot of visuals
[00:26:51.180]that are specific to directions that we're giving
[00:26:53.770]or if we're giving multi step directions
[00:26:56.310]for an activity, an assignment, a routine,
[00:26:59.870]you know getting ready for the day,
[00:27:02.200]getting ready to go home,
[00:27:03.410]all of these different things
[00:27:05.570]visuals to help accompany those verbal directions
[00:27:09.560]can be a lot of help.
[00:27:11.060]And we'll talk a little bit more later
[00:27:12.600]about visual supports as I mentioned before.
[00:27:15.590]So looking too when thinking about this
[00:27:17.880]research indicates that language processing
[00:27:19.840]for those with an autism spectrum disorder
[00:27:23.110]occurs in a different area of the brain
[00:27:25.270]than it does with neuro typically developing individuals.
[00:27:28.640]So with that there's a difference in their basic
[00:27:32.210]understanding of language, use of figurative language,
[00:27:35.050]the idioms that we spoke about earlier,
[00:27:37.230]and that abstract language can be very difficult
[00:27:40.610]for them to grasp and so they spend a lot of time
[00:27:43.060]trying to process it
[00:27:44.177]and are thinking through it very literally.
[00:27:46.250]And this is an area that often gets overlooked
[00:27:48.800]with our individuals with average
[00:27:51.280]to high average cognitive and verbal skills
[00:27:54.440]because they are so verbal the idea
[00:27:56.940]that they're processing it, the auditory is just as high
[00:28:01.630]as their verbal ability
[00:28:03.000]and that's not always the case.
[00:28:05.470]So if you find they're not following instructions
[00:28:07.700]that you've given or they're only doing one but not the rest
[00:28:11.880]or they're maybe doing the third one but not the first two
[00:28:14.950]thinking through how many directions were given,
[00:28:18.000]where there visuals, are there additional supports
[00:28:21.120]that can be put into place to help
[00:28:23.740]that individual to run through
[00:28:25.570]and make sure that they're processing each one
[00:28:28.080]and able to accomplish it.
[00:28:29.120]So auditory processing, executive functioning
[00:28:31.820]you can see that all of these things
[00:28:33.970]really kinda build on each other and go together.
[00:28:38.430]Another area that you may see kinda connecting this
[00:28:41.590]back to the repetitive interest piece
[00:28:43.630]is you may see individuals
[00:28:46.870]who are at this higher level average to above average
[00:28:51.480]and cognitive skills asking a lot of repetitive questions.
[00:28:55.860]What time is it?
[00:28:56.960]When's lunch?
[00:28:58.160]When do we get to go home?
[00:28:59.780]When's the end of the day?
[00:29:00.613]When's music?
[00:29:01.800]And just asking them over, and over, and over again.
[00:29:04.920]And at times that is, so they're trying to process
[00:29:08.410]that information or they're trying to work through that
[00:29:11.840]and knowing that that ties back to
[00:29:13.390]those executive functioning skills as well
[00:29:15.970]of being able to create timelines
[00:29:17.820]and know when that's happening.
[00:29:19.500]So those visuals can be very helpful.
[00:29:24.650]Looking at in addition to those things
[00:29:27.250]these challenges with organization and abstract thinking
[00:29:31.610]we see that at times kids who are in this realm
[00:29:35.620]of the average to above average cognitive and verbal skills
[00:29:39.350]are often times found eligible
[00:29:41.000]for special education services later
[00:29:43.330]in their educational career.
[00:29:44.930]So looking around that third or fourth grade timeframe
[00:29:48.680]when that curriculum starts to shift and change
[00:29:51.300]and students are needing to show more independence
[00:29:54.110]with organizational components,
[00:29:56.600]problem solving, abstract thinking.
[00:29:59.030]So keeping that in mind
[00:30:00.450]if we're at that third and fourth grade age
[00:30:02.900]when those expectations and the curriculum
[00:30:05.670]starts to change and we're starting to see
[00:30:07.860]are they having some difficulty
[00:30:10.560]that we maybe need to put some support in place for.
[00:30:14.010]So similarly as we cover those pieces
[00:30:16.340]we gotta think about that cause and effect component too.
[00:30:19.410]So often our students on the spectrum
[00:30:22.100]may be able to tell you a rule,
[00:30:24.070]how they broke the rule,
[00:30:25.730]what the consequences that is written
[00:30:27.740]in the student handbook
[00:30:29.110]or that you have identified within your classroom setting
[00:30:31.960]or your home setting
[00:30:34.280]but they don't necessarily have that connection
[00:30:37.790]of how all of those pieces connect to them
[00:30:41.400]and how they did what that action or that behavior
[00:30:44.730]was connected to them
[00:30:46.570]and the consequence that's being issued.
[00:30:49.320]So helping them to link behavior and consequences
[00:30:53.610]must be taught directly.
[00:30:55.450]And it's important to remember
[00:30:56.960]that positive reinforcement is the most effective way
[00:30:59.810]to go about teaching new skills
[00:31:02.100]and helping create that linkage
[00:31:03.740]between behavior and the impacts for that outcome.
[00:31:06.960]And we'll talk more about positive reinforcement as well
[00:31:10.840]and how we're gonna use that
[00:31:12.500]as we get through these, with some teaching strategies
[00:31:15.670]and different ways that we can address different areas.
[00:31:19.470]All right, so moving into motor difficulties,
[00:31:22.480]this is sometimes and often an area
[00:31:24.900]that can be overlooked or minimized
[00:31:27.430]but these issues can often affect the physically process
[00:31:30.880]of writing, which we see,
[00:31:33.310]when I go out and work with students I see a lot
[00:31:36.030]of refusal for writing.
[00:31:37.750]Not wanting to pick up the pencil.
[00:31:39.560]We see a lot of behavior around handwriting
[00:31:41.740]and that is often due to they have weak grasps at times.
[00:31:46.240]That's a common situation with individuals on the spectrum.
[00:31:49.940]And so when we combine those deficits
[00:31:51.850]with executive functioning deficits
[00:31:53.880]can really have a profound effect
[00:31:56.520]on their wiliness and interest in writing.
[00:31:59.870]So we wanna make sure that we're considering alternate ways
[00:32:02.550]that we can provide them with the ability
[00:32:05.200]to still gain the skills that they need
[00:32:06.790]and still follow the educational plan.
[00:32:09.340]But are there alternate options, right?
[00:32:11.230]I mean could they use a Chromebooks
[00:32:13.600]or an iPad with a keyboard, could they be typing?
[00:32:17.140]Could they use text, I'm sorry Speech-to-Text
[00:32:21.230]on a computer device?
[00:32:23.530]Thinking about using guided notes
[00:32:25.820]or different things of that sort.
[00:32:28.600]So just keeping that in mind when we're taking
[00:32:30.860]about motor differences
[00:32:32.520]and especially around the area of handwriting.
[00:32:34.950]So motor difficulties can also affect gait
[00:32:37.770]the walk, the way an individual walks, their body posture,
[00:32:42.340]how their movement in space and the environment is,
[00:32:45.600]which I often see students also having difficulty in PE
[00:32:51.860]and not wanting to engage in some activities in PE
[00:32:55.100]or on the playground with sports.
[00:32:57.700]And this can be due to some of their motor differences.
[00:33:01.690]And it can often result in them maybe looking different
[00:33:06.110]from their peers, which can also lead to targeting them
[00:33:10.160]for bullying and different things of that nature
[00:33:12.030]in their peer circles.
[00:33:13.490]So making sure that we're giving them,
[00:33:14.990]are there alternative options we could provide for them?
[00:33:17.500]Could they be the equipment manager?
[00:33:20.540]Maybe that's a better area of skill.
[00:33:23.120]Could we give them, you know a different activity
[00:33:26.020]that they're doing with their peers
[00:33:28.310]but they're an essential component of the game aspect
[00:33:30.520]that may not require as much physical movement
[00:33:33.153]and coordination that may not have?
[00:33:43.690]So emotional vulnerability, this is a big one
[00:33:46.280]and a mouthful to say.
[00:33:48.810]But this goes back to our impaired theory of mind
[00:33:52.800]or that mind blindness as well,
[00:33:54.950]looking at how the difficulty of being able
[00:33:57.990]to identify and understand other people's feelings
[00:34:01.770]and that at times when social situations
[00:34:04.760]when they're not able to pick up on some of these cues
[00:34:08.590]in that environment can lead to meltdowns, right.
[00:34:12.720]They're trying to communicate something
[00:34:14.290]and it's not going well.
[00:34:15.410]The person receiving the information isn't understanding it
[00:34:19.050]or they're conveying an emotion or feeling
[00:34:21.780]that the individual on the receiving end
[00:34:24.230]is not understanding or responding to
[00:34:26.850]in the way that they perceive that person should be
[00:34:30.910]can lead to some increased and escalated behavior.
[00:34:37.200]So looking at making sure that we are aware of these things
[00:34:41.190]and that we're able to take a look at
[00:34:44.470]how can we provide support for our individuals
[00:34:48.870]with autism for these areas, right?
[00:34:52.170]Some of these areas affect them
[00:34:54.700]in being able to tolerate mistakes.
[00:34:57.680]I have worked with a student who
[00:34:59.490]if they did not write the number
[00:35:01.990]exactly the way they felt it needed to be written
[00:35:04.940]we would erase and write again, and erase and write again
[00:35:07.730]and couldn't move past that.
[00:35:09.480]And so helping them, what are some strategies?
[00:35:12.140]You know thinking through some of those,
[00:35:12.973]what could we do to look at?
[00:35:14.640]How do we help them move past that
[00:35:15.937]and be able to accept their own mistakes,
[00:35:18.560]accepting mistakes of others, right?
[00:35:21.140]We can often see individuals
[00:35:23.410]be deemed the tattletale, right.
[00:35:26.260]The snitch, they're telling on their peers.
[00:35:28.570]So-and-so did this in the bathroom.
[00:35:30.860]They shoved the paper towels in the sink
[00:35:32.620]and left the water on.
[00:35:34.759]'Cause they're just, they're sharing that
[00:35:36.400]and that was a mistake and they know
[00:35:37.720]that that's not acceptable,
[00:35:39.310]which can also create a situation
[00:35:42.820]and have them be targeted for bullying.
[00:35:44.970]So we wanna make sure that we're helping them
[00:35:47.400]to know what should we share, what's expected,
[00:35:49.460]and what shouldn't we.
[00:35:50.490]How do we tolerate the mistakes that we're making,
[00:35:52.810]mistakes of others.
[00:35:55.690]How do we help them look at opportunities
[00:35:58.190]in situations for them to recognize their emotions,
[00:36:01.220]we're they're at on scale.
[00:36:03.520]And then what can they do to address
[00:36:06.377]those feelings on their own.
[00:36:08.240]And we'll talk a little bit more about that later as well.
[00:36:13.720]Keeping in mind a lot of our students
[00:36:15.550]when we talk about co-morbid mental health issues
[00:36:18.640]this is referring to the whole gamut, right.
[00:36:22.720]We can see anxiety develop
[00:36:24.770]in our individuals on the spectrum.
[00:36:26.870]Depression especially with our individuals
[00:36:29.070]who are at that average
[00:36:30.240]to high average cognitive and verbal ability
[00:36:32.880]'cause they're often very aware that they're different.
[00:36:36.110]That they're not interacting the same with peers
[00:36:39.730]as their peers are interacting with each other.
[00:36:42.340]And so that awareness of being is different as they are
[00:36:46.780]and that desire to have friends
[00:36:48.580]but not having success when working towards
[00:36:51.950]that friendship making definitely is a situation
[00:36:55.850]that weighs on our students.
[00:36:58.570]And we need to be very aware of depression, and anxiety,
[00:37:02.500]and these thoughts that they are having
[00:37:04.270]because often times they are very aware
[00:37:07.590]of those differences.
[00:37:16.011]All right, so looking at features
[00:37:17.840]that are directly impacting learning.
[00:37:19.960]So this list just identifies some characteristics of autism,
[00:37:25.780]right, that we often see in classrooms,
[00:37:28.720]parents may see at home,
[00:37:31.720]employers may see with individuals as well.
[00:37:34.970]So looking at attention difficulties
[00:37:38.130]may not always be related
[00:37:39.410]to an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
[00:37:42.760]but may be also connected to some of those restricted
[00:37:46.320]and repetitive patterns of those special interests.
[00:37:49.530]Right I just, I can't get passed it, I wanna talk about it.
[00:37:52.040]I wanna share it.
[00:37:52.873]And I just wanna stay focused on that,
[00:37:55.050]which can defer my attention from my academics,
[00:37:58.790]or the speaker, or the task on to that special interest.
[00:38:03.740]Loud noises going on,
[00:38:06.380]if there's certain noises in an environment
[00:38:08.650]that can catch the attention of someone.
[00:38:12.060]I know we moved into a new office area
[00:38:14.260]and there's some plants in the window
[00:38:16.040]and someone has one of those solar powered flowers
[00:38:19.850]where the leaves go up and down and make a noise,
[00:38:23.450]well it took me three days to figure out what that noise was
[00:38:26.020]and I can tell you I definitely was not as productive
[00:38:29.580]during that timeframe of trying to figure out
[00:38:31.350]what that noise was.
[00:38:32.470]Because my attention was diverted to figuring that out
[00:38:35.280]and not to what I needed to be working on.
[00:38:37.840]So these same things happen with our students.
[00:38:41.690]The buzzing of fluorescent lights, right,
[00:38:44.190]you go into classrooms and sometimes you see
[00:38:46.970]some blue sheets kind of hung over those lights
[00:38:50.340]to dim it and give a different hue
[00:38:52.730]so going back to those sensory differences
[00:38:55.480]and taking those things into consideration
[00:38:57.820]when we're seeing a lack of attention and focus
[00:39:00.700]to topics, speakers, and tasks at hand.
[00:39:05.440]So keeping those things in mind.
[00:39:08.640]Thinking through the communication impairments
[00:39:11.180]and how are we going to help address those
[00:39:14.110]with the non-verbal components
[00:39:16.140]that are often given in a classroom.
[00:39:17.950]Looking at those visuals
[00:39:19.090]and how we're going to have those visuals available.
[00:39:21.740]Talked a little bit already
[00:39:23.030]about the auditory processing impairments
[00:39:25.210]and the generalization of skills.
[00:39:27.420]But we also see difficulties with imitating behavior
[00:39:31.160]and so there's, we'll talk a little bit more about that
[00:39:33.950]when we get into social skills and building friendships.
[00:39:36.840]Because that's a great tool to use
[00:39:39.250]when trying to teach how to build those friendships,
[00:39:41.640]how to build those relationships with others, right.
[00:39:45.010]How to be able to help myself
[00:39:46.920]get back on task if I'm on or if I'm off task, right.
[00:39:50.400]Looking around the room and being able to see,
[00:39:53.100]oh they're in their science book on page five
[00:39:56.390]and I am just still sitting at my desk with nothing out.
[00:39:59.480]Right, so being able to pick up on those environmental cues
[00:40:02.860]to help guide them into following the instructions
[00:40:06.470]or completing the task at hand.
[00:40:10.140]Looking at how behavioral issues can arise, right.
[00:40:14.400]And so if we're having difficulty,
[00:40:16.890]if the individual's having difficulty
[00:40:18.690]communicating their wants and their needs
[00:40:21.070]or expressing information they wanna share
[00:40:24.410]or what they need to access
[00:40:26.250]that can often result in escalation
[00:40:28.440]of behavior issues as well.
[00:40:30.760]Feeling some frustration with not understanding
[00:40:35.070]and picking up on those non-verbal social cues.
[00:40:38.220]All of those things add into those components,
[00:40:41.300]transitions, working with a different person,
[00:40:43.830]changes in routine.
[00:40:45.380]And all of that stuff taking that into consideration
[00:40:47.950]when we're looking at behavior.
[00:40:51.390]Time concepts are an area as well,
[00:40:53.800]strongly urge you to use, try timers with individuals.
[00:40:58.060]Now I will warn that some individuals
[00:41:01.610]can become very hyper focused on a timer that counts down.
[00:41:05.730]Other individuals don't care.
[00:41:07.810]And so there's different ways
[00:41:09.110]we can use different types of timers,
[00:41:11.350]it can be a countdown with pictures,
[00:41:13.370]with the one, two, three and then it's all done.
[00:41:15.720]We could use a visual timer where it's just,
[00:41:18.560]you know the space is being eaten up by a different color.
[00:41:23.220]Lots of different options.
[00:41:24.460]But that can really help with transitions
[00:41:26.980]and helping teach those time concepts
[00:41:28.900]of oh we're doing that at two o'clock.
[00:41:30.880]Well if we don't know how to tell time
[00:41:32.830]two o'clock doesn't really mean much to us
[00:41:34.880]or if we don't know how long the passage of an hour is
[00:41:37.860]telling us it's gonna be in hour isn't gonna help us much.
[00:41:41.550]So keeping in mind what are some things
[00:41:44.230]that we could do help support those areas?
[00:41:48.780]Strengths, there are a lot more strengths
[00:41:52.380]that our individuals with autism have
[00:41:54.240]than just these five listed on this page.
[00:41:57.160]However, strong visual performance skills
[00:42:00.260]is a huge area and that we as educators and parents
[00:42:04.680]can take advantage of and really capitalize on,
[00:42:07.520]to utilize that strength to be able to teach new skills
[00:42:12.300]and build off of that.
[00:42:13.720]The ability to learn and follow rules,
[00:42:15.450]some individuals are very rule bound.
[00:42:17.670]You can tell them that this is how it is
[00:42:19.990]and they'll follow that rule to a T
[00:42:22.310]however, we also need to be able to work
[00:42:24.440]in their flexibility, right.
[00:42:26.100]And so that they okay with changing it up a little bit.
[00:42:29.750]That focused attention related to those special interests
[00:42:33.130]making sure that we are looking at how do we use that,
[00:42:35.640]how we do celebrate those strength,
[00:42:37.440]and how do we capitalize on that
[00:42:39.270]with that rote memory and their honesty too?
[00:42:42.290]We definitely don't discourage these things
[00:42:44.710]but looking at how can we encourage them
[00:42:47.250]and then utilize them
[00:42:48.730]to help support the student and individual?
[00:42:53.090]This I thought was kind of cute, right.
[00:42:55.070]My teacher says, "I'm rude."
[00:42:56.410]I think I'm honest.
[00:42:57.510]I don't understand why I can't tell someone
[00:42:59.260]that they have bad breath, ugly hair,
[00:43:00.910]or to go away because I'm busy.
[00:43:03.540]Right, these are those things
[00:43:04.660]that we have to specifically teach
[00:43:07.000]to our individuals with autism.
[00:43:10.270]They're just being honest
[00:43:11.460]and you know they're not wrong
[00:43:13.070]but it's not necessarily socially acceptable.
[00:43:15.340]It's not gonna make you very many friends, right.
[00:43:18.300]So thinking about some of these things
[00:43:20.380]that we expect kids to know,
[00:43:22.660]they just should learn,
[00:43:23.930]they should know the difference,
[00:43:25.870]we have to keep in mind that those are certain aspects
[00:43:28.900]that we have to directly and specifically teach
[00:43:32.320]to our individuals with autism.
[00:43:36.210]So looking at social supports,
[00:43:38.150]how do we do this and what do we need to focus on
[00:43:41.430]because there's so much and so many different things.
[00:43:45.030]But this is one of the most critical areas as well
[00:43:47.860]because it encompasses all of these different areas
[00:43:50.587]and all of these different components
[00:43:53.100]when we talk about communication
[00:43:55.440]and their social interactions.
[00:43:57.470]So what do we target?
[00:43:58.800]Why is it so important?
[00:44:00.560]You know we think about inclusion is very big right now,
[00:44:03.590]it's a thing a lot of our districts are doing
[00:44:05.510]and it's amazing and provides kids
[00:44:07.530]with wonderful opportunities
[00:44:09.320]and it's great to see happening in our schools.
[00:44:12.110]But we have to know that just physically
[00:44:13.980]integrating them alone may not be enough.
[00:44:16.900]We know that there are specifics skills
[00:44:19.220]that need to be directly and intently taught
[00:44:21.840]to individuals with autism.
[00:44:24.350]We wanna make sure that they're not becoming victims
[00:44:29.290]or are, you know targets for peer victimization, right.
[00:44:32.400]And if we are just kinda throwing 'em
[00:44:34.220]into a situation without giving them skills or supports
[00:44:38.680]that is a potential concern for individuals with autism.
[00:44:42.880]We know and research has shown us
[00:44:44.540]that there are high-levels of bullying that occur
[00:44:48.190]to individuals with autism.
[00:44:49.920]So knowing that they're not always invited
[00:44:51.880]to birthday parties very often.
[00:44:53.440]Often eating alone at lunch, picked last for teams.
[00:44:57.980]Often times they can be targeted by other students
[00:45:01.820]who will try to trigger them into having a meltdown,
[00:45:05.910]you know escalating their behavior and engaging in that.
[00:45:09.040]So making sure that we as the adults
[00:45:11.360]working with individuals with autism
[00:45:14.010]are highly focused around the potential for these situations
[00:45:18.400]and providing supports and structures
[00:45:20.540]to our individuals with autism to help them feel supported
[00:45:25.060]and not fall into this trap as much as we possibly can.
[00:45:28.560]So that may be not only working with peers
[00:45:31.250]to help inform and educate peers
[00:45:35.550]but also looking at helping to teach
[00:45:37.740]our individuals with autism what it looks like.
[00:45:40.900]That this isn't what a friend is
[00:45:42.730]but this is what a friend is.
[00:45:43.840]So teaching them the difference.
[00:45:46.070]Making sure that they have a place to go,
[00:45:47.840]someone to talk to, somebody to tell about a situation
[00:45:51.870]once they've been able to recognize
[00:45:53.480]that this person is not being a friend
[00:45:55.270]and they are bullying me.
[00:45:57.780]So helping make sure that our individuals
[00:45:59.970]with autism have supports
[00:46:01.720]as well as a flip side of educating
[00:46:05.440]our other individuals that are peers about autism.
[00:46:15.840]So looking at now when we're talking
[00:46:17.800]about social skills, right,
[00:46:19.010]and teaching skills, all of these skills
[00:46:20.580]that I just have talked about
[00:46:22.920]research tells us that individuals with soft skills
[00:46:25.530]such as good social skills, sociability,
[00:46:27.980]good work habits, and conscientiousness,
[00:46:30.730]and those who are participate in extra curricular activities
[00:46:33.730]are more likely to make more money, be employed,
[00:46:36.710]and attain high-levels of education
[00:46:38.650]than those with good grades
[00:46:39.730]and high standardized test scores.
[00:46:41.580]And while we know that employment
[00:46:44.880]for individuals with autism beyond their academic career
[00:46:49.670]the percentage is very low
[00:46:51.210]and so it would be amazing to see that work (mumbles),
[00:46:55.490]increase that number of individuals
[00:46:57.620]who are able to find work.
[00:46:59.060]And so one way to help with some of that
[00:47:01.480]would be to focus on some of these soft skills
[00:47:03.877]and helping them develop
[00:47:05.240]these skills for social interactions.
[00:47:09.280]So looking at what are employers looking for,
[00:47:12.240]what are soft skills that they need?
[00:47:14.840]So a lot of employers
[00:47:15.673]are looking at social skills, interests.
[00:47:17.300]Do they have involvement
[00:47:18.630]in those extracurricular activities?
[00:47:20.950]Maybe it's video games, maybe I play video games
[00:47:23.640]with a group of people online, right.
[00:47:26.390]That's an interest and that these days
[00:47:28.380]is looked at as an extracurricular activity for some.
[00:47:31.750]And that could be an area
[00:47:33.020]that some of our individuals on the spectrum
[00:47:35.250]really are interested in.
[00:47:36.570]So looking at the gamut, extracurricular activities
[00:47:39.040]are not only sports or playing an instrument
[00:47:42.080]but really finding if we can help them connect
[00:47:44.870]to something beyond the academics
[00:47:46.660]and outside of the home and school setting, right.
[00:47:49.960]They wanna have good communication skills, right.
[00:47:53.130]They wanna make sure that an individual's
[00:47:54.750]able to express their wants and needs
[00:47:56.730]but then also interact with others in an appropriate manner,
[00:48:02.140]interpersonal abilities, problem solving,
[00:48:04.590]the ability to work in a team
[00:48:06.400]and being able to adapt and be flexible when things change.
[00:48:10.470]So and we know that these are areas
[00:48:12.820]that individuals with autism have difficulty with.
[00:48:16.500]So now looking at now what do we do?
[00:48:18.970]How do we teach these?
[00:48:20.013]What do we go about doing to address these, right?
[00:48:24.590]Another little quote here
[00:48:26.180]just referring to social competence
[00:48:28.210]and knowing that social competence
[00:48:29.520]probably plays a more significant role
[00:48:31.320]in quality of life and a good long term outcomes
[00:48:34.450]than linguistic competence or IQ.
[00:48:36.910]So just knowing how important and just trying to stress
[00:48:39.810]that this area of building social skills
[00:48:42.140]with social competence is so vital
[00:48:44.720]to our individuals with autism.
[00:48:48.530]So I mentioned both, right,
[00:48:49.780]social competence and social skills,
[00:48:51.420]so what's the difference?
[00:48:52.790]Because they are two different terms.
[00:48:54.200]So when we talk about social competence
[00:48:56.110]it's that big picture of encompassing
[00:48:59.740]all of an individual's abilities to interact
[00:49:02.520]while the social skills are separate pieces that support it.
[00:49:06.050]So social competence is involving teaching
[00:49:08.460]those foundational strategies
[00:49:09.950]that it'll cover many situations.
[00:49:12.160]So we wanna teach an individual the range of situations
[00:49:15.940]when it's appropriate to say I'm sorry.
[00:49:18.430]You know when something has happened
[00:49:20.860]'cause I'm sorry is not always an appropriate term
[00:49:24.510]phrase to say.
[00:49:25.580]So teaching them specifically to a gamut
[00:49:28.690]and then making sure that we have taught
[00:49:30.870]those individual skills, those social skills
[00:49:34.590]that can help support those different areas.
[00:49:43.190]So looking at social skills, right.
[00:49:45.200]When we, if we increase those social skills
[00:49:47.480]we'll see a commence or increase in academic learning.
[00:49:50.380]So not that you're smarter for having those social skills
[00:49:53.520]but that you're more amenable to learning.
[00:49:55.830]So you're more available for that, those opportunities.
[00:50:01.010]So this is just a list of various social skills
[00:50:04.740]that we often look at
[00:50:07.070]and focus on teaching individuals with autism
[00:50:09.940]and truly, right, we work on teaching these skills
[00:50:12.310]with all individuals when they enter the education system
[00:50:16.210]and even at home before the get into our schools.
[00:50:19.170]And so just making sure that sometimes
[00:50:21.600]when these skills are taught at a very young age
[00:50:23.830]for some of our individuals with autism
[00:50:25.910]these skills may need to be taught more in depth
[00:50:28.490]and more consistently and throughout the age span, right.
[00:50:32.880]Making sure that we're helping maintain
[00:50:35.050]those skills that we have tapped.
[00:50:38.330]So making sure that we have all of these included.
[00:50:44.670]So when we're looking at social skills
[00:50:46.310]and social competence instruction, right
[00:50:48.750]there's no one method of teaching them
[00:50:51.340]that works for everyone all the time.
[00:50:53.060]And really this kinda goes into play
[00:50:55.120]for everything that we teach, right.
[00:50:56.870]That's why as educators we have all of these different ways
[00:51:01.710]to differentiate our instruction for all students.
[00:51:04.820]And so thinking about in that same line of thinking
[00:51:07.920]when we're thinking about teaching social skills
[00:51:09.740]and social competence, right.
[00:51:12.040]There's a lot of research that continues to be done
[00:51:14.090]on various curriculums for teaching social skills
[00:51:17.690]and so these are just a couple
[00:51:20.450]that I wanted to mention here
[00:51:22.050]that have a variety of resources.
[00:51:24.620]So one that there's some trainings throughout Nebraska
[00:51:27.690]and it is amazing, the PEERS training.
[00:51:30.740]If you haven't heard about it definitely check it out.
[00:51:34.020]But it is a very structured curriculum
[00:51:37.060]that truly anyone could even just pick up
[00:51:40.000]and run through because it's scripted.
[00:51:41.970]But it provides those social competence skills
[00:51:45.490]after teaching some of those foundational social skills.
[00:51:48.300]So it's really geared towards individuals
[00:51:53.040]who have that higher verbal ability
[00:51:57.288]and that higher cognitive ability.
[00:51:59.140]And it's actually working, they're in a group
[00:52:01.410]with other individuals who are similar to them.
[00:52:04.160]And so it builds on those skills
[00:52:05.990]and it's very structured and is a very beautiful curriculum
[00:52:10.270]for motivated adolescents, and middle school,
[00:52:12.470]or high school, or even beyond
[00:52:15.400]and are in that transition age and young adult.
[00:52:19.560]They're doing more research on the older realm
[00:52:23.000]of individuals but it is a really strong curriculum.
[00:52:26.440]The other area is social thinking
[00:52:28.730]who Michelle Garcia Winner
[00:52:30.770]has a lot of resources out there for social thinking.
[00:52:36.440]And it is a great resource
[00:52:38.260]because it not only is teaching those social skills
[00:52:41.470]in that discrete manner
[00:52:43.360]but it starts to take things to that next level
[00:52:45.630]with that problem solving, right.
[00:52:47.810]The application of these skills,
[00:52:49.460]what situations would I use it in,
[00:52:51.350]what to be aware of?
[00:52:52.700]Looking at conflict resolution
[00:52:54.640]so there's a variety of resources
[00:52:57.180]with the social thinking curriculums out there
[00:53:01.620]and so it would definitely be worth looking at
[00:53:04.490]to see if there's some pieces involved in that
[00:53:06.370]that you may be able to pull
[00:53:07.920]and use with some of your students.
[00:53:10.720]The hidden curriculum is one that I threw on here
[00:53:13.080]because it is so common
[00:53:16.440]and these are some of the things it goes back to.
[00:53:18.350]Why can't I tell somebody that they have bad breath
[00:53:21.300]or to get away from me if I'm busy, right?
[00:53:23.444]Or I was distracted by your big fat pink tongue
[00:53:26.120]when you were talking.
[00:53:27.880]So that hidden curriculum focuses
[00:53:30.430]on addressing those things
[00:53:31.920]and specifically teaching those components to individuals.
[00:53:38.910]Some of the things that it focuses on thinking through
[00:53:44.550]you know adults don't like when kids point out things
[00:53:47.440]that they're doing wrong even if they are
[00:53:50.050]but it's not your responsibility
[00:53:51.320]to teach grownups how to do things
[00:53:52.890]it's better just to keep quiet,
[00:53:54.760]the exception is in a emergency.
[00:53:56.600]And that is an excerpt
[00:53:57.690]straight out of the "Hidden Curriculum"
[00:54:00.010]by Brenda Smith Myles.
[00:54:01.200]And so that is just kind of glimpse
[00:54:03.150]at what that structure looks like for teaching
[00:54:05.170]at just very direct and very frank
[00:54:07.950]but addressing bathroom etiquette, right.
[00:54:10.800]You don't look under the stall
[00:54:12.770]when you go into the bathroom.
[00:54:13.780]Make sure you're locking the door.
[00:54:15.230]You don't talk to people when they're in stalls
[00:54:18.050]in the bathroom if you're using the restroom.
[00:54:20.150]So all the way down to some of these things
[00:54:21.990]that other people may pick up
[00:54:24.720]just by being in the environment
[00:54:26.100]and observing it and recognizing it.
[00:54:28.107]But these are those skills
[00:54:29.310]that we specifically need to directly teach
[00:54:32.000]to individuals with autism.
[00:54:33.840]So this list here is a great little reminder
[00:54:36.920]if you're finding yourself saying things like,
[00:54:39.210]I shouldn't have to tell you but,
[00:54:41.220]shouldn't be obvious that,
[00:54:43.140]everybody knows, common sense tells us,
[00:54:46.350]those may be clues for you to maybe look
[00:54:48.350]into some of those hidden curriculum things
[00:54:50.100]that ah, I maybe just need to take a step back
[00:54:53.120]and they may not know.
[00:54:54.350]And we do need to maybe take a step back
[00:54:56.010]and teach those more specifically
[00:54:57.450]and directly to the individual.
[00:55:00.850]All right, motivation, I would imagine some of us
[00:55:03.900]may be feeling like this a little bit
[00:55:05.800]on days when we are working from home
[00:55:08.100]and we have to get motivated to do things.
[00:55:09.830]Sometimes it's just not there for us, right.
[00:55:14.460]So looking at, this is an older bit of research
[00:55:18.150]but although the individuals with Asperger
[00:55:20.350]appear to have low motivation,
[00:55:21.840]they may just have a different type of motivation.
[00:55:24.490]So it's important to note that motivation
[00:55:27.230]is strongly influenced by learning history,
[00:55:29.640]learning styles, internal, external incentives,
[00:55:32.667]expectations of success or failure.
[00:55:35.050]If I have not done well at math
[00:55:38.070]I'm not going to be as motivated
[00:55:39.490]to jump right in and get started on my math.
[00:55:42.270]If I haven't had success with geometry,
[00:55:45.020]I may rather do multiplication, or division,
[00:55:47.400]or something else in math
[00:55:48.860]that I've had more success with.
[00:55:51.640]Knowing that the motivation is also influenced
[00:55:53.660]by the meaningfulness and purposefulness of a task
[00:55:56.960]from the perspective a the learner.
[00:55:59.140]I think often that gets lost, right.
[00:56:01.230]It's meaningful and purposeful to us
[00:56:03.620]who are asking that it get done
[00:56:05.447]but it might not be meaningful
[00:56:07.060]and purposeful to the learner.
[00:56:09.860]Hence the when am I ever gonna use this question
[00:56:12.560]we get as educators, right.
[00:56:14.980]Making sure that we know too with motivations
[00:56:17.250]looking at an influenced by the task
[00:56:20.420]and surrounding environmental variables
[00:56:22.350]that may impact that attention towards the achievement.
[00:56:25.130]Hence my little the flower making noise,
[00:56:27.060]so do we have an environment free of distracting variables
[00:56:30.470]that will help motivate the individual?
[00:56:33.530]So knowing once we need to find out
[00:56:36.100]what motivates individuals and until we know that
[00:56:38.840]it can very difficult to encourage and prompt
[00:56:43.340]for the individual to complete work and related tasks.
[00:56:45.890]So just knowing that sometimes we may need to be taking
[00:56:48.630]that step back and making sure that what we have identified
[00:56:52.300]as being motivating truly is motivating.
[00:56:56.030]Because the behavior goes where reinforcement flows.
[00:56:59.350]So keeping that in mind
[00:57:00.670]if you're starting to see an uptick
[00:57:02.260]in behaviors at different times,
[00:57:03.910]with different subjects, and different situations
[00:57:06.290]you may wanna take that step back
[00:57:07.810]and start to look at what is reinforcing
[00:57:10.440]that behavior to occur
[00:57:11.790]and how do I shift that model and start to reinforce
[00:57:16.020]for those positive behaviors that I want to see?
[00:57:21.223]90% of the effectiveness of a program is reinforcement.
[00:57:25.370]So thinking about you don't have a reinforcer
[00:57:27.910]you don't have a lesson.
[00:57:29.450]So keep in mind that if a lesson is not going well
[00:57:34.600]with a student or at home you're teaching a task
[00:57:37.200]or trying to engage in activity
[00:57:38.710]and get some things accomplished if it's not going well
[00:57:42.050]always go back to that reinforcement.
[00:57:43.970]What is there to entice the individual?
[00:57:47.150]What is there to keep them motivated
[00:57:49.560]to accomplish that task?
[00:57:52.030]So thinking through the questions of
[00:57:54.540]how do I get their buy-in?
[00:57:55.900]What do I need to do?
[00:57:57.720]So in the movement preference assessments are great.
[00:58:00.770]So if you've had a chance to kinda look at
[00:58:03.300]and make a list of what the individual likes.
[00:58:06.920]Sometimes that's watching them during free times
[00:58:09.850]where they're able to access anything and everything
[00:58:12.860]to get an idea of what it is that they like
[00:58:16.670]and keep that list
[00:58:17.990]and then when you're offering up a task,
[00:58:20.770]hey we need you to take care of this math assignment.
[00:58:23.360]So first you do this then you can earn
[00:58:25.990]and having those items available for the individual.
[00:58:28.870]So using reinforcement to help motivate to accomplish tasks.
[00:58:33.480]So some steps for using reinforcement, right,
[00:58:35.360]first you wanna identify what it is that you're targeting,
[00:58:38.040]what behavior it is that you wanna see happening?
[00:58:40.470]Making sure you have that effective reinforcer.
[00:58:43.290]And another key piece with that effective reinforcer
[00:58:46.340]is once you've identified it
[00:58:48.090]make sure that you have, that the student or the individual
[00:58:51.710]doesn't have free access to it.
[00:58:54.010]So if I'm utilizing iPad
[00:58:56.210]for instance that's a very high reinforcer
[00:58:58.070]for a lot of individuals.
[00:58:59.830]They're not gonna have access to iPad
[00:59:01.730]at any other time until they've earned it
[00:59:04.990]as a reinforcer, right.
[00:59:06.770]So if even if LEGO's are a highly motivating reinforcer
[00:59:11.500]but they're younger and that's in their centers
[00:59:14.230]we wanna make sure that student doesn't have access to those
[00:59:17.670]until they've earned it.
[00:59:19.300]So that's a key we wanna make sure that,
[00:59:21.130]keep that reinforcer motivating.
[00:59:24.140]And once they've accomplished
[00:59:26.140]and engaged in that desired behavior that we've identified
[00:59:29.700]then we need to immediately allow them
[00:59:31.980]access to that reinforcer.
[00:59:33.380]Two to five seconds they should be able
[00:59:35.100]to access that reinforcer.
[00:59:36.970]And if you don't have the time in the moment
[00:59:39.230]'cause you're on the other side of the room
[00:59:40.490]using verbal praise, specific praise
[00:59:43.010]about what you saw happen
[00:59:44.120]and that recognize the positive behavior
[00:59:47.010]can help bridge that gap in time
[00:59:49.980]before you could get over there
[00:59:51.390]to provide the actual reinforcer.
[00:59:54.790]So looking at visual supports we wanna look at token boards,
[00:59:58.390]making sure that we can use those.
[01:00:00.610]These work very well for individuals
[01:00:03.070]who will accept delayed gratification, right.
[01:00:08.220]So token boards will not work
[01:00:10.700]until they understand the value of the token.
[01:00:14.580]So if you've tried it and you think it doesn't,
[01:00:17.410]it's not working, I have to try something else,
[01:00:20.170]go back to using fewer stars or happy faces,
[01:00:24.680]or checks, whatever you decide that token to be
[01:00:28.770]and just use fewer.
[01:00:30.570]So they earn one star they earn their reinforcer.
[01:00:34.370]Then you can slowly increase the number of stars
[01:00:37.920]that need to be earned
[01:00:38.960]before they earn the reinforcers.
[01:00:40.410]So you have to teach the value of the token
[01:00:43.850]for it to be a valuable reinforcement system.
[01:00:48.210]Using a token economy is really helpful as well
[01:00:51.020]because it's a visual.
[01:00:52.150]It helps the individual know how much more do I have to do
[01:00:55.320]before I get that reinforcer?
[01:00:57.250]How much longer do I have to go?
[01:00:59.060]So you can have a token board
[01:01:01.800]as it mentions as little as one, up to 10.
[01:01:05.100]There's lots of variations of how this can be used.
[01:01:09.080]But it is very helpful in being able to provide that visual
[01:01:14.060]as well as a reminder for us as the people working
[01:01:17.400]with the individual to remember,
[01:01:19.250]oh we gotta keep giving these
[01:01:20.690]so that they're getting that reinforcement.
[01:01:24.480]These are just some additional examples
[01:01:26.040]of different token boards
[01:01:27.690]and different ways that can look.
[01:01:29.720]But the joy about using token boards also
[01:01:32.330]is that if you have an individual
[01:01:33.760]who's having a difficult day
[01:01:36.110]you can speed up the rate
[01:01:38.930]at which you offer those tokens.
[01:01:41.080]So you can get them to that reinforcer
[01:01:43.940]before an undesired behavior occurs.
[01:01:48.150]So you're reinforcing all those appropriate
[01:01:50.270]prior to that undesired behavior
[01:01:52.120]and then if you have a student
[01:01:53.170]who's having a really good day
[01:01:55.150]you can prolong the amount of time
[01:01:57.850]that goes in between earning each token.
[01:02:00.510]Now the key thing that I highly recommend being aware of
[01:02:04.220]is that we don't get caught in a trap
[01:02:06.940]of making them go too long
[01:02:09.900]before they're earing another token
[01:02:12.550]and earning that reinforcer.
[01:02:14.400]That can be a recipe for increased behavioral problems
[01:02:18.320]if we're waiting too long
[01:02:20.020]and we've thinned that rate of reinforcement too quickly.
[01:02:23.800]So if tasks are difficult and they are longer
[01:02:27.150]I would recommend providing tokens frequently during a task
[01:02:31.240]so not necessarily on you have to complete 10 tasks,
[01:02:34.780]you're getting, you're earning tokens
[01:02:36.420]throughout the task completion.
[01:02:39.040]They may earn a reinforcer, take a break,
[01:02:40.840]and come back and finish that task later.
[01:02:46.440]So just another key quote that's really a good reminder
[01:02:50.370]of the way positive reinforcement is carried out
[01:02:52.400]is more important than the amount.
[01:02:54.360]So making sure that we're involved.
[01:02:56.710]A lot of times too when kids earn reinforcers
[01:02:59.240]we as adults kinda step out
[01:03:01.290]and they engage on their own.
[01:03:03.310]For individuals who enjoy that attention
[01:03:05.600]and were working on those social skills
[01:03:07.570]and building social competence
[01:03:09.130]we may wanna be part of that reinforcer time
[01:03:12.800]to help reinforce and generalize some of those skills
[01:03:16.540]that we're teaching for social competence.
[01:03:19.870]Emotional behavior supports,
[01:03:21.520]so we talked a little bit about meltdowns
[01:03:24.120]as they're referred to sometimes,
[01:03:25.720]escalation of behavior
[01:03:27.190]but we know that individuals
[01:03:28.140]with autism cannot always tell
[01:03:29.690]when they're become upset or overly excited.
[01:03:32.000]And they don't always have the tools in their toolbox yet
[01:03:36.210]to calm themselves down
[01:03:38.370]or recognize when they've become so escalated
[01:03:41.991]that they need a tool to calm down.
[01:03:45.830]So some of the ways that we can look
[01:03:47.480]at teaching these things are self management skills.
[01:03:51.120]Through self management it helps
[01:03:52.630]to bring awareness of actions to the individual, right.
[01:03:55.630]Also looking at what's alternative reaction to a situation
[01:03:59.140]and is also proactive because we're able to use data
[01:04:04.080]to look at what's happening right before
[01:04:07.300]and what's happening after.
[01:04:08.830]It builds that independence for the individual as well,
[01:04:11.400]which is absolutely what we wanna see.
[01:04:13.700]So some of the keys to teaching self management skills
[01:04:16.790]are being able to identify those antecedents,
[01:04:19.050]what's happening right before?
[01:04:20.780]Why?
[01:04:21.920]What is the payoff that's happening for the individual?
[01:04:25.800]We wanna make sure we're using those preferred reinforcers
[01:04:28.650]and a data collection form
[01:04:30.040]that we actually teach the student to use,
[01:04:34.260]not necessarily on the teacher.
[01:04:36.060]So working with the student to recognize,
[01:04:38.190]oh yep, it's been this, you know 30 seconds am I on task?
[01:04:41.830]Check yes.
[01:04:43.180]And so there's a lot of different forms
[01:04:45.630]to help depending on what exactly the target behavior is
[01:04:49.290]but making sure we're doing training sessions
[01:04:51.080]and we're practicing, if this happens then this.
[01:04:54.150]If that then that.
[01:04:56.020]Where they're practicing in moments of calm
[01:04:58.140]and we're not trying to implement it
[01:05:00.550]during moments of heightened escalation, right.
[01:05:03.670]Then we're providing review of that data,
[01:05:06.280]review of the skills, and providing those feedback sessions.
[01:05:11.150]For some individuals and especially our younger individuals
[01:05:13.670]who may not quite be ready for self-management just yet,
[01:05:18.010]the incredible 5-point scale is a great resource
[01:05:20.730]because it provides visuals
[01:05:22.380]and we can start to outline the various stages of escalation
[01:05:27.180]and give those points.
[01:05:29.290]And this is a great example, right,
[01:05:31.480]it outlines how the individual's feeling
[01:05:34.870]and these are all tailored specifically to the individual.
[01:05:39.200]So working with the student to create these
[01:05:42.970]so that there's buy-in.
[01:05:44.230]That they're involved in the development
[01:05:47.240]and they have interest in following it, right.
[01:05:49.870]It also lists if I'm at this stage,
[01:05:52.140]these are the things that I can do
[01:05:53.990]and I've identified them on my own with support, right.
[01:05:58.870]So making sure that they are involved in the creation.
[01:06:02.170]Social narratives and social stories
[01:06:04.370]may also be beneficial for some of our younger individuals
[01:06:07.230]and even older ones
[01:06:08.240]who are having some difficulty with this.
[01:06:10.300]Emotions are very abstract
[01:06:12.450]and they're different for each person
[01:06:14.660]so having the ability to show
[01:06:18.270]what's expected, what's unexpected.
[01:06:21.220]In what situations is this expected versus that
[01:06:24.040]and what do I do?
[01:06:25.450]How does this, my behavior affect others?
[01:06:28.600]Can be nicely portrayed in a social narrative
[01:06:31.280]however, it should never be used alone.
[01:06:34.310]So if you're using a social narrative
[01:06:35.930]make sure that you have additional teaching components
[01:06:39.060]and supports included and embedded
[01:06:41.520]with the teaching of that skill
[01:06:43.160]'cause the social narrative alone
[01:06:44.880]won't teach the skills
[01:06:46.020]but it's a good tool to have included.
[01:06:50.040]The SOCCSS method looking at situations, options,
[01:06:52.730]consequences, choices, and strategy, along with simulation
[01:06:56.370]is a very helpful tool
[01:06:58.430]that can be used after an incident happens.
[01:07:01.070]So going through asking these questions
[01:07:03.360]working through a system with the student
[01:07:06.690]but the last one is the key that simulation.
[01:07:09.460]And if you've noticed there's training and practice
[01:07:12.000]with all of these different interventions
[01:07:13.907]that we've discussed.
[01:07:16.600]Individuals need to practice them at moments of calm
[01:07:18.990]so they become part of their behavior repertoire.
[01:07:21.530]So they can use them and access them when escalated.
[01:07:27.100]Another one is a social autopsy
[01:07:28.810]very similar to the SOCCSS method.
[01:07:31.480]The difference here is that the SOCCSS method
[01:07:33.790]has that simulation and practice component.
[01:07:40.550]So some different strategies,
[01:07:41.740]we've talked about a lot of 'em as we've gone through.
[01:07:44.730]The whole thing is kind of incorporated some strategies
[01:07:47.450]but some additional specific ones
[01:07:49.800]and reminding us that fairness
[01:07:51.510]is not giving everyone the same thing.
[01:07:53.430]Fairness is giving the individual what they need.
[01:07:56.010]So when you have individuals are like,
[01:07:57.190]"Well that's not fair, they're getting candy and we're not."
[01:08:01.270]Most commonly that is a result of other students
[01:08:05.190]or other individuals needing more reinforcement as well.
[01:08:08.870]So if we just provide reinforcement
[01:08:10.450]on another frame for them
[01:08:13.010]and explaining too that everybody get something,
[01:08:17.142]everybody gets what they need not the same thing, right.
[01:08:20.590]I've had to tell students at times,
[01:08:22.187]"Well if Johnny broke his arm,
[01:08:23.587]"do we all have to have a cast?"
[01:08:25.467]"Because that would be fair."
[01:08:27.110]And usually they're not a fan of that.
[01:08:29.700]So coming up with some of the real life experiences
[01:08:32.470]of the difference between fair
[01:08:34.330]and providing people with what they need
[01:08:36.120]to succeed for individuals.
[01:08:37.947]Kylie.
[01:08:38.780]Yes.
[01:08:39.613]This is Ashley, I just wanted to see,
[01:08:42.360]we've got four minutes left in this session
[01:08:45.110]and we did have a question in the Chatbox,
[01:08:47.570]would I be okay to answer that
[01:08:49.210]and do just a little quick Q&A?
[01:08:50.570]Yeah, absolutely.
[01:08:52.140]The rest are very, they're just a couple more slides
[01:08:55.470]and they just kind of review some of the things
[01:08:57.420]we've talked about so absolutely.
[01:08:59.780]So Tori asked in the Chatbox,
[01:09:01.677]"Can you comment on the barriers
[01:09:03.037]"to being regular school settings on mental health
[01:09:05.807]"versus the detriment of not being in the school setting?"
[01:09:08.927]"It seems that as social challenges increase
[01:09:11.237]"we're having difficulty managing life
[01:09:13.177]"and they have a seventh grader
[01:09:15.787]"can't imagine how hard it will be as time goes on."
[01:09:19.920]Yes, I think if I'm hearing,
[01:09:22.410]if I'm understanding the question correctly
[01:09:23.910]and please correct me if I'm not covering some of it
[01:09:26.880]but I think the big piece that is really important
[01:09:29.460]to being in a general setting
[01:09:30.730]or having access to other individuals
[01:09:32.800]is that teaching component where I can practice my skills
[01:09:35.710]that I've learned, right.
[01:09:37.150]If I don't ever have access to other individuals
[01:09:40.700]my same age or in different settings
[01:09:43.380]that I would need to be you know
[01:09:46.400]interacting and associating with people
[01:09:48.730]that I don't really have that opportunity
[01:09:50.700]to practice the skills that I've learned
[01:09:53.400]so that they can be honed
[01:09:54.630]and become part of my behavioral repertoire.
[01:09:57.595]What we're seeing too when students
[01:09:59.030]have difficult time interacting in different settings
[01:10:03.840]and with those social components
[01:10:06.050]we may need to take a moment to take a step back
[01:10:09.360]to look at where maybe we need to reteach some things.
[01:10:14.730]Maybe we need to be looking at where are our reinforcers?
[01:10:17.770]How do we modify the situation
[01:10:20.700]to be able to make it less overwhelming
[01:10:22.810]while we're teaching some of these skills and tools
[01:10:26.250]in situations on that front.
[01:10:29.240]Definitely, thank you Kylie.
[01:10:30.610]And Tori put in the Chatbox that that's a great point
[01:10:34.010]and is there a point to which it's too much
[01:10:36.050]even for these kids that are high-functioning,
[01:10:38.520]what's the most important feature?
[01:10:39.910]And to that Tori I would add
[01:10:41.340]that tomorrow I'm actually gonna be
[01:10:43.590]facilitating another session
[01:10:45.170]and it's on autism and depression and anxiety
[01:10:48.180]so just talking about some of those comorbid conditions.
[01:10:51.420]And so I would say maybe look into that,
[01:10:53.780]that might be a session that you'd be interested in.
[01:10:56.953]It's in the morning after the keynote
[01:10:59.440]so the 10:30 to 11:45 time slot tomorrow.
[01:11:04.150]Yes, and I would just say you know
[01:11:05.520]to your question of at what point is it too much
[01:11:08.190]and I think just very individualized, right.
[01:11:10.730]And so being able to make that decision
[01:11:12.680]on what's best for the student.
[01:11:15.330]And so I think that Ashley's session sounds great
[01:11:19.310]to provide some more insight to.
[01:11:25.540]Okay we have about two more minutes
[01:11:27.300]so if anybody else has questions for Kylie
[01:11:29.520]before we have to logoff please ask them either
[01:11:33.880]in the Chatbox or feel free to unmute yourself and ask.
[01:11:45.347]And while we may be thinking through
[01:11:47.240]I will just kind of wrap up some of these last slides
[01:11:51.020]which are really just some strategies and tools
[01:11:53.070]and expanding further on what we've talked about
[01:11:56.300]throughout the entire presentation
[01:11:58.530]just looking at visual supports with some examples
[01:12:01.620]of how those can be used, what those look like,
[01:12:04.760]how they can be varied,
[01:12:07.937]and just how we make those modifications for students
[01:12:10.340]to help 'em be successful.
[01:12:15.291]Okay, have another question, how do I help my daughter
[01:12:19.160]who is regressing because of the new routine
[01:12:22.080]and lack of social interaction?
[01:12:26.250]I think those are, that is a great question.
[01:12:29.300]And those definitely areas that are difficult
[01:12:31.970]that we know those changes in those routines.
[01:12:34.370]And one of the slides that we were gonna,
[01:12:37.750]that we didn't get a chance to get to
[01:12:38.717]was looking at priming.
[01:12:40.480]How do we prepare our individuals
[01:12:44.880]who have difficulty with those changes?
[01:12:46.680]How do we prepare 'em ahead of time that it's coming?
[01:12:49.280]And then how do we support that?
[01:12:51.650]And so looking at are there ways that we could better
[01:12:54.240]prepare her, is it visuals?
[01:12:56.033]Do we look at reinforcement
[01:12:58.670]for her doing well with these changes?
[01:13:02.892]And then looking at and going back to those social skills
[01:13:06.570]of where is she having the most difficulty, right?
[01:13:09.610]Is is it, you know where is the toughest time
[01:13:12.520]and maybe we break everything down
[01:13:14.060]and target the toughest time
[01:13:15.940]and just kinda a chunk it slowly
[01:13:18.050]so it's not so overwhelming for her
[01:13:21.030]and those who are working with her.
[01:13:24.430]I know that's not as specific as I would like to be
[01:13:29.100]but those are some general pieces we could start with
[01:13:32.120]to then be able to really dive deep
[01:13:35.430]and look at where we start to help provide support.
[01:13:42.550]Another quick question,
[01:13:43.430]I have a third grader that has autism
[01:13:45.370]and she doesn't care if she is rude to others.
[01:13:47.830]And doesn't want to even talk to kids
[01:13:49.990]that don't function academically as high as her.
[01:13:53.430]I've tried books, I've tried empathy,
[01:13:55.210]she's been through the Zones of Regulation program,
[01:13:57.750]et cetera, any other ideas?
[01:14:01.200]So with that that's tough piece,
[01:14:03.490]it falls into those restricted patterns of behavior
[01:14:07.600]and trying to look at how do we help
[01:14:09.410]or accept mistakes of others as well her own.
[01:14:12.450]And so some of those, some video modeling
[01:14:14.890]sometimes is helpful of just teaching how we should respond
[01:14:17.980]and all kind of goes back to that social competence
[01:14:20.840]and looking at again reinforcement.
[01:14:25.327]How is she motivated and reinforced
[01:14:27.720]for being kind to others?
[01:14:30.360]Do we need an extrinsic reinforcer
[01:14:33.510]to initially teach the skill and then we fade that out?
[01:14:36.860]So may need to couple some of the,
[01:14:39.170]finding some high potent reinforcers
[01:14:41.160]for the positive social interactions, those kind words.
[01:14:44.190]And I know it sounds counterintuitive
[01:14:46.160]as we wanna know that social skills are just kinda happening
[01:14:49.107]and those interactions are naturally occurring
[01:14:51.390]in a positive manner.
[01:14:53.090]But as we're directly and intently teaching 'em
[01:14:55.660]we sometimes may need that outside extrinsic reinforcer
[01:15:01.160]to help build on those positive comments
[01:15:03.740]and positive interactions.
[01:15:06.250]Thank you Kylie.
[01:15:07.083]I also put in a Chatbox just now our website
[01:15:11.470]for the Nebraska autism Network
[01:15:13.510]and we have a ton of resources
[01:15:15.420]and free recorded webinars.
[01:15:17.460]And then there's contact information
[01:15:19.240]for the regional coordinators across the state.
[01:15:21.990]And you can get in contact with your coordinator
[01:15:25.238]and they each have libraries with a ton of autism resources
[01:15:31.030]that might be better suited,
[01:15:33.090]you know for individual students
[01:15:34.740]that can be checked out from that library.
[01:15:36.720]So we're gonna have to wrap up with that
[01:15:39.620]but thank you again to all of you
[01:15:42.240]for coming to the session
[01:15:43.700]and thank you so much Kylie
[01:15:44.910]for sharing this with us, great job.
[01:15:47.650]Yes, thank you everyone.
[01:15:48.940]Thanks for joining today.
[01:15:50.870]And we're gonna (mumbles) on break
[01:15:52.800]and then your next session
[01:15:55.060]will be starting at let's see, what, 2:15.
[01:16:02.840]Yes.
[01:16:03.740]Okay, thank you.
[01:16:05.190]Thank you everyone.

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Introduction to Autism for Individuals with Average to Above Average Verbal and Cognitive skills

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