For many of us with children on the spectrum, support people like doctors, therapists, extra school staff, teachers, aids etc…are a big part of life. We depend on the help we get from various sources, but what happens when a situation goes badly? Even more important, how can we create predictability for our kids with autism so we can ensure greater…
Predictability is the ability to know and understand what is coming up next in your day. Many of us feel less anxious when we know what is expected of us, and how we are going to navigate our day to day lives. For someone on the spectrum, where even knowing which washroom to use -unless it is exactly like the one they are used to using at home- can be a major challenge. Predictability is a way for someone on the spectrum to assuage their anxiety over the unknown, and empower themselves into their daily tasks. For some of the spectrum, not knowing what to expect at a new school, in a new restaurant, or while on vacation can make life unbearable for themselves and their caregivers.
The term “flow” was first introduced in 1990 by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Csikszentmihalyi described it as “the experience of complete absorption in the present moment” (Nakamura and Csikszentmihalyi, 2009). Flow describes a mental state during which an individual is fully absorbed in what they are doing, losing awareness of time and feeling intrinsically motivated by the activity itself. Although flow…
Restraint collapse, a phenomenon that is becoming more recognized in the neurodivergent community, happens when individuals who have been concealing or suppressing their neurodivergent characteristics for an extended period of time suddenly experience a significant breakdown in their ability to regulate emotions and cope with stressors. It may present as emotional outbursts, shutdowns, meltdowns, withdrawing, or physical symptoms like fatigue…
Autistic meltdowns, often confused with tantrums, is a reaction to intense feelings of being overwhelmed, distressed, or dysregulated. Tantrums are different because they are goal-oriented and typically stem from the frustration of not getting what a person wants in that moment. A meltdown is never a contrived or pre-meditated act, nor does it have a goal. They can be a…
Back in 1996, Martha Leary and David Hill began doing research on the types of challenges that autistic individuals have in regards to communication, challenging behaviors, and in the inability to control one’s movements. They called these challenges movement differences. Their definition: Movement difference is a difference, interference, or shift in efficient and effective use of movement. A disruption in…
The DSM-V lists restricted and repetitive behaviors as one of its diagnostic criteria for autism. These behaviors can look like repetitive movements, restricted interests, insistence on sameness, and atypical responses to sensory stimuli. Mirko Uljarević, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University in California, says these four types of repetitive behavior described in the DSM-V may…
All behavior is viewed through a judgmental lens. The observer brings their beliefs, past experiences, expectations, emotions, understanding and knowledge into every situation. We react when we see and experience behavior from the person we support. We have to understand that the behavior we observe is just like the tip of an iceberg; below the surface of the waterline lies…
The following extract is from a recent practitioner article on the role of exercise in reducing stress, written by Assistant Psychologist Matt Cotterill at WALK, UK. The full article can be accessed here. Providing care and support to people in the caring professions is often fraught with stressful interactions. The stress-induced cascade of hormonal and molecular responses can, if left…
Monotropism is a theory of autism which was first developed by autistics Dinah Murray and Wenn Lawson. Dinah and Wenn independently formulated the key ideas of monotropism, then later worked together for years developing, explaining and applying the theory. Their work has helped people to make sense of autism and how it manifests in themselves and others. There is an…
Low demand parenting or the low demand approach is often spoken about in the context of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA); however, this can be helpful for a person who experiences high levels of stress and anxiety. This is a low arousal approach because it prioritizes the reduction of stress and anxiety and is based on trust, flexibility, collaboration, and a…
Not everything in life goes according to plan – when change happens, we need to be able to adapt. While autistic people need predictable and consistent routines, it’s still important to be able to cope with changes both planned and unplanned. Having flexibility will build resilience, problem solving skills, and help a person to overcome changes and challenges. In order…
Atypical eating behaviors are common in autistic people. According to a study by Mayes & Zickgraf, 2019, 70.4% of autistic children have atypical eating behaviors as compared to 13.1% for other disorders and 4.8% for typical children. They found that only autistic children had pica or pocketed food. For 92% of autistic children, the most common preferred foods were grains…
COVID-19 has touched every aspect of our lives – the workplace, home, leisure activities, health, social life, and the family unit. For children and youth, their childhood experience has been anything but typical with online schooling, lockdowns, school closures, loss of extracurricular activities and separation from friends and extended family members. School opportunities disappeared that can really make a difference…
Death and loss are a natural part of life. All of us will have this experience at different times in our lives. Because of the pandemic, families may be experiencing more loss and changes at this time. There have been so many challenging situations – death of a loved one, long term illness, job loss, unavailability of favorite activities, shut…