by Dr. Diane Adreon | Nov 10, 2020 | Blog
It’s been quite the year, to say the least. Now, the weather is cooling down, and our kids are getting a much needed break from virtual or in-person learning for the holidays. More and more families are getting comfortable with traveling and gathering in small groups or with loved ones. That means, you may be headed on a family getaway with your child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Planning a trip when your loved one has ASD can be stressful for both you and your child, especially now that masks and social distancing protocols are in place, but there are ways to minimize that stress with a few simple tips that make it a more comfortable experience for the entire family.
Create a Visual Narrative about the Trip.
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do best when they know what is going to happen. Consider creating a visual narrative about where you will be going, what you will be doing, and whom you will be seeing. Narratives can be written at any level. You just want it to convey meaningful information for your child.
Share the Agenda.
Provide your child with a daily agenda of what you will be doing and include the order of events. Be sure to also include pictures in the written agenda if it will help your child understand the sequence of events. You may find it best not include times. If you do include times, consider writing in approximate times.
Share your Back-up Plan for Change of Plans.
Plans change. It may rain or the attraction you planned to see may have an unexpected closure. Create a backup plan and share that with your child, so they are prepared. It is always appropriate to provide positive reinforcement (specific praise, a small privilege) when the child adjusts to the change of plans.
Plan for Meals.
If you are staying with relatives, explain the importance of offering food that your child will eat. This includes buying specific brand names that the child prefers and preparing meals that the child is used to eating (or having familiar foods available). Try to have this conversation take place before the trip. If you are going to be dining out, you might want to stick to restaurant chains where you child has eaten before. You can also consider bringing preferred food with you, especially if you are going to a local restaurant where it is uncertain as to whether your child will eat the food. Older children may benefit from viewing the menu ahead of time.
Plan for Waiting and Down Time.
Bring activities, sensory toys, preferred books or electronics to keep your child entertained during long car rides, down time, and lengthy meal times. For long car rides, consider games like Green Auto Backseat Bingo.
If you are traveling by air, check out The MIAair Program (Airport Instruction and Readiness).
This program provides helpful information to help prepare individuals with ASD for travel. Social Narratives (in English and Spanish) explain the sequence of events that take place when you travel by air. The Caregiver Information Packet and Airline Travel Checklist (in English and Spanish) also provides useful information for travelers. Find it here: www.Miami-airport.com/miaair.asp
Bonus Tip!
If you have the patience and the time, you can help your child work on his/her planning skills by participating in packing. Mark the days you will be gone on a calendar and have your child count out and pack underwear & socks for the trip. You can look up the weather and have them identify the types of clothing you will need to pack. Perhaps they can pack up their own games and activities for entertainment. Some children will respond well to a packing checklist. This is a natural opportunity to learn “planning skills.”
The above strategies are about making sufficient accommodations so that you and your child can enjoy your vacation.
To learn more about Dr. Diane Adreon, internationally recognized autism expert, award-winning author, and public speaker, visit spectrumlifestrategies.com.
by Dr. Diane Adreon | Oct 20, 2020 | Blog
Understanding the “Autism Spectrum”
Autism is a scary word. When most people think of autism, they think of “classic autism” as often portrayed in old movies and descriptions of children who often developed little language and had tremendous difficulty interacting with others and learning a wide range of skills.
The definition of autism has changed considerably and includes a much broader group of individuals, including individuals with language, and average to above-average intelligence. In the diagnostic manual used by doctors and psychologists in the United States, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–5(DSM-5); previous autism subtypes (Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Asperger’s Disorder, and Autistic Disorder, are all called Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Why Do Different Professionals Give My Child Different Labels?
It is common for parents to take their child to different professionals and get different diagnoses. One doctor may say, “He doesn’t have autism. He has PDD-NOS”. Another professional may say it’s not autism or PDD-NOS, but rather – Asperger’s Disorder. Currently, diagnosticians will diagnose these individuals as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Then, they will use other descriptors such as with or without language impairment, or with or without cognitive impairment.
I Don’t Want Him to be Labeled!
Undoubtedly, receiving a diagnosis is very upsetting. However, learning that your child has ASD can be very helpful to you, your family, and your child. Many parents who have been searching for a long time to understand their child’s struggles, are relieved to finally have a diagnosis that makes sense. Learning about ASD is the first step in helping you learn about your child in a more holistic fashion and give you the necessary tools to serve as “conductor of his orchestra”.
After all, it is parents who will work together with professionals to determine:
- What skills are most important for my child to work on?
- What is the best use of our family’s financial resources to help our child?
It is a good idea for parents to keep all diagnostic records and then decide what records would be useful in securing services for their child.
Areas of Impairment in ASDs
In the United States, medical doctors and psychologists use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to classify developmental and psychiatric disorders. In DSM-5, individuals with ASD are described as having impairments in two primary areas:
- Social communication
- Restricted range of interests, patterns, and behavior.
Most children with ASD have difficulty in the areas of attention:
- Executive functioning
- Adaptive skills
- Emotional regulation
- Motivation
Many children with ASD have intact or enhanced skills in certain areas, such as long-term rote memory and attention to details. Many also have specific weaknesses in areas of learning. This might be in specific academic areas or other areas of brain functioning, such as how quickly (or slowly) they process information. Learning how your child functions across all of these areas can be very helpful in prioritizing goals and helping your child improve his skills.
“The Doctor Said My Child is High-Functioning”
There is not a universally agreed-upon definition of HF-ASD. In all likelihood, what the diagnostician is saying is that your child has a significant amount of language and your child does not also have mental retardation, along with the ASD. An IQ of 70 or above is considered to be above the cut-off for mental retardation.
Having a higher IQ probably means that your child has the potential to learn more skills than a child with ASD who has a lower IQ, so it is a good prognostic indicator. A child who has developed considerable language skills, is able to communicate his wants and needs more effectively than a child with less language. In all likelihood, the child with more language is also better able to understand what others are trying to communicate. This is also very important.
If My Child is High-Functioning, Does This Mean that His Problem is Mild?
Unfortunately, having ASD is not a mild problem. By definition, to be diagnosed with ASD the child has to have significant impairment in functioning.
What are some of the First Steps I can take to Help My Child?
- Take care of yourself & your relationships. By addressing your own emotional well-being and nurturing the important relationships in your life, you will assist your family in becoming more resilient.
- Seek professional help, whether it is through face-to-face support groups, on-line support groups, or seeing a counselor or therapist.
- Learn about ASD. There’s a tremendous amount of information available. It is difficult to determine what information is most reputable. Seek out professionals you can trust to provide you with information as objectively as possible.
Dr. Diane Adreon is an internationally recognized autism expert, award-winning author, and public speaker. For more information on her consulting services, contact her at 929.249.1960.
by Dr. Diane Adreon | Aug 27, 2020 | Blog
We’re all spending lots of time at home during COVID. Most of us are cooking more than ever and eating most of our meals at home. This is a great opportunity to teach your loved one with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD) a few kitchen skills.
Most individuals with HF-ASD are on a regular diploma track in school. However, just because they graduate from high school with a regular diploma or attend college or graduate school, does NOT mean that he/she will have learned sufficient independent living skills.
Independent living skills, typically, are not taught to individuals with ‘normal’ IQs. For example, these skills may include making phone calls; carrying your ID, a debit card, or cash when leaving the house; knowing when physical symptoms are significant enough to see a doctor or call 911. Neurotypicals, individuals NOT on the autism spectrum, do not necessarily need explicit instruction and practice to develop these skills because they tend to learn by observing others and asking questions. However, individuals with ASD often need explicit instruction to learn these skills.
The home environment is the natural environment for teaching these skills. This list includes 12 household chores to work on with your loved one in the kitchen:
- Set the table
- Empty the trash
- Insert a new trash bag
- Clear the table
- Put food items away and identify the amount of food worth saving
- Pick a container and transfer food to that container
- Determine whether items go in the refrigerator or pantry
- Do the dishes, which also includes the below tasks:
- Handle dishes with care
- Handle knives carefully
- Rinse items sufficiently
- Identify what goes in the dishwasher and where to place them
- Wipe off counters
- Place sponges, wet dish rags, and towels in the correct place
- Sanitize a sponge
- Unload the dishwasher
Individuals with ASD tend to have problems with over-generalizing or under-generalizing skills or concepts. For example, one woman with ASD got in trouble for graffiti; however, she thought that they meant that she should not put graffiti on that ONE wall. Many years ago, I was teaching my young son with HF-ASD to empty trash. I usually bought the trash bags that have a drawstring; however, this time I bought the cheaper ones where the ends needed to be tied together. He had no idea what to do. A similar problem occurred when I asked him to clean our glass table with Windex. Apparently, I bought a generic glass cleaner, so he didn’t didn’t put it together that Windex is also a glass cleaner, so he could use it to clean the table. Individuals with ASD can find it challenging to learn these skills when there is a slight change in the materials or instructions. However, we often overlook how these challenges affect learning all types of tasks. .
I was recently at a party with several children with ASD. Nine-year-old Mark, was asked to help return items to the refrigerator. He walked into the kitchen, looked at the refrigerator and asked, “Is this the refrigerator?” His mother immediately understood that he was confused because their refrigerator at home has the freezer compartment on top, and this was a side-by-side refrigerator.
One of the families I work with was recently relaying a story to me about their daughter, Lisette. Lisette was helping clear the table and put the food away. They had spaghetti for dinner and Lisette had four strands of spaghetti on her plate. She asked her mother whether she was supposed to (a) find a container and save it, or (b) throw it away.
Sometimes I have to remind myself of how hard our loved ones on the spectrum work on understanding what we want them to do. Remembering this, helps me plan teachable moments; however ONLY when I am in a “patient” state of mind. That would be my advice to you, as well.
Here are 7 teaching tips to remember:
- Always evaluate whether this is a good time for an instructional moment.
- Make NUMEROUS positive statements for every ONE correctional statement.
- Use very few correctional statements.
- Look and listen carefully! People on the spectrum get stuck in all kinds of ways.
- The whole lesson may take less than one minute.
- Be realistic! You can only work on a limited number of skills at a time.
- Try to end on a positive note!
We know this time is unsettling, and downright scary. Let’s be honest, it’s even harder for families who have a loved one with ASD. Please know that we are here to support you and help you through this challenging time, and give you the tools you need to keep moving forward. We offer free 30-minute consultations and virtual consulting.
Dr. Diane Adreon is an internationally recognized autism expert, award-winning author, and public speaker. For more information on her consulting services, contact her at 929.249.1960.
by Dr. Diane Adreon | Feb 14, 2020 | Blog
Completing homework is often one of the most frustrating activities for students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD) and their parents. In the eyes of many students with HF-ASD, homework adds insult to injury. From their perspective it is bad enough that school subjects them to hours of meaningless tasks when that time could be devoted to things of interest. Why would one want to continue with similar activities when the school day has ended?
Parental viewpoints on homework for their child with ASD range from feeling that it is yet another battle to fight, to wishing their child would develop some effective study skills. Without question, many of the homework challenges for families of students with are the result of: (a) the cognitive style of people with ASD, and (b) executive functioning deficits.
For the student with ASD who plans to go on to college, developing study skills is important. The following are suggestions for establishing effective homework routines and laying the groundwork for the development of study skills.
Establish a specific place and time for studying.
Consider your child’s preferred sensory environment and be willing to think “out of the box”. Although traditionally, we have students work at a desk or table, some students may prefer to lie on the floor or work on the bed. Some may work effectively with music, and others may need a quiet, distraction-free environment. Lighting preferences may also need to be considered. Have essential study materials organized and in close proximity to the study area. This may include pens, pencils, a pencil sharpener, scissors, erasers, paper clips, index cards and other supplies.
In the event that your schedule does not permit a consistent time for homework, be sure to block out homework time and indicate it on the schedule.
Help your child prioritize assignments.
It is often helpful to write the order down for review throughout the homework period. You may also want to include a space for a check mark, so assignments can be checked off as they are completed, but this doesn’t mean you have to micromanage each moment. Assess what part(s) of the assignment your child should be able to do alone and begin to have him complete some work when you are not in close proximity.
Help your child plan which items will be needed to complete the assignment.
Assist your child in gathering these items. For example, this may be as simple as getting out the math book from one’s backpack in order to complete a math assignment, or more complex, such as gathering a variety of art supplies to complete a “save the environment’ poster for a science class. The process of helping your child learn to think about the requirements beyond what is written in a homework planner will help him develop planning skills that he will need in many aspects of his life as he matures.
Help your child to estimate the time it will take to complete an assignment.
Compare the estimated time with the actual time it takes. Most of us assume a task will take us less time than it actually takes. Learning to plan for adequate time to complete a task is an important skill. Some students find the use of the Time Timer (www.timetimer.com) helpful, as it provides visual feedback as to how much time has passed.
Use positive reinforcement.
Try to remember that raising one’s voice and threatening withdrawal of privileges are rarely effective in improving the child’s ability to complete homework. In most instances, homework involves the use of organizational skills that are often an area of weakness for children with HF-ASD, in spite of their overall cognitive ability. Improvement in completing homework is much more likely if our behavior management system is based on the careful use of positive reinforcement.
Remember small improvements in the skills you are trying to teach, are big wins for your child. For example, “I noticed you completed all of your math worksheet. You took your time to carefully look over each answer and corrected a few that you had miscalculated. I’m proud of the way you carefully reviewed your work. That’s the kind of schoolwork that gets good grades”.
Build in mini-breaks for your child.
In building healthy homework routines, it is much better to reinforce small, concentrated periods of time to complete an assignment or parts of a long assignment, than to push the study time beyond what the child can successfully manage.
Combine verbal reinforcement with concrete secondary reinforcement.
Many of the privileges or things we provide for our children can be used as additional reinforcement for improvement in desired study habits. Try to find ways of spontaneously providing reinforcement for small improvements in study skills. For example, “You wrote out the answers for all five questions without any complaining. I am really proud of you. You can read for an extra ten minutes tonight at bedtime”.
Talk with your child’s team. The role of homework in the lives of children is to provide practice to move a child into becoming fluent, it isn’t to make them miserable. Ask if it is possible for your child to test out of homework, or have the homework directed at skills that require additional practice. Homework, like all other tasks assigned to students, should benefit them.
Dr. Diane Adreon is an internationally recognized autism expert, award-winning author, and public speaker. For more information on her consulting services, contact her at 929.249.1960.
by Dr. Diane Adreon | Jan 22, 2020 | Blog
Teaching adaptive behavior is one of the areas that is often overlooked for individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD). These skills are important if our children are going to experience success without our daily assistance. Of course, every child is different. Often it is not possible to master these skills by the end of high school. However, most of our children can improve and become more independent if we consciously work on skills in these areas.
1.Wake up to an alarm clock.
It is common for parents to wake their children for school. However, as your child grows older it’s a good idea to teach him to wake up to an alarm clock. You may have to experiment with buzzers, music, and various degrees of volume. Sometimes, for individuals who are particularly hard to wake, you may need to have him/her walk across the room to turn off the alarm clock. Eventually, this skill would include having the child learn to set the alarm clock. A more advanced skill would involve developing the child’s ability to accurately estimate the amount of time needed to get ready and determine what time the alarm should be set.
2. Refer to a clock and/or watch.
A visual timer, such as the Time Timer may be helpful. The Time Timer dial graphically shows the child how much time is left. One way to begin teaching your child to complete a task in a certain period of time, is to have the child guess how long the task will take and then compare how long the task really took to accomplish.
3. Grooming.
Our children find routines comforting. Therefore, help your child establish healthy routines. Many children find it easier (in the long run) to follow rules such as having a shower or bath every day, rather than every two to three days. Specifically teach your child each step in washing properly (i.e. 4 times across each armpit with a soapy washcloth). Often resistance to specific aspects of grooming is due to sensory issues. So, you may need to try various products to find one they can tolerate. Poor hygiene is a problem poorly tolerated by the community (Peter Gerhardt, personal communication).
4. Responsibility for his/her own belongings.
Start with things such as being responsible for keeping track of the toy train that he/she brought to your relative’s house. Build into the routine that it is the youngster’s responsibility to find the toy after the visit, bring it to the car, & bring the toy from the car into the house. Teach your child that school papers should be kept flat inside a folder or notebook. Progress to items such as organizing their school backpack & being sure that they have their homework & necessary school supplies.
5. Learn to use visual cues to remember tasks.
This might be keeping medicine in a certain place, so he/she remembers to take it at breakfast each morning. Or, it might mean, writing lunch on a piece of paper and taping it onto the school backpack to remember to pack lunch.
6. Cooking.
Young children can learn to make a sandwich and prepare snacks that do not require cooking. Later, teach your child to follow a recipe independently and use kitchen appliances safely.
7. Use the phone.
Start by teaching your child to answer the phone, take a message, and relay the message to the appropriate person. Progress to skills such as calling information to obtain a phone number, calling a store to see if they have a particular item in stock, calling technical support to fix a computer problem, calling to schedule a doctor, and ordering take-out food.
8. Go places independently.
This may be walking to areas nearby, riding a bike, using public transportation or driving.
9. Carry certain items when he/she leaves the house.
These items would include: Important phone numbers, money, a house key, and possibly a cell phone.
10. Personal safety.
Consider skills such as knowing who to hug and kiss, and when it is more appropriate to shake hands, how to discreetly carry money, NOT giving personal information to others over the internet, and what to do if you are walking down the street and someone unfamiliar approaches you or you feel that you are being followed.
Dr. Diane Adreon is an internationally recognized autism expert, award-winning author, and public speaker. For more information on her consulting services, contact her at 929.249.1960.
by Dr. Diane Adreon | Dec 19, 2019 | Blog
You may have a friend or family member who has a child with autism who will be spending time with you and your family over the holidays. Here are a few things you might want to keep in mind.
Parents want to enjoy visiting with relatives and friends. The holiday celebration should not be a time where their child has to show the family that his social skills are getting better. Even if they are improving, this may not be evident during your family gathering.
For parents to have a good time, they probably have to accommodate their child in numerous ways in order to have things go as smoothly as possible.
What do they want from you? Non-judgmental acceptance and understanding, even if it does not really make sense to you. It may look like coddling, but in all likelihood the child requires numerous accommodations for the family to attend the event.
Preparing for Change
If the child with autism is used to coming to your place, but it looks different for the holidays, take a few pictures of your place decorated and with the dining room table extended and send it to the parents. This will help parents prepare their child for how your place will look, and ultimately feel more comfortable when they do arrive. Pictures are also helpful if the child has never been to your place.
Greetings
Some children with autism may not greet friends or relatives when arriving. Chances are, parents (and therapists) are working on this skill. However, it is often difficult for children to display skills they are working on in another environment. So greet them and tell them you are happy to see them.
Affection
Sometimes children with autism are not comfortable with hugs and kisses. It is fine to reach out to them, but if they stiffen their body or don’t hug you back, just keep it short and sweet.
Food
Many children with autism are very picky eaters. Tell the family that they are welcome to bring the food that their child would prefer to eat. You can also ask the family in advance, what their child likes to eat. If you can provide it…great! If they mention a specific brand name, be sure to get that brand. It will matter to the person with autism.
Sensory
Often people with autism are very sensitive to sounds, lights, smells and textures. Some families dress up for the holidays. A child with autism may find dress clothing extremely uncomfortable. Understand if parents allow the child to wear something comfortable or to change into comfortable clothes after the “family photo” or the meal.
Participation
Children with autism may have difficulty sitting at a formal table during a leisurely festive meal. They may not be able to play alongside cousins and family friends without continuous guidance and supervision from parents. In some instances, even with constant close supervision, remaining in a casual social situation is not a positive experience for the child. Parents may want to allow their child to leave the table early or play with the parents’ iPhone at the table. Maybe they want to let their child watch a video on an iPad in another room away from guests. Try to accommodate them if possible.
A holiday celebration may be positive for many, however, children with autism often have difficulty when events are not part of their routine. Families are very appreciative of family members and friends who welcome them and understand that they may need to provide these accommodations in order to participate in family or holiday events.
To learn more about Dr. Diane Adreon, internationally recognized autism expert, award-winning author, and public speaker, visit spectrumlifestrategies.com.
