School
support:
 What
are social awareness and communicative difficulties?
This combination of difficulties centres on a lack of social,
interpersonal and emotional awareness, sometimes combined with obsessive
and inappropriate behaviours. It may be associated with difficulties
of imaginative thought, and can be characteristic of some autistic
spectrum disorders, or Asperger's Syndrome.
Advice
for the classroom:
-
Environment:
Create a calm, predictable and consistent working environment
– change, especially unexpected change, can be very hard
for him/her.
Keep the pupil’s arousal level low, and minimise sensory
distractions.
-
Classroom Management:
Recognise that unstructured ‘fun-time’ can be hard
for him/her.
When necessary, intervene calmly – and always non-confrontationally.
Emphasise structure and predictability.
Modify tasks to build on the pupil’s strengths.
-
Interaction/Developing Understanding:
Be very careful to ensure the pupil understands what is expected
of him/her.
Use simple language, and keep all communication as simple as
possible.
Address the pupil directly by name – he/she won’t
necessarily realise that instructions for the whole class are
meant for him/her too.
Recognise and take account of his/her limited ability to interpret
social cues or subtleties of speech and language.
-
Do not pressure the pupil into social situations. Help him/her
to interpret situations – and don’t be surprised
when he/she gets it wrong.
Expect him/her to be very literal in how he understands things.
Accept that the pupil may show some quite rigid and obsessional
behaviours – try to limit rather than stop them.
Use pictorial and visual cues whenever possible to explain tasks.
Allow for solitariness – the pupil may feel very threatened
by others.
Encourage independence, decision making and change – but
do so very carefully, and step by step.
Encourage the pupil to think about and understand him/herself.
Accept him/her for what and who he/she is, and don’t expect
change – a quote from an autistic child: ‘I need help
to grow into this, not out of it.’
-
Motivation and Self-esteem:
Let the pupil know you are aware of his/her difficulty, and
that you are sympathetic – but that you have high expectations.
Be specially generous with praise and cautious with criticism.
Praise can be a natural motivator as long as the child feels
the praise is genuine and deserved. It is important to let the
pupil know why he/she is being praised rather than just to provide
praise. In a behavioural reward system with extrinsic rewards
such as stickers or points, the child can easily see why he/she
is being praised. This can be an effective motivator, as long
as the rewards are meaningful and appropriate.
School
issues:
Ensure that all the pupil's teachers know about the difficulty
and understand its implications. Good communication between home
and school is important to ensure consistency.
Books
& articles:
Arrons, M. and Gittens, T. (1999) The Handbook of Autism –
A Guide for Parents and Professionals (Routledge) – contains
chapters on history of autism, causes and difficulties relating
to diagnosis as well as practical considerations and alternative
treatments.
Attwood, T. (1998) Asperger’s Syndrome – a guide for
parents and professionals (Kingsley).
Cumine, V., Leach, J. and Stevenson, G. (1998) Asperger’s
Syndrome – a practical guide for teachers (David Fulton).
Frith, U. (1991) Autism and Asperger Syndrome (Cambridge University
Press).
Hawley, G. (2002) SpLD Resources: a guide to the help available
to parents of children with special needs – a useful 80-page
compendium of information covering difficulties with reading and
writing (dyslexia), numeracy (dyscalculia), handwriting (dyslexia),
developmental coordination (dyspraxia), language impairment, autism
and ‘attention deficit disorder’. Contains details of
the national organisations that address it, together with a list
of books, pamphlets and websites. The guide costs £4.50, including
p & p, from Gillian Hawley (cheques to Gillian Hawley SpLD account),
The Old Bakery, Radwinter Road, Ashton, Essex CB10 2ET (01799 584424).
Readers in East Anglia, Rutland, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
receive a free 30-page supplement listing more than 150 special
needs teachers in the district.
Hesmondhalgh, M. and Breakey, C. (2001) Access and Inclusion for
children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders – ‘let me
in’ (Kingsley).
Jackson, L. (2002) Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome (Jessica
Kingsley).
Jordan, R. and Jones, G. (1997) Educational Provision for Children
with Autism in Scotland (Scottish Office – Interchange No.
46).
Jordan, R. and Powell, S. (1995) Understanding and Teaching Children
with Autism (Wiley).
Kadesjo, B. (2000) Neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders
in a young school-age population (University of Goteborg).
Kaufman, B. N. (1975) Son Rise (Warner). See also the website:
www.son-rise.org
Mont, D. (2001) A different kind of boy – a father’s
memoir about raising a gifted child with autism (Kingsley).
Shore, S. (2001) Beyond the Wall – personal experiences with
autism and Asperger’s Syndrome (Kingsley).
Tanguay, P. (2002) Nonverbal Learning Disabilities at School (Kingsley).
Trevarthen, C., Aitken, K., Papoudi, D. and Robarts, J. (1998)
Children with Autism: diagnosis and interventions to meet their
needs (Kingsley, 2nd edition).
Vermeulen, P. (2000) I am Special – introducing children
and young people to their Autistic Spectrum Disorder (Kinsley).
Williams, D. (1994) Somebody Somewhere (Doubleday).
Williams, D. (1996) Autism: an inside-out approach (Kingsley).
Wing, L. (1996) The Autistic Spectrum: A guide for parents and
professionals (Kingsley).
Useful
addresses & websites:
Allergy Induced Autism (AiA) (11 Larklands, Longthorpe, Peterborough
PE3 6LL; tel: 0845 130 0004;
email: aia@autismmedical.com;
website: www.autismmedical.com)
– a biomedical autism charity.
ASD Training and Asperger Advice Service – email: mail@asperger-advice.co.uk;
website: www.asperger-advice.co.uk
Autism Independent UK (email: autism@rmplc.co.uk;
website: www.autismuk.com)
– a resource centre with reference library, factfiles and
training courses.
Autism Research Unit – School of Sciences, University of
Sunderland, Sunderland, SR9 7EE; tel: 0191 510 8922; email: aru@sunderland.ac.uk;
website: http//osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism
Dyscovery Centre, 4a Church Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 2DZ; tel: +44 (0) 29 2062 8222; fax: +44 (0) 29 2062 8333 website: www.dyscovery.co.uk – a multidisciplinary assessment centre for dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit disorder and autistic spectrum disorders.
Fledglings, 6 Southfield, Ickleton, Saffron Waldon, CB10 1BE; tel:
0845 458 1124;
e-mail: enquiries@fledglings.org.uk;
website: www.fledglings.org.uk
– a free product and service search for families of children
with special needs, for educational items and developmental toys.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers have an extensive catalogue of relevant
books – website: www.jkp.com
National Association of Special Educational Needs (NASEN), Nasen
House, 4-5 Amber Business Village, Amber Close, Amington, Tamworth
B77 4RP; tel: 01827 311500; fax: 01827 313005; email: welcome@nasen.org.uk
; website: www.nasen.org.uk
National Autistic Society (NAS), 393 City Road, London EC 1V 1NE;
tel: 0171 833 2299; fax: 0171 833 9666; email: nas@clusl.ulcc.ac.uk;
website: www.nas.org.uk
– provides information, publications and general advice
on children and adults with autism, e.g. Autism – How to help
your young child (1998).
Office for Advice, Assistance, Support and Information on Special
Needs (OAASIS), Brock House, Grigg Lane, Brockenhurst, Hants SO42
7RE; helpline tel: 09068 633201;
website: www.oaasis.co.uk – an advice, training and
resource centre for parents and professionals.
Professional Association of Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (Patoss), website: www.patoss-dyslexia.org
Scottish Society for Autism, Hilton House, Alloa Business Park,
Whins Road, Alloa, FK10 3SA; tel: 01259 720044; fax: 01259 720051;
email: autism@austin-in-scotland.org.uk;
website: www.autism-in-scotland.org.uk
– provides advice on all aspects of autism and also incorporates
CETA (the Centre for Education and Training in Autism) – email:
ceta@autism-in-scotland.org.uk
www.autismresearchcentre.com
– the website of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University.
www.futurehorizons-autism.com
– an American site listing publications and information.
www.autismconnect.org
– a comprehensive site covering a large range of topics.
www.strath.ac.uk/autism-ncas – The National Centre for Autism Studies.
www.speechteach.co.uk – a range of downloadable clipart that can be used for visual aids.
www.teacch.com – lots of ideas about environmental structure and supporting communication.
Home
support:
What
are social awareness and communicative difficulties?
This combination of difficulties centres on a lack of social,
interpersonal and emotional awareness, sometimes combined with obsessive
and inappropriate behaviours. It may be associated with difficulties
of imaginative thought, and can be characteristic of some autistic
spectrum disorders, or Asperger's Syndrome.
How
will this affect my child?
Your child may find it hard to make friends, and to understand
how other people are thinking.
He/she may find it hard to know how he/she is expected to behave
in different circumstances.
His/her speech may be a little unusual.
Your child might be very dependent on certain routines, and find
any kind of change distressing.
He/she may tend to take things very literally, and sometimes seem
tactless.
He/she may have some special interests that are almost obsessive.
How
can I help?
-
Environment:
Try to create a calm, predictable and consistent home environment
– change, especially unexpected change, can be very hard
for your child.
While it is important to encourage your child to socialise,
it is also important to provide space. This will enable him/her
to reflect and relax. It may be necessary for this to take place
in his/her own personal space.
-
Expectations:
Try to have realistic expectations. This can come about by knowing
the person, and his/her likes and dislikes, and taking these
into account.
You need to appreciate that your child may wish to avoid social
situations. Although some effort should be made to introduce
gradual acceptance of social situations, any avoidance needs
to be understood and accepted. Do not pressure him/her into
social situations.
Accept that your child may show some quite rigid and obsessional
behaviours – try to limit rather than stop them.
Allow for solitariness – your child may feel very threatened
by others.
Encourage independence, decision making and change – but
do so very carefully, and step by step.
Encourage your child to think about and understand him/herself
– this can be done through discussion rather than through
direct questioning: it is important not to rebuke the person
because of his/her views.
-
Motivation:
Let your child know you are aware of his/her difficulty, and
that you are sympathetic – but have realistic expectations.
Try to keep school pressures in perspective – at times
your child may feel overwhelmed by this pressure. Talk through
this with him/her and then it may not seem as insurmountable
as at first sight.
Look for opportunities to boost your child’s self-esteem
– boosting self-esteem can help considerably in facing
social situations.
Support Groups:
These can be very beneficial for parents, as often the isolation
desired by the child can influence the social behaviour of the
family. Support groups can help with this, and the sharing of
experiences can be beneficial.
If the difficulties are significant, medical referral should
be considered.
Dietary factors may also be considered (e.g. gluton free diet),
but seek medical advice first.
Where
can I find out more?
Allergy Induced Autism (AiA) (11 Larklands, Longthorpe, Peterborough
PE3 6LL; tel: 0845 130 0004;
email: aia@autismmedical.com;
website: www.autismmedical.com)
– a biomedical autism charity.
ASD Training and Asperger Advice Service – email: mail@asperger-advice.co.uk;
website: www.asperger-advice.co.uk
Autism Independent UK (email: autism@rmplc.co.uk;
website: www.autismuk.com)
– a resource centre with reference library, factfiles and
training courses.
Autism Research Unit – School of Sciences, University of
Sunderland, Sunderland, SR9 7EE; tel: 0191 510 8922; email: aru@sunderland.ac.uk;
website: http//osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism
The Handbook of Autism: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, by
M. Arrons and T. Gittens, T. (1999) (Routledge), contains chapters
on history of autism, causes and difficulties relating to diagnosis
as well as practical considerations and alternative treatments.
Other useful books include:
Frith, U. (1991) Autism and Asperger Syndrome (Cambridge University
Press).
Williams, D. (1994) Somebody Somewhere (Doubleday).
Jessica Kingsley Publishers have an extensive catalogue of books
on Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, including:
Attwood, T. (1998) Asperger’s Syndrome: a guide for parents
and professionals.
Jackson, L. (2002) Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome.
Hesmondhalgh, M. and Breakey, C. (2001) Access and Inclusion for
Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders – Let Me In.
Mont, D. (2001) A Different Kind of Boy: a father’s memoir
about raising a gifted child with autism.
Shore, S. (2001) Beyond the Wall: personal experiences with autism
and Asperger Syndrome.
Vermeulen, P. (2000) I am Special: Introducing Children and Young
People to their Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
Williams, D. (1996) Autism: An inside-out approach.
Wing, L. (1996) The Autistic Spectrum: A guide for parents and professionals.
Dyscovery Centre, 4a Church Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 2DZ; tel: +44 (0) 29 2062 8222; fax: +44 (0) 29 2062 8333 website: www.dyscovery.co.uk – a multidisciplinary assessment centre for dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit disorder and autistic spectrum disorders.
Fledglings, 6 Southfield, Ickleton, Saffron Waldon, CB10 1BE; tel:
0845 458 1124;
e-mail: enquiries@fledglings.org.uk;
website: www.fledglings.org.uk
– a free product and service search for families of children
with special needs, for educational items and developmental toys.
National Autistic Society (NAS), 393 City Road, London EC 1V 1NE;
tel: 0171 833 2299; fax: 0171 833 9666; email: nas@clusl.ulcc.ac.uk;
website: www.nas.org.uk
– provides information, publications and general advice on
children and adults with autism, such as Autism – How to help
your young child (1998).
www.strath.ac.uk/autism-ncas – The National Centre for Autism Studies.
Office for Advice, Assistance, Support and Information on Special
Needs (OAASIS), Brock House, Grigg Lane, Brockenhurst, Hants SO42
7RE; helpline tel: 09068 633201;
website: www.oaasis.co.uk – an advice, training and
resource centre for parents and professionals.
Scottish Society for Autism, Hilton House, Alloa Business Park,
Whins Road, Alloa, FK10 3SA; tel: 01259 720044; fax: 01259 720051;
email: autism@austin-in-scotland.org.uk;
website: www.autism-in-scotland.org.uk
– provides advice on all aspects of autism and also incorporates
CETA (the Centre for Education and Training in Autism) – email:
ceta@autism-in-scotland.org.uk
Son-rise programme – a holistic approach to responding to
autistic spectrum disorders: see the website www.son-rise.org
and the book by B. N. Kaufman (1975) Son Rise (Warner).
www.autismresearchcentre.com
– the website of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University.
www.futurehorizons-autism.com
– an American site listing publications and information.
www.autismconnect.org
– a comprehensive site covering a large range of topics.
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