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Learn Your ABC’S:
Autism
Behavior
Communication
Liz Farmer, MA, Autism Consultant
Beth Waite, CCC/SLP-ATP
Assistive Technology Coordinator
Autism is a Neurobiological Disorder that affects 3 primary areas
• COMMUNICATION
• SOCIAL
• BEHAVIORAL
COMMUNICATION AND LITERAL THINKING
I don’t understand.
It’s raining cats and dogs
Get busy! We have a MILLION things to do.
I’ve got my wires crossed.
Good Luck and Break a Leg!
Don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill!
Zip your lip.
You’re pulling my leg.
This muddies the water.
RECEPTIVE COMMUNICATION Remember the 7 second rule
Put your backpacks away
Hang up your coats
Get out your morning work
There should be no talking
Stop for the pledge
Listen to the announcements
Wait! What is after backpack?
HOW DO THESE PROBLEMS TRANSLATE TO SCHOOL DIFFICULTIES?
• 1. Problems following directions.
• 2. Problems understanding language.
• 3. Problems making inferences
• 4. Problems with multi-step tasks.
• 5. Problems sequencing.
History Time Lines
Lab Projects
Plots in Stories/Plays
Multi-Step Math EquationsStory Problems
Common Communication Deficits for ASD
•Receptive lang. delay typical for most kids on spectrum
•Pragmatic language and social skill deficits
•Nonverbal with minimal to no expressive language
•Must have co-existing significant deficits in behavioror social emotional functioning or they shouldn’t be dx with ASD
Communication Modes for Nonverbal/Minimally Verbal ASD
gestures/facial expressions (rare)
manual signs
objects
photos
picture symbols
written words
voice output devices
NEEDED MODIFICATIONS
• Visual cues or schedules
• Augment instructions with gestures
• Give Short Concise Instructions
• Tell Kids What To Do vs. “not what to do”.
Visual Strategies are:Visual Strategies are: Easily recognizedEasily recognized Easily understoodEasily understood Universally understoodUniversally understood
Visual Strategies include:
Body language
Objects
Pictures- Photographs-Logos
Printed format
Hierarchy of Visual SupportsHierarchy of Visual Supports
Most abstract and difficult to understand
Most concrete and easiest to understand
Objects, partial objects
Photographs cut to shape
Photographs
Line drawing symbols (Rebus, Boardmaker) 1. Realistically-colored
2. Black and white
Word choices
Phrases
Remember when using Remember when using photos…photos… Picture the critical Picture the critical
element (usually element (usually an object vs. an object vs. activity)activity)
Eliminate Eliminate backgroundbackground
Shoot close up to Shoot close up to targettarget
Tools to Give InformationTools to Give Information
Schedule and mini-scheduleSchedule and mini-schedule CalendarCalendar Choice boardsChoice boards MenusMenus People locatorsPeople locators Saying no or “wait”Saying no or “wait” Transition and travel helpersTransition and travel helpers Conversation regulationConversation regulation
Barbara Bloomfield –
www.icontalk.com
From ICON to ICAN
www.patinsproject.com
PROBLEMS READING NON-VERBAL CUES MEANS “MISSING THE OBVIOUS”
“uh hum”
We better quiet down
Teacher’s getting mad
We could lose
recess
My teacher keeps clearing his throat
HOW DO THESE PROBLEMS TRANSLATE TO SCHOOL DIFFICULTIES?
• 1. Trouble interacting with Peers (in the classroom, hallway, cafeteria, recess, extra-curricular activities)
• 2. Trouble following rules and understanding “hidden” agenda
• 3. Become easy targets for others
• 4. Increases in anxiety due to misinterpretations and lack of understanding (*This often escalates to depression during middle/high school)
Social Skills Training Strategies
• Social Skills Groups
• Pragmatic/Language
• Peer Training
• Social Stories
• Video Modeling
Functions of Communication
• Greetings/Farewells• Requests/Protests• Comments• Initiation• Social Closeness• Topic setting• Maintaining
conversation
• Ask/answer questions• Repair breakdowns• Express ideas and
share feelings• Acknowledge
comments• Label and describe• Direct others• Telling jokes, secrets
Communication Characteristics often found in ASD
• Joint attention is usually absent• Interested in objects – not people• Communication repertoire may be limited• Imitation skills may be poor• Receptive vocabulary can be limited • Echolalia • Difficulty with abstract language• Social skills can be impaired
Behavior IS Communication
• We need to learn to read and predict student behavior
• Adapt the circumstances to limit the reason for the behavior
• Teach a substitute communication skill that is more effective
• Focus on telling student “what” to do…
not “what not” to do
Emotions
• Difficulty understanding levels of intensity
• Difficulty expressing levels of intensity with words and nonverbal clues
Stress
• Reactive approach to managing stress
• Under stress communication abilities may become difficult to access
Learning Strategies • Environmental modifications (quiet seating,
study carrel, etc.)• Provide organizational tools (timers, planners,
checklists)• Visual schedules/calendars• Noise-canceling headphones to reduce
distraction• Assistive Technology for writing/organizing
Pragmatic Language Skills
• Knowing “what” to say
• Knowing “when” to say it
• Knowing “where” to say it
• Knowing “why” to say it
• Knowing “how” to say it
*the “social” aspect of interacting with others*
More Visual Support for Conversation
• Limit questions (student can turn in 2 tokens representing questions-then can’t ask more).
• Limit amount of time student can talk about topic using visual timer
? ?
Substitute Communication Response Must:
• Be quick and easy for the student
• Be quickly reinforced by the comm. partner
• Easily recognized by all working with student
• AS POWERFUL AS THE NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR
WARNING – initially the negativebehavior usually gets worse before
it gets better !
Why Do Social Groups?
• Identified deficits in the areas of personal interactions with others.
• 1-1 training does not seem to generalize to group settings.
• Kids can learn through direct modeling experiences with others.
• Kids in social skill groups often begin making friendships with each other!
Components of Pragmatics
age appropriate topics appropriate relationships
topic maintenance making inferences
reciprocity compromise
manners sportsmanship
personal space eye contact or faking it
accepting differences (filtering)
inflection
nonverbal cues hidden social rules
theory of mind
accurate perceptions
•Voice Inflection•Accurate perspective-taking
Audacity free audio editing software
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Theory of Mind
the ability to recognize other people’s feelings, beliefs, intentions, and respond accordingly.
This results in problems such as • predicting how another might respond in a given situation
• Inability to perceive intended meaning (tone of voice)
• Insensitivity to other’s feelings
• Inability to understand “unwritten social rules”
Social Skill Stories
My name is Max and this story is about me.
I like to play games with my friends.
Sometimes, I win.
Sometimes, someone else wins.
Make these with Boardmaker, Pixwriter, Google images or anything!