`Inappropriate` behaviour - The National Autistic Society

‘Inappropriate’ behaviourteaching the 3P’s
Lynne Moxon BA, MSc. PGCE, C.Psychol, AFBPsS FIfL
ESPA
Northumbria University
Not suitable or proper in the
circumstances (situation, time
and/or place)
It is inappropriate to burp at a
formal dinner.
• It depends on different factors,
such as age, gender, custom,
rules, relationship/marital
status, etc.
• There is no black and white
definition
• Sexual development and curiosity are
normal developmental processes
• Bolton (2006) argues that difficulties
in sexual experience, sexual
expression and relationships are
inevitable given the core deficits in
Autism Spectrum Disorders.
What about sexual feelings?
• Majority of persons with ASD do have
sexual feelings, needs and behaviour.
Sexuality can be a very positive
experience to them.
• Some are asexual.
• Sex is not compulsory
Tantam (1991 p.148)
• AS is a developmental disorder with its
origins in infancy, but it may cause the
greatest disablement in adolescence and
young adulthood, when successful social
relationships are the key to almost every
achievement. Abnormalities that are mild
enough to be disregarded in childhood
may become much more conspicuous in
adolescence.
• To deprive a person of
boundaries is to leave them,
clueless as to what sorts of
behaviour would be acceptable
or unacceptable.
Actual sexual behaviour?
• Masturbation most frequent.
• Person-oriented: touching, kissing
sometimes towards unavailable
« partners ».
• Sexual intercourse: normally intelligent
individuals.
• Asperger: less experience compared to
neurotypicals.
• Sexual inappropriate behaviour,
probably frequent even in « highfunctioning » individuals. Hellemans
• Social rules, norms and values have
to be taught.
• Programme has to be individualised
by a mentor.
• Transfer to daily life.
• 3 P’s
Public, Private, Personal
Space
• By not seeing that a child is growing toward
adulthood, parents and staff may not feel moved to
begin teaching boundaries.
• Most of the incidents which lead to trouble for young
people with developmental difficulties, autism or
learning difficulties are "boundary violations"
brought on by the impulse of a moment.
• The world can appear chaotic with no clear
boundaries, order or meaning. Social rules, norms
and values have to be taught.
• How would you manage your sexuality if you had no
sex education, could not ask/talk to anyone and did
not have access to books or other written or visual
material?
Teach the rules…..
• Structure is important for people with
ASD. If you did not know the rules for
social situations you would be
anxious.
• Consistency is important but social
rules are flexible
Rules, information, communication
• Understanding society’s rules
and expectations of
acceptable/appropriate
behaviour/communication
Social rules change with age
and place
At what age does it become
inappropriate?
•
•
•
•
•
Modesty
Toileting
Sharing a bed
Stripping off clothes
Meltdowns
• Due to their social ineptness, some
people with ASD may naively engage in
inappropriate or intrusive courtship
behaviours, including stalking, in their
attempts to initiate a relationship
(Stokes, Newton & Kaur 2007)
• Friendship skills need to be developed
before more intimate relationships
Goals of a comprehensive sex
education programme
•Provide accurate information
•Develop personal values
•Develop the necessary social
competence
Is this Public or Private
behaviour?
5 point scale 5 4 3 2 1
•5
High
Physically hurtful threatening behaviour, you
will be fired from a job, suspended from college or
you may go to prison. Should never be done in public.
•4
Scary behaviour, you would probably get sacked
from a job, may be taken to court or fined. Should not
be done in public.
•3
Odd behaviour, breaking rules, could make other
people uncomfortable or nervous. Not against the law
but you may be told off by your parents, friends,
employer or college. If done in public people will
think you are strange. Showing off.
•2
•1
Reasonable behaviour talking to someone you know,
keeping to college, work and the social rules. Using a
private place properly. Enjoying others company, may
be in a public place.
Low
Informal social behaviour smiling, waving. Noticing
others, sitting together. Formal photo. Public
behaviour.
Public or private place
5 4 3 2 1
5 4 3 2 1
Personal space
Who is too close?
• Actions have consequences and
we do our sons and daughters no
favours by pretending that they
can behave inappropriately without
facing them.
A 5 could put you in prison
Your Behaviour and the Law
5 4 3 2 1
5 4 3 2 1
Autistic teenager groped carers
• An autistic
teenager, 18, who
groped two care
workers has been
sent to a mental
health hospital
indefinitely.
5 4 3 2 1
Minor offences and major
misunderstandings
• Minor they may be, but something should
be done as soon as a behaviour, which
may become illegal as the person
becomes an adult, occurs.
• Stroking hair or toes at 3 may be sweet
but at 23 you will be in court.
• Many young people with AS do not think
the law applies to them.
• You can be put on the sexual offenders
register at 14
It is against the law to have
sex or expose your genitals in
public
George Michael
Caught in Another Sex
Scandal
It is against the law to touch
someone without their consent
Is this against the law?
Will I get into trouble?
Social networking sites
• Your popularity can be easily
measured by the number of friends
on your Facebook page?
• MHF blames high levels of
loneliness among young people on
their use of virtual, rather than real,
communication
• Many young people with ASD have
no idea that you can pretend to be
someone else.
• The ClickCeop button allows young
people to report suspicious
behaviour straight to the Child
Exploitation and Online Protection
Centre.
Internet crime
• It is illegal to download or own pornography
showing children (age 17 and under) or take or
make any indecent photograph of a child.
Owning pornography of adults who look like
children is illegal.
• It is illegal for an adult to contact children on the
internet and pretend they are a child as this is
what a paedophile would do.
The Influence And Impact Of
Pornography On Young People
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hardcore material is widely available on the internet
with 25%of all searches seeking access to one of the
1.3 million porn websites.
Among young people with at least weekly internet use,
57% reported having come into contact withonline
pornography(for one third this was an accidental
occurance whilst searching for something else)
70% of young people aged 15-17 report unintended
exposure to pornography
58% of teenagers view porn regularly
1 in 10 view it every day
The average age that males start to access porn is
10/11
Mobile phone crime
• This includes using text, pictures
and phone calls to harass a
person. Malicious or abusive
phone calls are a criminal
offence.
• You should not film or take
pictures on your mobiles of bad
or sexual behaviour .
• You can be prosecuted for
taking passing on and saving
pictures which are pornographic
or are abusive pictures of
children under 18.
When relationships end
• Falling out of love can
sometimes be just as
easy as falling in love.
Working out whether
it's just a phase or if
your relationship has
reached the end of the
line is one of life's
hardest decisions.
Hellemans (2007)
• interest in sexual experience is usual
• sexuality is important for most individuals
with ASD.
• individuals with ASD should have the right
to fulfil their sexual needs;
-receive training in sociosexual behaviour
-have access to the sexual knowledge they
can manage
-have the right to express sexual impulses in
a socially acceptable way
Conclusion
• Teach the implications and impact of
behaviour
• Train in social awareness including sex
education through a social cognitive
approach
• Run sessions on anger and anxiety
management
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/legal/in
dex.shtml