Autism/Asperger Syndrome Seminar

Last Friday (the 13th ~ not that I am superstitious or anything !) I went to a Tony Attwood seminar in Morwell. I am so glad that I went. I learnt so much! Tony was great to listen to and worth listening to. I recommend to anyone that has the chance to attend one of his seminars to go. He is brilliant!

I would love to list all the points that I learnt while there but there are too many. I did explain to Brodie's High School on Monday when I went up there to talk to the Student Welfare Coordinator that I went to the seminar and that I have learnt a few things that would be helpful for Brodie. I was asked to write them up in an email and send them to the school. I did that yesterday afternoon and I know that the teacher I sent it to (a different teacher to the one I had the meeting with on Monday) will read it and implement the ones that are relevant. In fact I have a PSG this afternoon with her and Brodie's aide. It would be an interesting meeting.

Here's a copy of what I put in the email to the High School

1. AS kids don't like praise. They think it is like a 'put down'. You need to acknowledge their maturity and intelligence instead.
2. Rules and requests need to be logical. If they think it makes no sense at all then they will not even consider following either the request or the rules. They have a logical mind and are not empathic. Changes to rules and routines should be accompanied with an explanation so that there is a better understanding.
3. We need to remember that AS kids are not selfish they are self-centred.
4. AS kids know that they are clumsy and are very aware that others think of them as different. This leads to things like Brodie leaving his sports gear at home.
5. AS kids sometimes lack motivation, they think why bother doing something that I know I am not good at. Which Brodie has shown that he will quit doing things when he feels this way.
6. AS kids are often the last person to realise that they need help. They will sit there and not work without realising that they could be asking for assistance to complete a task. They need to be shown options.
7. It was suggested that timed tasks should be avoided as much as possible. It would cause too much stress and they will be less likely to complete a task.
8. Questions may need to be rephrased but be aware that due to their thinking process it may make them go back to the beginning, especially when interrupted, and take them longer to finish something.
9. Keeping Brodie at the front of the classroom will help him filter out background noise. They have trouble focussing on one voice. Sensory clues are picked up long before any social skills or clues.
10. Lists are great ways to help Brodie with instructions. If they are written down he will have more success especially when he can refer back to his 'TO DO list'.
11. AS kids need closure before they can begin the next task. They have a one tracked mind but can be distracted by their imagination.
12. Aspie friendly teachers can make all the difference to learning & understanding.
13. A Year 11 or Year 12 buddy should be around for the newer AS student. To help explain the unspoken teenage rules at school so that they 'fit in' better and don't stand out as much. (not so much for Brodie now but it would come in handy for any prospective students).
14. When going into new places or situations it helps to be familiar with the geography of the place so that they are not overwhelmed. They take in all the physical features of a place first before they notice the people.
15. Brodie is often very black and white with his thinking. He needs to be encouraged to think outside the box and provided with alternative strategies to help him work out solutions to problems.
16. Due to time management difficulties and lack of organisational skills it is recommended that any homework (or work in general) given should take approximately 30 minutes or less or even an exemption from homework altogether. Success is more likely if work is set in smaller more manageable sizes. That teachers allow for draft copies of work to be done in order to create more opportunities for success with the final piece of work.
17. AS kids work harder during the day than we realise. They work hard all day to try and decipher facial expressions & school work/rules etc which means by the end of the day they are exhausted. They need alone time to collect themselves, relax, think things through or just chill out.
18. Brodie may come across as arrogant, depressed or angry. These are his way of trying to deal with the day to day situations he faces. AS kids can't self-reflect and have great difficulty at times trying to work out the best way to deal with things.
19. Apsie kids don't always know where to look or when to look. They aren't being disrespectful or rude.
20. Social stories (role play) helps a great deal when trying to learn a new concept/rule or even about emotions & how to recognise them.
21. Apsie kids often come across as oppositional and defiant. They don't always recognise others perspectives and priorities. They have eccentric perceptions.
22. Brodie puts people into one of two categories: Nice or Not nice.
23. Brodie has his special interests like Stargate, Star Trek, Dr Who etc. These interests often act as a thought blocker. When things get too hard or confronting for him he will change the subject to something that he feels safe with like his special interests. At times these interests may seem a little obsessive - and he may not realise that he might be boring others. Also changing the subject to his special interests may help stop unwanted behaviour like aggression.
24. Apsie kids are often in flight or fight mode. Sometimes they just need to burn off some of their emotions with physical activities. Since Brodie can't always communicate his emotions effectively getting him to run an errand/message helps him to 'calm' down a little especially if he is angry & frustrated. Allowing him to doodle/draw, play with blu tack can help him deal with his emotions a little better too.