I think that there are a few important topics to cover. I am writing these off the top of my head on the assumption that you are working with staff who want to learn about interacting with individuals who have autism. Hopefully, you find some of this helpful.
Common conceptions about Autism Spectrum Disorder: This might take a little research but it is a good idea to have some general ideas, both right and wrong, that the general public has about ASDs to act as a starting point. Even finding this may give you some talking points where you might need to go more in depth on why we act certain ways and why other parts of the depictions are false.
Sensory Issues:
It might also be important to bring up the fact that although some of our behaviors and issues arise directly from our disabilities, others may be the result of how we have been treated by others and other difficulties we have had because of the social stigma that comes with it (past and present).
Mention some of the issues that people on the spectrum might have in relation to various senses:
Visual: patterns, flashing lights. types of lighting, certain colors
Audio: Too loud/grating (I don't know if it's common but there are certain sounds, like bells or grating glass, that cause me physical pain, I know that some people also hear a noise with florescent lights that drive them crazy)
Touch: (certain textures)
I'm sure that you can find more details here on the site.
There are some visual puzzles and images out there that will act nicely for examples on how our minds work differently. Having something interactive that also stresses the point that different people think in different ways would be very useful as a tool. Perhaps one of those images that show two different pictures if you look at them differently.
There's also online sources of various attempts at simulating the sensory experience of someone with Autism, this could be an alternate route to take or something you put in at another point in your lesson. Alternatively, this might be a way to lead into the issue of Melt downs, which is something you definitely should mention.
Social Issues:
Trouble Reading body language and vocal inflections
-beyond missing meanings in a conversation and how people feel, this is also makes it hard to pick up on things like humor and sarcasm
Trouble with eye contact, often either not making it or holding it too intensely
- can seem insulting/intimidating to average person
- can be uncomfortable for us
Sticking to Topics of interest
- Something we like
- something we are comfortable with
- easy to talk about
Often exhausted by Public Interactions
- The whole time we are in the room with others, there is a juggling act of trying to read others, trying to work around stresses and trying to give the correct responses.
Once again, there are probably some online resources available that might give a visual or a game that could help better get the point across.
Meltdowns
Some causes (usually stress related)
Variations in meltdowns (behaviors, severities)
Difference between a Meltdown and a Tantrum (some people misjudge the level of control the person having one has and thinks of it as 'acting out.' People who are going to be working with people who are on the spectrum need to understand the truth is more complicated.)
How a person might feel after their meltdown (I personally feel physically exhausted but emotionally relieved, if doing it in public, I might feel embarrassed)
Some dos and Don'ts
Patience: Each person has their own unique set of behaviors, even more so when working with disabilities. Paying attention to what an individuals unique habits and personality are can go a long way in building a relationship with them and in figuring out how to best help them when needed.
If someone has a particular habit or peculiarity that causes no harm, there's no reason to correct it (for example, while working at a camp for people with disabilities, I had one individual that like to turn everything he placed on a table, like his pencils or boxes, at a slight angle. It didn't interfere with anyone else, therefore it isn't causing any harm and I actually helped with it)
Just because we can't express a proper response to something or have trouble reading some of the signs doesn't mean we can't catch on to anything. Just because an individual doesn't know why you might be feeling an emotion doesn't mean we will miss said emotion altogether.
Resources
- tell them about some places these people might want to look for further information (such as wrongplanet.net) and others to avoid (such as autism speaks), complete with the reasons you bring up the groups you choose. It might be an idea to tell them about scams to be aware of in relation to disabilities, too. There's a good chance that this lesson is opening the door for these people and they won't be familiar with the nuances of the views around autism and wouldn't want them to find a group giving off a negative perspective in their well intentioned search to improve their knowledge. You would probably want to keep this section relatively short, though.
14 Nov 2021, 2:56 pm
