228 Results in Strategies

10 ways to ease primary to secondary transition with ASD

The transition from primary to secondary school is thought to be one of the most difficult times for children on the autistic spectrum. Many girls in particular seem to cope quite well at primary school (even without an ASD diagnosis or without ASD even being suspected); and indeed it's far more common for girls to only be diagnosed at or after puberty, rather than before. There are lots of thoughts about why this is but in this article I will write to parents about some of the difficulties that may occur for children with ASD because of the primary to secondary transition and some suggestions on what can be done to make it easier. I would like to emphasise the huge importance of thinking about the move to secondary school well before the time actually comes. I sometimes talk to parents who tell me that their child is "only [age]" [and so] "it's a bit too early to think about that now" but I can assure you that it is not too early to at least be somewhat aware of the challenges that may arise. Many of the challenges can be greatly reduced by preparing early or, for some things, simply by being aware of them. Girls with ASD (in particular) are prone to suffering from mental health conditions in their teenage years. Some of these conditions, such as eating disorders, can negatively affect that person for the rest of their life. If there is the chance therefore, that we can reduce the likelihood of these conditions from arising, we should take it! Here's my advice to parents, based on personal experience of the things that would have helped me:

‘High maintenance’

This is an article describing why people with ASD (especially girls and women, as they tend to be more sensitive) may be considered and described as being 'high maintenance' by their loved ones. Personally, I am not interested in material things and my life is very simple and inexpensive. I don't go out very often, I don't really care about how I look, and my interests/needs don't require me to spend a lot of money. In this sense, I'm very low maintenance. I do of course have ASD however, which means I have "special needs", and there are lots of other things I do require. In this article, I will talk about a few of them. Not wanting things rather than wanting things Sounds, smells and tastes The chapter 'Try Feeling This!' in the book 22 Things a Woman with Asperger's Syndrome wants her Partner to Know is very interesting. Rudy Simone, the author, describes how an autistic person may not even think they are high maintenance because most of the stuff is about what they don't want.

Dealing with unsafe situations – recognising danger

Children with ASD may be more prone to putting themselves in dangerous situations than children without ASD. It doesn't stop in childhood - adults with ASD too, may unintentionally put themselves in dangerous situations more frequently than other people. There is already lots of interesting and helpful information about this subject on the internet and in books. In particular, sources often detail on sensory processing challenges - for example, a person not being able to recognise when something is too hot, too cold, or too sharp and touching it. I am going to look at recognising danger from some other angles, however. I hope you enjoy my thoughts!

‘Cognitive loading’ and how to improve learning

'Cognitive Load' is a theory developed in the 1980s by a psychologist called John Sweller. It refers to working (short term) memory. Cognitive Load Theory is a good way to describe how much 'load' there is on the brain, i.e. how much mental effort is being used at any given time. When a person is learning, the most efficient way to learn is to reduce the cognitive load so that information will be retained - and more easily stored in the long term memory - with the least mental effort involved. In this article we will look at the process of learning, the types of load, how they are influenced by autism, and how the load can be reduced in people with autism.

How to make a decision about engaging in an activity

Upcoming activities can often cause stress or excitement for those on the spectrum. Deciding whether it is a good or bad idea to engage in them can be quite difficult. When are we not well enough? Determining when you are too sick, too tired or simply not well enough to engage in activities can be tricky for those on the spectrum. It is very difficult to understand when "too" tired is too tired, or "too" sick is too sick. Let me illustrate this with an example: ‘Ella (29, ASD) has a daily habit of engaging in yoga after work. Today she came home with a bad headache and she can’t stop sneezing. She feels greatly confused about this and is in doubt as to whether she should do yoga or not. She can’t determine if she is too unwell. She decides to do yoga but after half an hour feels so ill she has to retreat to bed.'

Choice – a burden or a privilege?

Lots of people like having choices. Choice makes many people feel they have a 'freedom', or that it's their 'right' to have a choice. Choice can make people feel good. However, we have to be more thoughtful when giving choices to people on the autistic spectrum. Often, a choice tends to be a burden rather than a pleasure. One of the constraints of choice is that choice does not define expectations or parameters. For someone with ASD who already has anxiety in daily life, not having clear parameters can add to their anxiety. Another problem with choice is that to decide, or to make, a choice, requires quite complicated mental processes (executive functioning). Neurotypicals tend to have good executive functioning, but it is something that many people with ASD have difficulty with.

How to encourage someone with ASD to do something

A lot of people on the autistic spectrum like routine, repetition and sameness. To give an example of what I mean by this, if things were always entirely up to me, I would never do anything outside my normal routine. I am happy doing a very small number of things, exactly the same things, every day, forever. So, what happens when someone with ASD is interested in doing something but won't, or when their loved one wants them to do something they know they will like, yet they still say no? How can we help ourselves or how can our loved ones best encourage us? For me, there are four main barriers. Here they are and here are my thoughts on how they can be reduced:

Repetitive questioning

It is common for people on the autistic spectrum to repeat questions, words or phrases, or to seem to want to talk about the same thing. In this article, I will discuss why this might be, give examples, and suggest strategies to help. Personally, I do find myself asking the same thing over and over again. For myself, the primary problem is that I do not process social interactions very well (words, language, speech, gestures, expressions...). I can hear the words, but not understand what is meant. I receive the information but there is a delay before I actually understand what someone means. 

Tips for conversing in groups

A conversation involving multiple people or participating in groups can be extremely difficult for people on the autistic spectrum. There are lots of reasons why, including a magnification in the triad of impairments, i.e. the more people there are, the more people the person with ASD is going to struggle to listen to, talk to and 'read.' Whereas in one to one conversations, you can participate by asking lots of questions and answering the other person's questions, this 'interview' style of conversing doesn't tend to work in groups. In groups, it is more like you are just expected to already know about what is being talked about and contribute. Also, groups tend to have 'group rules' which may be obvious to neurotypicals, but not to us. Here are some of my tips for people on the spectrum, for conversing in groups.

Difficulty seeing the bigger picture

People with ASD may have difficulties seeing the bigger picture and putting things into a context. Here are a few different scenarios to show you what I mean: