Examples of Challenges and Strategies that can Help to Operate on Autism time

Challenge	Strategies for Home and School
Not processing or understanding information/requests	Slow down the instruction. Use simple and concise language, telling the relevant information. This does not mean to leave out important information but to slow down to the rate that the individual with autism can process the information. 1. SLOW DOWN INSTRUCTION 2. USE SIMPLE AND CONCISE LANGUAGE 3. CHECK FOR COMPREHENSION To listen to Brenda Myles discuss the importance of operating on autism time: click here. To read more on areas of difficulty and strategies that may help: click here.
Difficulty generalising tasks to other environments	Individualise the teaching approach utilised for each student. Consider the students processing needs – SLOW DOWN INSTRUCTIONS to the rate that the individual can process the information. REWARD AND REINFORCE – link out to Social Skills section at Communication and Conversation section/Strategies/Use of visuals/ Reinforcement ALSO link out to Wellbeing section Reward and Reinforcement Classroom teaching v real settings: Life skills
Predicting what will happen next	Many individuals cannot predict what is going to happen next, as quoted by Ros Blackburn an adult with autism “they are afraid”. Using visuals and environmental cues can help the student predict what is going to happen when and next such as work schedules, timers, written lists, calendars, real objects. To find out more about these resources: click here. As advised by Brenda Myles through the effective use of visuals and task analysis we can teach children and young people to break tasks down, so they will learn how to do a task for themselves gaining greater independence. To listen to Brenda Myles discuss this at the Middletown Centre for Autism Pathways to Resilience Conference: click here. Point to Remember – Recognise how much a person can handle at any one time as they can’t predict what is going to happen next, The time allocated to complete a task should be adjusted to the individual’s needs 1. USE VISUALS/ ENVIRONMENTAL CUES 2. HOW MUCH CAN THE PERSON HANDLE 3. ADJUST TIME TO COMPLETE TASKS TO THE INDIVIDUALS NEEDS For more information on coping with change: click here.
Navigating their social environment	Across environments there are many unwritten rules which are not obvious to the child or young person with autism. This is known as the Hidden Curriculum. Knowing what everyone else knows is vital for successful independence. These skills need to be continually updated as the number of experiences and potential experiences increases. More information. Brenda Myles on Hidden Curriculum. SPECIFIC AND CONTINUOUS TEACHING – To support students to independently function socially, social communication skills need to be specifically and continually updated depending on their: As quoted by Brenda Myles: “We need to teach explicitly what we have earned implicitly. For example a young person who has difficulties with interacting socially with peers or family needs to be taught social skills on a continual basis. As the child develops so too should his or her social skills”. Brenda Myles Keynote. Ensuring the young person is using the right skill in the right environment is crucial for inclusion, friendships and relationships. Understanding context is vital: Brenda Myles on Hidden Curriculum. See section on Generalising Tasks to Other Environments – link back to Generalising Tasks to Other Environments within Building Independence section To find out more on Context Blindness and Autism please click here for recommended reading by Peter Vermeulen. See Peer Implemented Interventions and video modelling sections. Understanding both the verbal and nonverbal communication interactions must also be taught. Interacting with Others in the Workplace Hidden Curriculum on the job being able to interact appropriately with others in the workplace, offering constructive criticism. On a social level, we meet so many people with an array of interest that do not always interest us, Michelle Garcia Winner recommends that we teach the “social fake”, where we pretend to be interested or look as if you are interested in what someone is saying, but you are really not. Social fake is something we all do, but were never taught, “Being nice to someone even if they don’t deserve it, saying something to make someone feel better if it is not true, and letting things go even if they are wrong and you are right.” Brenda Myles on Hidden Curriculum. Hidden Curriculum, knowing how to handle legal situations, a life and social skill, one where a great deal is assumed or expected, but where explicit teaching is sometimes forgotten. For more information from Brenda Myles click here.

Not processing or understanding information/requests

Slow down the instruction. Use simple and concise language, telling the relevant information.

This does not mean to leave out important information but to slow down to the rate that the individual with autism can process the information.

1. SLOW DOWN INSTRUCTION

2. USE SIMPLE AND CONCISE LANGUAGE

3. CHECK FOR COMPREHENSION

To listen to Brenda Myles discuss the importance of operating on autism time: click here.

To read more on areas of difficulty and strategies that may help: click here.

Difficulty generalising tasks to other environments

Image of school girl putting school supplies into backpack at table

Individualise the teaching approach utilised for each student.

Consider the students processing needs – SLOW DOWN INSTRUCTIONS to the rate that the individual can process the information.

REWARD AND REINFORCE – link out to Social Skills section at Communication and Conversation section/Strategies/Use of visuals/ Reinforcement
ALSO link out to Wellbeing section Reward and Reinforcement

Classroom teaching v real settings: Life skills

Predicting what will happen next

Many individuals cannot predict what is going to happen next, as quoted by Ros Blackburn an adult with autism “they are afraid”.

Using visuals and environmental cues can help the student predict what is going to happen when and next such as work schedules, timers, written lists, calendars, real objects.

To find out more about these resources: click here.

As advised by Brenda Myles through the effective use of visuals and task analysis we can teach children and young people to break tasks down, so they will learn how to do a task for themselves gaining greater independence.

To listen to Brenda Myles discuss this at the Middletown Centre for Autism Pathways to Resilience Conference: click here.

Point to Remember – Recognise how much a person can handle at any one time as they can’t predict what is going to happen next,

The time allocated to complete a task should be adjusted to the individual’s needs

1. USE VISUALS/ ENVIRONMENTAL CUES

2. HOW MUCH CAN THE PERSON HANDLE

3. ADJUST TIME TO COMPLETE TASKS TO THE INDIVIDUALS NEEDS

For more information on coping with change: click here.

Navigating their social environment

Image of Children shouting out alphabet letters.

Across environments there are many unwritten rules which are not obvious to the child or young person with autism. This is known as the Hidden Curriculum. Knowing what everyone else knows is vital for successful independence. These skills need to be continually updated as the number of experiences and potential experiences increases. More information.
Brenda Myles on Hidden Curriculum.

SPECIFIC AND CONTINUOUS TEACHING – To support students to independently function socially, social communication skills need to be specifically and continually updated depending on their:

As quoted by Brenda Myles:
“We need to teach explicitly what we have earned implicitly. For example a young person who has difficulties with interacting socially with peers or family needs to be taught social skills on a continual basis. As the child develops so too should his or her social skills”. Brenda Myles Keynote.

Ensuring the young person is using the right skill in the right environment is crucial for inclusion, friendships and relationships.

Understanding context is vital: Brenda Myles on Hidden Curriculum.

See section on Generalising Tasks to Other Environments – link back to Generalising Tasks to Other Environments within Building Independence section

To find out more on Context Blindness and Autism please click here for recommended reading by Peter Vermeulen.

See Peer Implemented Interventions and video modelling sections.

Understanding both the verbal and nonverbal communication interactions must also be taught.

Interacting with Others in the Workplace

Hidden Curriculum on the job being able to interact appropriately with others in the workplace, offering constructive criticism.
On a social level, we meet so many people with an array of interest that do not always interest us, Michelle Garcia Winner recommends that we teach the “social fake”, where we pretend to be interested or look as if you are interested in what someone is saying, but you are really not. Social fake is something we all do, but were never taught, “Being nice to someone even if they don’t deserve it, saying something to make someone feel better if it is not true, and letting things go even if they are wrong and you are right.” Brenda Myles on Hidden Curriculum.

Hidden Curriculum, knowing how to handle legal situations, a life and social skill, one where a great deal is assumed or expected, but where explicit teaching is sometimes forgotten.

For more information from Brenda Myles click here.