THAT SPECIAL MOMENT ! DATE: APRIL 2012

Transcription

DATE: APRIL 2012
“One who fears failure limits his activities.
Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again.”
Henry Ford
9.30am -3.30pm
North /
WEST
April 20 Friday
Wholeday
Kilsyth Club
9.30 am -3.30pm
EAST
June 8 Friday
Wholeday
BALLARAT
9.30am -3.30pm
Regional
June 15 Friday
Wholeday
Intro to ASD, Positive and
Practical strategies to support
Behaviour & Learning
Wholeday
CAROLINE SPRINGS
The Club
Mornington
On Tanti Hotel
9.30am- 3.30pm
SOUTH
June 21 Thursday
To register for one of my sessions go to www.pdonline.com.au
Cristina is available for Professional learning sessions at your school.
This means I interpret language very
literally.
THAT SPECIAL MOMENT !
Teacher told her student “Sit Down,
glue your bottom to that chair!”
The student proceeded to get the
glue stick and rub it on his pants
and then sat down!
It’s very confusing for me when you say, “Hold your horses,
cowboy!” when what you really mean is “Please stop
running.” Don’t tell me something is a “piece of cake” when
there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is
“this will be easy for you to do.” When you say “Jamie really
burned up the track,” I see a kid playing with matches.
Please just tell me “Jamie ran very fast.”
Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres, inference,
metaphors, allusions and sarcasm are lost on me.
http://www.ellennotbohm.com/article-archive/tenthings-every-child-with-autism-wishes-you-knew/
CRISTINA ISAAC ABN: 32 473 025 470
[email protected] (03) 9795 0328 or 0416 67 99 88
www.autismspectrumeducation.com
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Insistence on Sameness:
How do people with autism handle change
http://www.usevisualstrategies.com/newsletter
One of the classic signs of autism is Insistence on Sameness. That can be manifest in a variety of ways. One of
the classics is lining up toys in a certain order. Sometimes it means following rules or routines to the point of
obsession. Sometimes, in those situations, even accidentally making a change in daily routines,like bathing or
driving to school, can be met with a strong behavioral response or tantrums or more.
Of course, the most important word in Autism Spectrum Disorders is the word Spectrum. Because of that
spectrum, there are huge variations in how individuals manage sameness vs. change. Some may be more mild.
Some severe.
Many of us don’t handle change well
How do YOU handle change? I’m one of those people who will order the same item on the menu at whatever
restaurant I go to. In contrast, my friend, Jean, loves the unusual and searches out whatever is special or
different to try.
Grandma heats a cup of hot water in a pot on the stove even though the microwave is sitting right next to it. It
wouldn’t occur to her that it would be easier to use the microwave because she has used the stove option for 78
years.
Most of us can point to places in our lives where that insistence on sameness provides clarity or comfort.
Here’s what’s different about autism
Sometimes people will say that the things individuals with autism do are the same as “neurotypical” people. The
difference is in the degree or the amount. (I watched my two year old granddaughter playing not long ago. She
was putting a bunch of toys in a line. That doesn’t mean it was time to evaluate for an autism diagnosis. But if
she did that as a continual, obsessive routine, it would be something to pay attention to.)
You and I may do the same things a person with autism does, but the person with autism may have less ability to
adjust. Another way to think about it is that they can’t cope or compensate or be as flexible as others.
The question is WHY?
Why is this insistence on sameness such a defined characteristic in autism? We don’t have all the answers to this
question. Perhaps it’s a way to feel in control. Perhaps these behaviors provide a form of comfort or soothing. I
think there is less stress when certain things in life happen the same way all the time.
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Insistence on Sameness:
How do people with autism handle change
The most important question is “what to do?”
Having some ideas about how to manage that insistence on sameness can be useful. Here are a few thoughts.
1. Decide if the targeted behavior is something that needs to change
A behavior that affects the individual himself or herself is different from something that controls a whole family
or a whole classroom. It’s important to “pick your battles.” Honestly evaluate what is important.
2. Teach NEW routines
One of my classic Linda Hodgdon quotes is, “It’s easier to teach a new routine than it is to change an old
behavior.” Sometimes you can achieve good success by teaching a new routine, starting from the very
beginning, so the student will learn a new way to manage or respond or do something.
3. Find replacements or create change
One way to manage difficult behaviors or situations is to replace something. When you are teaching a new
routine, replace something that automatically creates change in the undesirable routine. Use a new object,
change locations, change what happens before or after those difficult behaviors,
4. Give information
Give information in a visual form. When you give a student visual information about what is going to happen,
what is changing, or how to do something differently, that can often provide just the “twist” to help that student
adjust. You can visually show them when they can do something and when it is not allowed. Giving them visual
choices can help change an obsessive routine.
Here’s the goal
It’s important to look at the function of those behaviors that we put under the label of Insistence on Sameness.
Do they provide something important for the student? Can that be modified? Can it be substituted? Does it
really need to be eliminated?
More of this and less of that
Temple Grandin wrote (http://autismdigest.com/past-issues/ April) that when she was young, she was allowed
to stim for an hour a day and that helped her calm down. Then the rest of the time she was required to “keep
my brain turned on.”
Sometimes the answer to insistence on sameness, obsessions, rituals and related behaviors is “more of this and
less of that” management. Considering that, perhaps the real change occurs when WE begin to look at behaviors
differently and WE develop some flexibility in how we handle them.
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Turn your iPad into a wePad
by Kathie Harrington, MA, CCC-SLP
Autism Asperger’s Digest | Online Article March 2012
Where was the iPad when my son was young? As a speech language
pathologist (SLP), I use this electronic miracle daily as I work with young
clients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The iPad is portable,
affordable, and easy to use. It is colorful, animated, and keeps our children
productive and busy on their own. Stop the presses. Keeps our children
productive and busy on their own—if that is what an iPad does, then I’d like to rename it a wePad. That is
because another person should be using an iPad with children on the spectrum.
I see it all too often, an iPad with a great app is given to a child and there he or she sits, doing the activity all
alone. No interaction—other than with the machine itself. Yes, the child can learn the alphabet, colors,
numbers, vocabulary, animal sounds, and speaking with rote responses, but personal interaction is lacking. The
crux of what children with ASD do not understand is turn taking, how to interact with people, and how to think
about what the other person is thinking (Theory of Mind).
Can we use the iPad to teach social skills such as turn taking, answering, requesting, greetings and salutations,
choral responses, and eye contact? Yes! When an adult, and eventually another child, interactively engages the
child with ASD through the iPad, it becomes a wePad. The following are ideas on how to do just that!

First of all, the child needs to know that he will be sharing the iPad with another person. Children with
ASD are very possessive of the iPad and do not want to share it with anyone. Many children have their
own iPad and that makes it even harder for them to understand that they need to share. This can be a
major issue at first and one that might involve tears. The parent/caregiver will have to reinforce that
they are not taking the iPad away; they are only going to have fun with it together.
One way to do this is to set a kitchen timer for wePad time. Start off with 10–15 minutes and increase it little-bylittle. Because the adult is going to make it fun and lively, that increase in time might be more rapid than one
would anticipate. Start off with the child’s favorite app. Regardless of what that app is; the adult is going to turn
it into a two-person event.

Because turn taking is the crux of communication—and we now have a wonderful, motivating,
communicative device to use—the iPad is perfect for turn taking skills. “It’s your turn. It’s my turn.” Any
app can be shared in this manner.
Turn taking is in everything we do and say. It is even built into some apps when the app speaks and the child
replies. However, the child is still replying to a machine rather than to a human. Let’s strengthen the concept
with the human element by the adult taking his or her turn as well. Here’s how that might look:
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Animal App for Vocabulary (child touches a cat)
App: “cat”
Child: “cat”
Adult: “My turn.”
(adult touches a frog)
App: “frog”
Adult: “Frog, I said frog, now it’s your turn.” (The child can now say, “frog.”)

Because interaction includes thinking about what the other person is thinking—Theory of Mind—the
iPad is a perfect place for the adult to interject phrases like, I want to put a blue hat on the teddy
bear.
The adult should talk aloud, making simple statements about what he or she is thinking. Do not ask questions at
this point. This is a great opportunity for self-talk and parallel-talk. Again, only statements are used by the adult.
Self-talk is a short statement about what you are doing. “I’m pointing to the bear.” Parallel-talk is a short
statement pertaining to what the child is doing. “You are looking at the horse.”

Yes/no responses are usually difficult to teach as communication to the young child with ASD, and yet, it
is so important for a parent to understand their child’s wants and needs. The iPad is a
brilliant, motivating, and cunning device to teach yes/no. There are free apps that have only big buttons
with yes/no on them. These are in two different colors and can be changed from a male to a female
voice.
The adult needs to ask the child age-appropriate questions to elicit the correct answer. Children want to play
around with this first and see what it does. That’s okay. Laugh and have fun as the child hits the buttons. Then
limit the hitting to pointing by saying, “Use your pointer.” Always start by asking what the child knows or wants.
For example:
Do you want an M&M?
A reward of an M&M is given immediately if the yes button is touched.
Do you want more M&M’s?
Use your pointer and your words.
(Look for pointing to the yes button as well as the child saying “more” or “yes.”)
The pointing to a correct yes/no button will have already been well established before this action/speech
combination is requested (depending on the child’s ability level and expressive speech level).

Choral responses are a part of all classrooms, but children with ASD do not like to respond or sing in
unison because they do not interact well in group activities. They tend to shut down and do not join in
when a group of children recite The Pledge of Allegiance or sing together. By adding just a few words at
a time, the adult, the child, and the iPad soon form a group (choral response). This can be done with the
ABCs, counting, songs, and nursery rhymes.
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Always start with something the child is familiar with and enjoys. Children often respond and speak
along with the iPad once they know the activity/song. The adult needs to ease into it with the child. I
find that most children know and love “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” which can be found in several app
versions on the iPad. They also like “Puff the Magic Dragon” at www.snapps4kids.com.

Near pointing (with the pointing finger of either hand) is an important concept for all children.
Many children want to point with their fist rather than using their pointer. Simply say, “Use
your pointer” or use hand-over-hand (the adult taking the child’s hand and forming a pointing finger)
to attain a pointer. Point to a single item on the screen to begin—the adult needs to always take his or
her own turn or help the child point. Move on to multiple pictures on the screen as soon as possible,
naming the picture.
Make it a game: who can point to the top picture first? Bottom picture first? The one that has red in it? Blue in
it? (This can involve turn taking, pointing, following directions, prepositions, focus/attention, vocabulary,
interaction, self-talk and parallel-talk, fun, and shared laughter!)

Response-time delay is something I always note with children and adults with ASD but find little
written about this in the literature. Many apps provide the opportunity to practice rapid responses that
the adult can pair with turn taking. Keep picking up the pace of pointing using any app that is motivating
to the child.
Challenge your spectrum child with phrases like, “I’m going to point to the monkey first” or “I can go faster than
you.” Just don’t let this get out of hand to where the child starts using a fist response rather than using his or her
pointer.

Of course, there is laughter and fun. What tells us more about language comprehension than moments
of shared laughter?
It is okay for children with ASD to have some alone time with their iPad. The iPad can certainly take the place of
unwanted stimming time. It can be used as a reward for positive behavior, and it is good as a calming technique.
It is also nice to have when a parent is busy getting dinner on the table for the family. Like other “screen time,”
the iPad needs limitations. One of the best ways to set boundaries is to use a kitchen timer. When the timer
goes off, the activity is over. For individual use with the iPad, I would suggest no more than 20 minutes at a time.
For using the wePad as an interaction tool (practicing turn taking, attention, pointing, rapid responses,
vocabulary, expressive, receptive, and pragmatic speech), I recommend unlimited amounts of time interspersed
throughout the day. Yes, the iPad is good for children with ASD, but the wePad is better. You, the parent, make
it the best!
BIO
Kathie is the mother of a grown son with ASD. She is a speech/language pathologist, author, blogger, and
international speaker. Learn more about Kathie at her website, www.kathiesworld.com.
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Why Do Kids with Autism Stim?
by Temple Grandin, PhD
Autism Asperger’s Digest | November/December 2011
“Stims” is short for self-stimulatory behaviors, behaviors most people exhibit. We might twirl our hair
or tap a pencil – that’s stimming. The difference between acceptable stims and those we consider
inappropriate is in the type and intense repetition of the stims.
When I did stims such as dribbling sand through my fingers, it calmed me down. When I stimmed,
sounds that hurt my ears stopped. Most kids with autism do these repetitive behaviors because it feels
good in some way. It may counteract an overwhelming sensory environment, or alleviate the high
levels of internal anxiety these kids typically feel every day. Individuals with autism exhibit a variety of
stims; they may rock, flap, spin themselves or items such as coins, pace, hit themselves, or repeat
words over and over (verbal stims). When these behaviors are uncontrollable, occur excessively in
inappropriate settings, or prevent a child from socially acceptable interaction, a problem exists.
A common question both parents and teachers ask me is: “Should the child be allowed to do stims?
My answer is usually “yes and no.”
I was allowed to stim in the privacy of my bedroom for one hour after lunch and for a short period of
time after dinner. The rest of the time stims were not allowed. Stimming was absolutely forbidden at
the dining table, in stores, and in church. I think it is important for a child with autism to have some
scheduled time to do stims in private. When they get over stimulated, it helps them calm down. In
individuals with more severe autism, stimming can be used as a reward. In some of these individuals,
they can sustain attention for very short periods and then need to stim to refocus and realign their
systems.
Three Types of Repetitive Behavior
Not all repetitive behaviors are stims, so it is important to distinguish the source behind the behavior.
Stimming Behaviors. These behaviors self-soothe a child and help him regain emotional balance.
Unfortunately, if children are allowed to stim all day, no learning will take place because the child’s
brain is shut off from the outside world. It is perfectly fine to give a child some time to stim but the
rest of the day, a young two to five-year-old should be getting three to four hours a day of one-to-one
contact with a good teacher to keep the child’s brain open to receiving information and learning.
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Involuntary Movements. These movements can resemble stims but they may be caused by either
Tourette Syndrome or a condition called tardive dyskinesia, which is a side effect of antipsychotic drugs
such as Risperdal (risperadone), Seroquel (quetiapine) or Abilify (aripiprazole). Nerve damage –
sometimes permanent – from these drugs causes the repetitive behaviors. Even though they are
approved by the FDA for five-year-olds, they are a poor choice due to the danger of nerve damage and
huge weight gain. I would recommend trying a special diet or fish oil supplement first.
Total Meltdown Due to Sensory Overload. When this happens, the child is often having a tantrum
while exhibiting repetitive behaviors like kicking or flapping. The best approach is to put the child in a
quiet place and let him calm down. Teaching is impossible during a meltdown. When I was finished
having a tantrum, mother quietly told me the consequence was no TV tonight and that was it.
Depending on the reason for the stimming, therapeutic approaches such as ABA, environmental
modifications, or sensory-based therapies can be helpful in alleviating or modifying the stim. Parents
can also teach the child to substitute a more acceptable behavior for the stim when outside the home,
such as rubbing a small object in the child’s pocket or squeezing a cushy ball instead of hand flapping.
Watch Temple Grandin on Youtube talking about Stimming
http://youtu.be/TFv0UkwBtAA
You're in My Bubble! Space Boundaries for Children with Autism
Teaching space boundaries to children with autism is often challenging. This article gives some practical
teaching tips to help with this important skill.
The teacher holds her arm in front of her and says, "Personal space." The child backs up, all the while
continuing the conversation he is having with his teacher. Establishing and understanding space
boundaries is one of those all-important skills that comes naturally to typicals, but must be taught and
often cued to students on the autism spectrum.
Space Invaders
We all have a "space bubble" in which we feel comfortable; our bubble more or less consists of the
space an arms-length around us. When people invade our space, we feel threatened and uneasy. In the
world of autism, space boundaries do not exist. A child with autism does not understand that having a
conversation two inches away from someone's face is inappropriate and uncomfortable. Like many
social skills, this one must be taught in the natural environment and constantly monitored.
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You're in My Bubble! Space Boundaries for Children with Autism
Space Boundary Activities
1. Hula Hoop Bubble: Have students sit inside hula hoops on the floor, with the hula
hoops in a line. Explain that the hula hoops are "space bubbles", and go over the
importance of not invading someone's bubble. The students may then walk
around holding their hula hoops around them (floating bubbles) to get an
awareness of how their own space should feel around them. Allow two students
to touch their hula hoops together to exhibit appropriate space when two people
are talking.
2. Space Spinners: Students hold their arms straight out at their sides, hands bent
up (as in saying STOP with a hand signal). Have students spin around, keeping
their arms out. Their "spinning space" is an appropriate space when conversing with people.
Students love this game because the spinning action really does help them remember the space
boundary.
3. Role-Play: Have students role-play different scenarios of being inside someone's space (being a
space invader) and respecting someone's space (being a space ace). This works well with highfunctioning, verbal students. This is also a good time to teach ways to self-advocate, such as
stepping back from someone who is too close.
4. Social Stories: Using stories with visuals to teach space boundaries is an excellent technique. A
social story is a story written to address a specific skill. For example: I have an area around my
body that is called my "personal space." This space is like an invisible bubble. Sometimes my
personal space is large. When it is large, my personal space goes out to my fingertips. When my
personal space is large, other people stay outside of it. When my personal space is large, I do
not touch other people, and they do not touch me. This helps all of us to feel comfortable.
Carol Gray: How to Write Social Stories.
5. Carpet Squares: Those wonderful carpet squares can be used for many things and are a great
way to establish space boundaries when students are in circle time. They can also be used as
"magic carpets", where no one can enter the magical space around the carpet.
6. Visual Cues: Use a gesture with your arm to remind students if they are standing too close. Also,
visual cue cards may be used discreetly to remind students that they are in someone's space.
7. Read the book Personal Space Camp by Julia Cook. There is also an activity book available that
goes along with this wonderful book.
Teaching personal space boundaries to students with autism can be a challenging task, but with
repeated direct instruction, visual cues, and monitoring students can successfully learn to be "space
aces" instead of "space invaders.
Read more at Suite101: You're in My Bubble! Space Boundaries for Children with Autism |
Suite101.com http://tina-halbert.suite101.com/youre-in-my-bubble-space-boundaries-for-childrenwith-autism-a332735#ixzz1pLwOcRn6
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YouTube launches a section just for schools
http://www.youtube.com/schools
Many schools block access to YouTube from their networks. To solve this problem,
YouTube has created a special section for schools, filled with age-appropriate
educational content. YouTube for Schools gives users access to the hundreds of
thousands of educational videos on YouTube EDU. This includes short lessons from
top teachers around the world, full courses from the world’s best universities,
professional development from fellow educators, and inspiring videos from thought
leaders. School teachers and administrators can log in and watch any video, but students cannot log in
and can only watch YouTube EDU videos and videos their school has added. All comments and related
videos are disabled, and search is limited to YouTube EDU videos. YouTube also has created a page for
teachers, YouTube.com/Teachers, to help them learn to use the site as a powerful educational tool.
APPS for FUN and LEARNING
TinkerBox is an iPad designed to teach students engineering and physics
using simulations. The app is designed as a serries of virtual challenges.
Each challenge requires the student to manipulate an object and watch
the result live. The student can continue to manipulate until they are
successful in accomplishing the task. This is an excellent and engaging app
to teach students engineering and physics concepts using the iPad.
Rover, by iSwifter Learn Inc - Free education app recently updated and the only
education Flash browser for your iPad designed for teachers and students. Rover
is targeted toward grades K-12. It brings some of the best online learning content
to your iPad. You can now access content not ordinarily available on the iPad (e.g.
Flash). iSwifter has partnered with major education brands, like Discovery
Education and our personal favorite classroom websites BrainPOP and
UpToTen.com.
Sentence Maker is a FUN app that will help children with language skills as they are
immersed in words and proper sentence formation. Sentence Maker is an exciting
interactive game that helps children learn to make and complete their own sentences,
all with just the touch of a finger. Sentence Maker provides opportunities for 2, 3, 4
and 5 word combinations when creating sentences. BEST PART: it is totally
customizable!
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Setting up for Success
If you have a student on the spectrum no matter what age there a few KEY strategies that will
make a huge difference and set both you and the student up for success..
S.P.E.C.T.R.U.M
Schedules
Send home timetables ASAP. Have a visual timetable up in the classroom. If there is going to
be a change, let the student know in advance and indicate on the timetable/schedule.
Processing Time
Allow them time to process information (both verbal and visual) before you repeat instructions,
questions or take away visual information.
sEt up for Success
Most students on the spectrum have a huge fear of failure and this can be seen as
“perfectionism”, “constant rubbing out/crossing out work” or “doing NO work”. Starting the year
by saying “I want you to make mistakes”, talking about mistakes = learning, and encouraging
ALL students to have a go, will help reduce anxiety. Role model making mistakes on the
board, show students work that isn’t “perfect”, not the neatest, has crossed out work and
incorrect answers will reinforce you are happy with mistakes.
Communication
Limit instructions, use monotone voice, name at start of sentence, remember they are literal.
Instead of saying “Can you sit down”, say “Jack sit on the green chair”. Instead of “Do you
want to join the class”, say “Jack come and sit next to me”, etc. If you raise your voice this can
cause a sensory meltdown and most students on the spectrum can’t process high frequency
sounds (see Sensory Processing on page 2 for more information).
Timeframes
See Top Tips for Using Schedules and Timers opposite.
Repeat Activities
Most people with an ASD love repetition, whether it is a DVD, movement, conversation or
activity. Giving students repetitive routines and activities helps reduce stress as they know
what to expect. Repeating activities allows success, build independence and increases
confidence.
Understanding
Students on the spectrum are VISUAL learners. Sometimes they can repeat exactly what you
said but do not understand. The more visuals you use, the higher the understanding.
Motivate/Reward
Use their “favourite” activities to motivate them. It is best to use lots of short rewards rather
than waiting a whole day. I have found the most effective is a quick activity, then quick reward.
For example: 30 minutes work, 5 minutes building rather than work all day = 20 minutes
building.
For more information on using special interests and token systems download my FREE tip
sheet at www.suelarkey.com.
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12 Top Tips for Using Schedules and Timers
Schedules and Timers tell the child HOW LONG and WHEN they are going to have to do an
activity. Timers allow us to pre-warn the child. They help answer many of the questions these
children have: What is happening? What order? What time? What is next? How long?
1.Break tasks down into small achievable tasks, with realistic timeframes. Use digital timer on
Portable Schedule to count UP or DOWN. For example: Time for school = clean teeth, toilet,
bag, hat.
2.Help move from one activity to the next. For example: Mat Time, Reading, Recess.
3. Finish. Letting a child know how long to go and what is next.
4. Independence. Allow students to self monitor and move from one task to another without
prompts.
5. Toilet Timing! Put the visuals for toilet on the Portable Schedule: Toilet, Flush, Wash Hands,
Dry Hands and re-set for 1 hour or more!
At Home
6. Set 10 minutes to get dressed – attach relevant clothing visuals to Schedule.
7. Morning Routine – Breakfast, TV, Get Dressed.
8. 5 minutes doing Lego and then Mum will be ready.
At School
9. 10 minutes work, 5 minute break, 10 minutes work etc.
10. How long will it take to write x sentences or how many words can you write in x time. You
can use this idea for reading, maths, worksheets etc.
11.Set up for Recess/Lunch with a schedule of activities.
12. 20 Minutes for Assembly put visuals on strip for song, awards etc.
www.suelarkey.com.
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Using Consequences and Rewards to Improve Behaviour
by Temple Grandin, PhD
Autism Asperger’s Digest | November/December 2011
When I was in elementary school, the rules and discipline were the same at home and
school. If I had a temper tantrum at school, the consequence was no TV for one night. (Today
the consequence might be no video games.)
Kids on the spectrum are masters at testing the boundaries and finding where they can break
the rules. I knew that a tantrum at school would result in not being able to watch my favorite TV
show. When I was good, my family respected my time to watch Howdy Doody because they
knew it was important to me. I can remember losing the privilege only a few times.
In my life consequences were only used for really bad behavior such as a temper tantrum or
fighting. After a fistfight in my high school cafeteria, horseback riding was taken away for two
weeks. I never got in another fight again.
Keep in mind that you should never punish a child with autism for acting out, or a tantrum,
when it is caused by sensory overload. My mother was a good detective about what
environments caused me stress. She recognized that large crowds or too much noise was
more than my nervous system could handle. When I tantrumed, she understood why.
As a consequence for bad behavior, Mother never took away art; she took away TV. It is
important to nurture areas of strength such as art, math, music, or writing. Never, never take
away activities that could turn into careers. These activities need to be nurtured. Instead, take
away a video game or YouTube watching.
Consequences done wrong can really backfire. Consequences like taking away my favorite TV
show or horseback riding were only given for really serious problems such as anger. Nitpicking
kinds of consequences will only frustrate a child. One teenage girl resented her mother
because she had an elaborate system of small consequences and rewards for every kind of
behavior. For example setting the table was equal to 15 minutes of computer time and not
cleaning her room was 15 minutes less.
Everyday behaviors, such as good table manners and being on time, were simply expected.
When I made a social mistake,
such as twirling my fork in the air, mother quietly gave the instruction to put my fork down. She
did not scream “no”; she quietly gave the instruction for the correct behavior instead.
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Rewards were given to me for really big accomplishments. When I did something exceptional, I
was praised. When I made a beautiful clay horse, mother praised it. When I sang a solo in an
adult concert, mother praised it. I was only congratulated for exceptional work; I was not
praised for wearing a fancy church hat that I hated—that was expected.
Mother made sure there was consistency of discipline at home, and between home and
school. She, my nanny, and the teacher worked together. It is essential that both parents and
teachers are consistent and follow through with consequences for serious problems. They also
need to reward real accomplishments.
Love Temple’s columns and her unique perspectives on ASD?
Read her latest autism book, The Way I See It.
http://www.boardmakershare.com/
BoardmakerShare is the perfect community for finding thousands of Boardmaker activities on hundreds of
topics. The visuals are produced by educators posted online to share for free. If you have a visual to make
and need some ideas Boardmakershare is a good place to start.
Social story about stomping and crying.
http://www.boardmakershare.com/Activity/822558/Stomp-and-cry
14
DSM-5 Proposed Criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder Designed
to Provide More Accurate Diagnosis and Treatment
ARLINGTON, Va. (Jan. 20, 2012)—The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has proposed new diagnostic
criteria for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) for autism.
While final decisions are still months away, the recommendations reflect the work of dozens of the nation’s top
scientific and research minds and are supported by more than a decade of intensive study and analysis. The
proposal by the DSM-5 Neurodevelopmental Work Group recommends a new category called autism spectrum
disorder which would incorporate several previously separate diagnoses, including autistic disorder, Asperger’s
disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.
The proposal asserts that symptoms of these four disorders represent a continuum from mild to severe, rather
than a simple yes or no diagnosis to a specific disorder. The proposed diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum
disorder specify a range of severity as well as describe the individual’s overall developmental status--in social
communication and other relevant cognitive and motor behaviors.
Dr. James Scully, Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association said, “The proposed criteria will lead
to more accurate diagnosis and will help physicians and therapists design better treatment interventions for
children who suffer from autism spectrum disorder.”
The draft DSM-5 criteria will provide a more useful dimensional assessment to improve the sensitivity and
specificity of the criteria. This change will help clinicians more accurately diagnose people with relevant
symptoms and behaviors by recognizing the differences from person to person, rather than providing general
labels that tend not to be consistently applied across different clinics and centers.
Proposed DSM-5 criteria are being tested in real-life clinical settings known as field trials. Field testing of the
proposed criteria for autism spectrum disorder does not indicate that there will be any change in the number of
patients receiving care for autism spectrum disorders in treatment centers--just more accurate diagnoses that
can lead to more focused treatment.
Criteria proposed for DSM-5 are posted on the DSM-5 website and will be open for additional public comment
this spring. More information on the process for developing DSM-5 is also available on the website. Final
publication of DSM-5 is planned for May 2013.
DSM is the manual used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose and classify mental disorders. The American
Psychiatric Association (APA) will publish DSM-5 in 2013, culminating a 14-year revision process. For more
information, go to www.dsm5.org.
The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose physician members specialize
in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses including substance use disorders. Visit
the APA at www.psych.org, psychiatryonline.org, and www.HealthyMinds.org.
15
People With Autism Possess Greater Ability to Process
Information, Study Suggests
ScienceDaily (Mar. 22, 2012) — People with autism have a greater than normal capacity for processing
information even from rapid presentations and are better able to detect information defined as
'critical', according to a study published March 22 in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. The research
may help to explain the apparently higher than average prevalence of people with autism spectrum
disorders in the IT industry.
Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder that affects social interaction, communication and, often,
learning; however, people with autism show an increased ability to focus attention on certain tasks.
Yet clinical reports backed up by some laboratory research show that these individuals can be more
sensitive to the distracting effects of irrelevant stimuli, such as flashing lights or particular sounds,
which can be easily ignored by people without the disorder.
Professor Nilli Lavie, from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL, hypothesises that this
combination of the ability to focus and a susceptibility to distraction might be caused by a higher than
normal information processing capacity.
"Our work on perceptual capacity in the typical adult brain suggests a clear explanation for the unique
cognitive profile that people with autism show," she says. "People who have higher perceptual capacity
are able to process more information from a scene, but this may also include some irrelevant
information which they may find harder to ignore. Our research suggests autism does not involve a
distractibility deficit but rather an information processing advantage."
Professor Lavie, together with Dr Anna Remington and Dr John Swettenham from the UCL
Developmental Science department, tested this hypothesis on 16 adult volunteers with autism
spectrum disorders and compared their results against those of 16 typical adults in a task to challenge
their perceptual load capacity.
16
The task involved looking at a circle of letters flashed very briefly on the screen and searching for some
'target' letters. At the same time, the participants were also asked to detect a small grey shape that
occasionally appeared outside the letter circle.
When only one or two letters were flashed on the screen, the researchers found that both groups
could successfully find the letter and detect the shape. However, making the search task more
challenging by increasing the number of letters significantly impaired the detection performance of the
typical adults -- but not of the adults with autism spectrum disorders, who were able to detect the
extra shape just as well in the more challenging conditions. When the task became harder, they
significantly outperformed the typical adults.
Professor Lavie says: "Our study confirms our hypothesis that people with autism have higher
perceptual capacity compared to the typical population. This can only be seen once the task becomes
more demanding, with more information to process. In the more challenging task conditions, people
with autism are able to perceive significantly more information than the typical adult."
Professor Lavie believes that the finding may help explain why people with autism spectrum disorders,
such as Asperger's syndrome, may excel in some careers such as IT, which can require intense
concentration and the ability to process a great deal of information from a computer screen. Autism
diagnoses in California's Silicon Valley reportedly increased three-fold in the 1990s, a phenomenon
termed 'geek syndrome' by 'Wired' magazine.
"Our study clearly shows that people with autism can do better than typical adults in tasks involving
rapid presentations of a lot of information," says Professor Lavie. "There are clearly careers, such as in
IT, that can benefit from employing people with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders."
"These findings could also enable clinicians and families to help individuals with autism spectrum
disorder capitalise on their strengths by exploiting the increase in perceptual capacity," adds Dr
Remington.
The research also sheds light on the relationship between autism and 'savants', such as artist Stephen
Wiltshire (who is able to draw in incredible detail a scene seen for only a few seconds) and Kim Peek
(on whom the eponymous character of the film 'Rain Man' was based). The researchers argue that
these abilities are, in part, likely to be a consequence of their high perceptual capacity; however, their
study suggests that most people with autism share this characteristic, regardless of whether they
possess exceptional savant-like abilities.
17
Autism: Don't Look Now -- I'm Trying to Think
ScienceDaily (Mar. 7, 2012) — Children with autism look away from faces when thinking, especially about
challenging material, according to new research from Northumbria University.
Although generally encouraged to maintain eye contact as a means of enhancing their social skills, researchers
found autistic children follow the same patterns as other children when processing complex information or
difficult tasks. Typically developing children and adults look away when asked difficult questions and gaze
aversion has been proven in the past to improve the accuracy of responses.
Prof Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon, Associate Dean for Research in the School of Life Sciences at Northumbria
University, will present her findings in next month's Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
In the first study of its kind, researchers asked 20 children with autism -- characterised by reduced sociability -and 18 with William's Syndrome -- associated with hypersociability -- to carry out mental arithmetic tests. Both
groups engaged in gaze aversion while thinking and increased their gaze aversion as question difficulty
increased.
Prof Doherty-Sneddon said: "Previous research found that children and adults tend to avert their gaze when
thinking something through and this principle can now be applied to children with autism too.
"Although social skills training is important in encouraging eye contact with children with autism, this research
demonstrates that gaze aversion, at a certain point within an interaction, is functional in helping them to
concentrate on difficult tasks."
When trying to retrieve information from memory or work out complex problem-solving, looking at someone's
face can actually interfere with the processing of task relevant information. This is, in part, because faces are
such rich sources of information that capture our attention.
She added: "This research will have a major impact in terms of the way teachers interact with these children.
When teachers or parents ask a child a difficult question and they look away, our advice would be to wait to
allow them to process the information and focus on finding a suitable response."
Journal reference: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 53:4 (2012), pp 420-430
18
Teachers With Apps‘ goal is to be a credible resource for
quality educational apps. This site was created to help
parents, grandparents, teachers, administrators and
anyone else, wade through the vast number of ”educational” apps being introduced on a daily basis.
http://teacherswithapps.com/
http://lifeskills4kids.com.au/
Life Skills 4 Kids is not about us – it’s about you. Whether
you’re a parent, a teacher, a therapist, or simply a person who
loves and interacts with children, we want you to have the
world’s best evidenced-based help, advice and essential skillbuilding tools to empower you to help your children. Now more
than ever before children need the best possible start, and
we’re here to give you the best possible support in providing it
for them.
http://www.eclassroomnews.com/
http://www.autismtoday.com/
http://seeandspeak.com.au/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mla06cyQ9O0
19
Personal Space Camp n's/Life Skills) by Julia Cook (Author), Carrie Hartman
(Illustrator)
Louis, a proclaimed “space expert” really struggles with personal space issues.
When he gets sent to the principal’s office to attend Personal Space Camp, he
is convinced that he is going to Space Camp. Louis quickly learns the difference
between personal space and outer space and he even becomes a “Double
Space Expert!”
What's That Look on Your Face? All About Faces and Feelings
by Catherine S. Snodgrass
Recognizing and interpreting facial expressions and the feelings they represent
poses great challenges for children with language and communication
difficulties, including those with an autism spectrum disorder. This strikingly
illustrated book helps young readers link faces to feelings by presenting
situations they can all relate to. Each page spread is devoted to a feeling
expressed through an exaggerated facial expression accompanied by a short
poem that further elaborates on the expression to reinforce its meaning.
Friendly Facts: A Fun, Interactive Resource to Help Children
Explore the Complexities of Friends and Friendship
By Margaret Carter and Josie Santomauro
Making and keeping friends doesn't come easy for children with autism
spectrum disorders. Many children need to be taught a range of strategies
directed at expanding their social understanding skills, such as reading
facial expressions and body language. Friendly Facts, an interactive
workbook aimed at children ages 7-11, addresses these challenges by
breaking down the complex concept of making friends into simpler ideas.
Through fun, engaging activities, children gain real-life knowledge of the
major "secrets" of making and keeping friends. By gaining the foundation for making and keeping
friends at a crucial age, children are better prepared for successfully interacting with others for the rest
of their lives. Dating, Internet and E-mail Safety, and many more!
20
What is a Social Detective?
http://www.socialthinking.com/
To become a Social Detective, students learn to use their social smarts to figure
out that others are having thoughts about them and they should have thoughts
about others. Using these social smarts will help students make smart guesses
and understand someone else's social plan. They also learn that their own actions
have consequences in how people think, feel and react to them. Components of
becoming a Social Detective include:
♦ Using Social Detective Tools (your eyes, ears and brain) to understand the feelings of others.
♦ Being a Social Thinker - aware of the people around us and understanding that they are having thoughts
about each of our behaviors.
♦ People have different thoughts about us when we do Expected or Unexpected Behaviors. Expected
Behaviors are things we do and say that give people good thoughts about us and make them feel good, too.
Unexpected Behaviors can give people uncomfortable thoughts and make them feel icky, or mad or bad. This
means that we didn't figure out how to act in that place with that person, and they don't feel good about us.
♦ Thinking With Your Eyes - look at a person to make them feel that you are thinking about what they are
saying or doing.
♦ Brain in the Group - paying attention to what is happening in the group by thinking about others with your
eyes and listening to what they are taking about.
♦ Body in the Group - make others feel that you are part of the group by keeping your body turned toward
others in the group. Also make others feel comfortable by respecting their space and not crowding them.
♦ When you learn how your actions affect what others are thinking, saying or feeling, you are using Social
Smarts, and you are learning to be a Social Detective!
Small Steps Big SkillsTM Video Game! http://www.sandbox-learning.com/



Teaches 22 skills for independence
Combines Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) methods of video modeling and least to most prompting by
having players watch the skill being completed (video modeling) then they practice it in a game format
(least to most prompting)
Shows a variety of materials to promote generalization
21






Is evidence-based. Results from a beta version of the game appeared in Education and Training in
Developmental Disabilities (December, 2009) and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (June,
2010)
Demonstrates skills from a first person perspective to realistically show how skills are completed and to
remove showing age or gender
Rewards kids with 8 fun game
Customizable by adding your own videos
Collects data at each step of the skill
Compatible with PC or Mac
Small Steps, Big SkillsTM video game teaches skills for independence by simulating actually doing the
skills! Players watch a video of the skill being completed then practice with increasing prompt levels as
necessary.
Level 1 – Independent: Players
independently complete the step
Level 2 – Verbal: Players hear a voice over
of the step
Level 3 – Verbal + Video Model
Players watch a screen in screen video
of the step
Level 4 – Verbal + Simulated Physical
Players see the correct step highlighted
Skills Taught in Small Steps, Big
SkillsTM The game will cost $89.95 US +
shipping and handling.
The Transporters was developed with the Autism Research Centre at
Cambridge University. It uses animated vehicles with real human faces to
help children transfer learning to real life.
Episodes and quizzes are designed to be enjoyed repeatedly. Children love
to watch them again and again - and this helps them learn.
http://www.thetransporters.com
22
The CAT-kit
http://www.catkit-us.com/
The Cognitive Affective Training (CAT) kit is a program that consists of
visual, interactive, and customizable communication elements for
children and young adults. It is designed to help students become
aware of how their thoughts, feelings and actions all interact and, in the
process of using the various visual components, they share their
insights with others. It is an easy and effective way to work with
neurotypical children and young adults as well as with people with
developmental disabilities.
Most of us begin the complex process of learning to recognize
facial expression of emotions in infancy. From the faces of
parents, siblings, grandparents, or other caregivers, we
develop a considerable amount of expertise in this aspect of
socialization at an early age. For some children with Autism,
Asperger's, or other developmental deficiencies, this is often not the case. Since skill in recognizing facial expression of
emotions is important to functioning in a social environment, there is value in helping children develop this skill. But, what
if it doesn't develop normally?
FACELAND
uses an Amusement Park theme to engage and motivate. 6 “Schools” introduce concepts as “clues” and 11 game-like
activities offer practice that is fun!
FACELAND "Schools" are based on the hypothesis that some children will build skill in facial recognition of emotion by:





Breaking them down into smaller pieces (clues)
Promoting clue acquisition via spaced repetition
Checking for understanding of clues using new examples
Combining clues for “part to whole” learning
Utilizing instruction that incorporates photos, mirror mimic sessions, and varied interaction
FACELAND "Games" motivate practice and skill acquisition. The program uses a diverse
range of subjects to aid generalization/transfer of recognition skills to real life situations
Surprise, Anger, Fear, Disgust, Sadness, and Happiness were the emotions selected because
they are the most basic of human emotions. These emotions are expressed in cultures
throughout the world. FACELAND is based on a portion of Paul Ekman's research, the leading
psychologist in the study of facial expression of emotions.
http://www.donjohnston.com/products/autism/faceland/
23
Helping Children with Autism
Parents & Carers: General Enquiries
1. Raising Children Network Autism website:
Provides impartial and evidence based information, online resources and interactive functions to
support parents, families, carers and professionals.
 www.raisingchildren.net.au/autism

2. FaHCSIA website:
Provides an overview of the Helping Children with Autism package and information about FaHCSIA
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) policy.
 www.fahcsia.gov.au/autism
3. Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) – Medicare Enquiry:
The Department of Health and Ageing has made new Medicare items available for children aged under
13 years (for diagnosis and treatment planning) and under 15 years (for treatment).
 www.health.gov.au/autism
 [email protected]
DoHA helpline: (02) 6289 4297
Medicare Australia: 132 011
4. Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
(DEEWR):
DEEWR is delivering initiatives to help improve the educational outcomes for school aged children with
ASDs.
 www.deewr.gov.au
Australian Autism Education and Training Consortium (AAETC):
 www.autismtraining.com.au
5. Autism Associations
Following diagnosis, families are able to contact an Autism Advisor to access local information, advice
and practical help. The Autism Advisors can be contacted through the lead agency associations.
Contact your state Autism association.
24
Helping Children with Autism
Parents & Carers: General Enquiries
6. Play Connect Playgroups, provided by Playgroup Australia:
The Autism Spectrum Disorder Playgroup Program targets children aged zero to six with ASDs or ASD
like symptoms. Children will not require a formal diagnosis of an ASD to attend a playgroup.
 www.playconnect.com.au
1800 790 335
7. Helping Children with Autism Enquiry Line:
For more information about the Helping Children with Autism package please contact the enquiry line
or the ASD Inbox.
1800 289 177 (TTY 1800 260 402)
8. Early Days Workshops:
The Early Days Workshops are aimed at equipping parents and carers of children with ASDs or ASD like
symptoms to more effectively manage the pressures they face in raising their children at home.
 www.earlydays.net.au 1800 334 155
9. Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres
Six Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres are being established. They will provide early
learning programs and specific support for children with ASDs.

[email protected]
25

THAT SPECIAL MOMENT ! DATE: APRIL 2012

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