Coaching students with Autism Laura Kerbey Session Content. By the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Laura Kerbey

Coaching students with Autism

By the end of the session you will be able to:

• 1. Understand what Autistic Spectrum Conditions are and how they impact on

individuals

• 2. Communicate effectively with individuals with autism
• 3. Understand Sensory Difficulties
• 4. Manage behaviour effectively

Session Content.

• 1% of the population
• 433,000 adults and 107,000 children in the UK.
• The cost of autism: £28 billion per annum
• Lifetime cost of autism: £4.7 million per person.

Autism: Cost and Prevalence

What is is autis ism? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8umwjLi0F8

Myths

• A result of parent rejection
• A result of an emotional disorder
• A mental illness
• Genius – very few have greater

skills – most do not.

• Curable

Facts

• A developmental condition
• Diagnosed by a paediatrician
• More common in boys than girls

(Approx 75% males)

• A life long disability
• Neurological and genetic.

Myt yths and Facts:

1. . Understand what Autistic Spectrum Conditions are and how they impact on individuals.

The Triad / Dyad of Autistic Impairments

• Restricted vocabulary
• Attention and shared attention difficulties
• Inappropriate eye-contact
• Echolalia – repeating words but not responding to their meaning
• Pro-noun reversal
• Use of odd intonation
• Inappropriate communication to social context
• Literalism
• Poor auditory skills
• Sequencing difficulties

Impairment of Communication

“I struggled with lineout calls. Because I'm dyslexic, the process time takes longer. Playing inside centre for me is more straightforward, no worrying about lifting or getting lifted. Even as a back, I can't remember half the things we do. But I do tend to spot things a split second before others, which is quite a good advantage. I like trying different stuff and using my

• imagination. It's pointless playing on script,

you have to go off script. Have an offload or something, it can frustrate coaches but you need to have a crack.”

Tom Morgan – Welsh Rugby Player

2. . Developing Social Skills and Communication.

• Look at the board and I will go through it with you.
• Lets take the stairs.
• Write on your paper what you did at the weekend.
• This is straight from the horses mouth.
• I will help you in 2 minutes.
• It’s a piece of cake.
• You have worked your socks off – Well done.

Try ry to th thin ink of f some th things th that you may say every ryday which could cause confusion to a students with ASC…

• Group Task:
• Try to think of some things that you may say during your coaching

which could cause confusion to a student learning to sail with ASC…

• How could we minimise confusion?

Im Improving our learning environment

• Understanding that apparent lack of understanding or attention is probably not deliberate
• Use client name at the beginning of an instruction
• Simplify language and reduce sentence size
• Be ready to repeat instructions without re-wording
• Provide visual clues – write down key points. Use lists.
• Give time for response and check understanding.
• If giving a sequence of instructions, give them one at a time – do not move on until each

step is complete

• Try to avoid sarcasm
• If using humour – smile!! Do not try dead pan!
• Do not say, “Would you like to?”
• Use choices – “Would you like to do this first or this first?”

Working with Autistic Students

• What advice would you give the coach of an autistic player?

“What worked best for me was not overloading me with information. The best coaches told me where I stood and didn’t sugarcoat anything, but gave me free rein to go out and play with a smile om my face. It important to keep it basic which is very important for someone on the spectrum”

Tom Morgan:

• Inability to see someone else's point of view.
• Central coherence – seeing the individual tree and not the whole of the

forest – i.e. Can memorise car registrations but has a significant learning difficulty.

• Difficulty with generalisation – i.e. Very specific detail.
• Difficulty with some problem solving – likes very specific answers.
• Difficulty in creating something entirely from imagination.
• Rigidity – difficulties in change of routine.

Impairment of flexibility of thought and behaviour

• A lack of attention to people
• Treating people as inanimate objects
• Not responding when addressed as a group
• Needing personal space but not understanding that others have personal

space

• Little comprehension of emotions
• Inability to play or socialise interactively with other children
• Misunderstanding of social and formal rules – formal are better than social

as they are less complicated.

Impairment of Social Interaction

• Can make offensive comments
• Expects other people to know their thoughts and feelings
• Response to peers can range from indifference to total over

reaction

• Expressions of emotion often inappropriately extreme
• Unlikely to understand the concept of fashion.

WHAT IS THE LONG TERM IMPACT OF THE ABOVE? Lets discuss …………..

More features of social impairment

3. . Understand Sensory Difficulties

The autistic student may be Hyper of Hypo Sensitive to the following:

• Sight
• Smell
• Touch
• Taste
• Hearing
• Balance and Proprioception may also be impaired

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plPNhooUUuC

Sensory Differences

• May be distracted by aspects of the environment not noticed by
• thers – i.e. sounds, smells.
• May find crowded places particularly difficult.
• May have a genuine difficulty keeping still - may cause dizziness.
• May not register pain in an expected manner
• May have great difficulty with touch
• May not be aware that their sensory responses are different to
• thers

GROUP TASK 1 - Speaking and listening exercise. GROUP TASK 2: consider how autism impacts on students in your setting and discuss how to minimise this.

Difficulties caused by sensory issues:

4. . M Manage Behaviour Effectively

What is anxiety?

• Sensory difficulties
• Loss of control
• Demands
• Relationship difficulties
• Social / Communication difficulties
• School
• Home circumstances
• New situations and environments

Possible Causes and Triggers

• Muscle tension
• Fatigue
• Restlessness
• Difficulty sleeping
• Irritability
• Edginess
• Aggression
• Running away

Symptoms

Symptoms of f Anxiety:

Anxiety

Routine disruption Social interactions

• f any kind

Not knowing what’s going to happen next Wearing different clothes/eating different food Travelling on trains and buses People being late, meetings

• verrunning
• Autistic

Anxiety

Job interview Getting married Taking an exam General anaesthetic

• Neurotypical

Neurotypical v Autistic Anxiety

The Anxiety Bucket Analogy:

...Their brain processes the input and the level goes back down quickly afterwards ...When they come across some sensory input or stress, it may rise a little... In a ‘normal’ situation, the NT’s anxiety bucket is empty or close to empty...

The Neurotypical Anxiety Bucket

...Their brain struggles to process the additional input and the bucket can actually overflow (the person cannot function anymore) ...When they come across even more sensory input or stress, it gets even fuller... In a ‘normal’ situation, the autistic person’s bucket is already quite full...

The Autistic Anxiety Bucket

……and the Boiled Kettle Analogy Too!

Remember – there is always more than

• ne way to look at things…..

• Ignore negative behaviours.
• Reward positive behaviours.
• Be consistent!
• Make sure people know the rules.
• Make sure you stick to them!
• Don’t keep promises you cannot keep.
• Avoid sarcasm.
• Be neutral when dealing with negative behaviour.
• Don’t personalise negative behaviour.
• Give lots of PRAISE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Positive Behaviour Management:

• Think of the behaviour as an Anxiety or Panic Attack!
• Stick to the facts, not opinions
• Use problem-solving phrases
• Remind children what they should be doing
• Ignore attention-seeking behaviours
• Allowing the individual to simply have a break from the

environment/situation can be really helpful

Things that help

• Remember that all people with autism are unique. What works with
• ne may not work with another. And what works one day may not

work the next.

• Treat everyone as an individual. Every day.
• ACTION PLANS……..

Finally……..

• PAST offers training on autism, ADHD and behaviour. We offer a

range of bespoke training packages including accredited options.

• For more information:
• Website: www.positiveautismsupportandtraining.co.uk
• Email: info@positiveautismsupportandtraning.co.uk
• Follow us on Facebook: Positive Autism Support and Training

Our services and courses: