Including Individuals with Autism in Recreation Programs
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This document provides information and guidance for including individuals with autism. It begins by explaining that autism is a spectrum of neurological differences that can present challenges in verbal communication, social interaction, and sensory processing. It emphasizes the importance of creating a calm, predictable environment by considering sensory sensitivities, using visual supports and routines, and adjusting one's communication style to be direct, simple, and allow extra time for responses. The goal is to make recreation, work and education spaces as "autism friendly" as possible by respecting each individual's unique perspective and needs.
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Including Individuals with Autism in Recreation Programs
- 2. ! WAVE%Program%–%Including%Individuals%with%Autism% ! 2" www.waveottawa.ca"!!!!!!!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sheila!Bell,!Speech0Language! Pathologist! ! " Respect"the"Autism"Perspective:!! Remember!that!you!are!dealing!with!bright!people!who!have!their!own!likes!and!dislikes,!skills!and! talents,!as!well!as!neurological!differences!which!can!present!challenges!dealing!with!daily!life!in!a! chattering!social!world.!Work!with!the!differences,!not!against!them.!Seek!to!understand!the! reasons!behind!the!unusual!or!difficult!behaviours.!Adjust!your!communication!and!social!style!to! match!the!person!you!are!teaching.!These!are!great!people,!and!you’ll!be!happy!you!took!the!time! and!made!the!effort!to!really!reach!and!teach!them.! Creating"an"“Autism"Friendly”"Environment:" 1."Physical"Environment"&"Sensory"Sensitivities"(and"allergies):" 9 Consider!lighting!in!your!recreation,!work!&!education!spaces!–!fluorescent!lights!may!be! too!harsh!and!may!have!an!audible!buzz!(for!sensitive!individuals)!–!sunlight!is!too!bright! for!some!ASD!individuals!(they!may!need!dark!glasses,!limited!outdoor!activities,!“shady! escape”)!–!environments!with!flashing!lights!and!fluorescent!glowBinBtheBdark!paint!(think! “Rock!&!Bowl”)!may!be!overBwhelming!for!some!ASD!people!–!some!will!have!difficulty!in! dark!or!dimly!lit!spaces!(especially!if!they!count!heavily!on!visual!information!to!figure!out! the!world)! 9 Consider!background!noise!(both!mechanical!and!human)!–!remove!as!many!extra! background!sounds!as!possible!(fans,!loudBspeakers,!traffic!noise,!crowd!noise)!–!quieter! spaces!are!usually!better,!smaller!groups!are!easier!–!extremely!noise!sensitive!individuals! might!benefit!from!having!the!choice!to!wear!noiseBcancelling!overBtheBear!headphones! (you!can!find!these!at!home!improvement!stores!like!Home!Depot)! 9 Certain!textures!and!touches!will!be!aversive!to!some!ASD!individuals!–!if!an!ASD!person! can’t!stand!the!feeling!of!some!of!the!equipment!(e.g.!wet!lifeBjackets,!scratchy!pool!noodles)! problemBsolve!with!the!family!to!see!what!equipment/materials!might!work!as!a!substitute!! –!don’t!force!the!person!to!wear!or!touch!something!that!feels!“wrong”!to!them! !
- 3. ! WAVE%Program%–%Including%Individuals%with%Autism% ! 3" www.waveottawa.ca"!!!!!!!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sheila!Bell,!Speech0Language! Pathologist! ! ! 9 Pain!responses!may!be!unusual!–!the!ASD!person!may!be!hypersensitive!and!show!a! severe!reaction!to!a!“small”!hurt!(e.g.!a!cut!or!scrape)!or!may!be!hyposensitive!and!not!react! to!a!“large”!or!dangerous!injury!(e.g.!might!walk!on!a!broken!ankle)!–!the!same!individual! can!show!both!hyper!and!hypoBsensitivity!to!pain! 9 some!ASD!individuals!have!severe!environmental,!food!and!seasonal!allergies,!which! may!be!expressed!in!behavioural!&!cognitive!changes!(see!Doris!Rapp’s!book!“Is!this!your! child?”!for!more!detailed!information)!–!when!you!see!a!sudden!disintegration!of!behaviour,! this!may!be!the!underlying!cause! 9 ask!the!family!about!allergies!on!your!intake!forms!and!do!your!best!not!to!expose!the! person!to!substances!they!are!sensitive!or!allergic!to!–!make!sure!you!have!an!emergency! contact!number!in!case!of!accidental!exposure! 9 in!general,!avoid!the!use!of!scented!personal!care!products!(perfumes,!body!lotions,! shampoo/conditioner),!monitor!recreation,!!work!&!education!spaces!for!mold/mildew!and! dust!buildBup,!and!avoid!taking!sensitive!individuals!into!newly!renovated!spaces!(where! building!materials!may!still!be!offBgassing)! 2."Personal"Characteristics"&"Interaction"Style" 9 you!can!make!yourself!a!more!“Autism!Friendly”!person! 9 let!the!ASD!person!“meet”!you!by!photo!or!video!before!they!see!you!in!person!(put!your! printed!name!with!the!picture)!–!the!first!faceBtoBface!meeting!should!be!oneBtoBone,!rather! than!in!the!middle!of!a!group!(this!can!be!part!of!your!intake!protocol)! 9 watch!your!voice!volume!–!loud!enough!to!be!heard,!but!not!so!loud!that!you’re!overB whelming!(note:!some!ASD!individuals!will!do!better!with!female!than!male!voices,!or!vice! versa!!–!this!is!not!personal,!it’s!a!processing!issue)! 9 watch!the!reactions!of!the!ASD!person!to!figure!out!how!close!is!comfortable!and!how! close!is!too!close!(if!they’re!backing!up,!you’re!too!close)! 9 similarly,!watch!the!reaction!to!your!facial!expressions!and!gestures!–!some!individuals! will!do!well!with!highly!animated!instructors/supervisors,!while!others!will!respond!better! to!a!calmer!less!demonstrative!teacher!(match!the!individuals!to!the!instructors,!change!up! your!style!to!match!the!ASD!person)!
- 4. ! WAVE%Program%–%Including%Individuals%with%Autism% ! 4" www.waveottawa.ca"!!!!!!!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sheila!Bell,!Speech0Language! Pathologist! ! 9 DO!NOT!require!eye!contact!–!some!ASD!individuals!cannot!listen!and!look!at!the!same! time,!others!have!extreme!difficulty!processing!faces!(to!the!point!where!looking!at!a!human! face!can!be!aversive),!others!are!choosing!not!to!make!eye!contact!for!the!same!reasons!you! would!(discomfort,!wanting!to!end!an!interaction)!–!let!the!ASD!person!choose!when!to!look! 9 make!yourself!predictable!–!develop!small!interactive!routines!with!each!ASD!person!(e.g.! maybe!they!like!knock!knock!jokes!so!you!always!start!the!class!or!work!day!with!that!type! of!joke,!maybe!they’re!a!hockey!fan!so!you!always!start!your!interaction!with!a!quick! discussion!of!the!latest!hockey!news)! 9 dangly!jewelry!and/or!strong!scents!(personal!care!products)!can!overwhelm!sensitive! individuals,!so!don’t!wear!these!to!work! 9 it!will!be!obvious!to!the!ASD!person!whether!you!truly!like!them!,!appreciate!their! differences,!and!enjoy!their!company!–!true!respect!and!liking!is!the!most!important! characteristic!you!can!bring!to!working!with!ASD!individuals! 3."Language"&"Communication" 9 know!how!the!ASD!individual!communicates!(verbal,!nonBverbal,!use!of!typing!or! pictures)!–!this!is!a!critical!part!of!your!intake!process!–!if!this!is!a!recreation!or!work! setting,!you!are!not!typically!responsible!for!developing!a!communication!system,!but!you! must!make!sure!you!use!the!communication!system(s)!that!the!ASD!individual!already!uses! in!other!environments!(home,!school)!–!that!includes!making!sure!any!special! communication!equipment!(e.g.!iPad,!picture!board)!is!available!in!the!recreation/work! environment!and!that!staff!are!familiar!with!the!basics! 9 in!general,!be!kind!and!direct!and!say!what!you!mean!in!simple!language! 9 speak!slowly!and!“chunk”!information!–!use!visuals!to!backBup!key!spoken!information! 9 non0verbal!social!communication!cues!(like!facial!expression,!voice!tone!and!body! language)!will!frequently!be!missed!–!say!directly!what!is!usually!not!explained!(e.g.!“this!is! a!joke!….!“!or!“I’m!not!angry,!I!just!have!to!speak!loudly!because!we’re!outside”)! 9 avoid!sarcasm!(where!decoding!“tone!of!voice”!is!critical!to!understanding!the!true! meaning)! 9 slow!down!and!give!the!ASD!person!time!to!think!and!respond!(especially!if!they!are!nonB verbal!and!using!a!communication!device!–!it!takes!longer!to!type!than!to!speak)"
- 5. ! WAVE%Program%–%Including%Individuals%with%Autism% ! 5" www.waveottawa.ca"!!!!!!!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sheila!Bell,!Speech0Language! Pathologist! ! 4."Visual"Supports,"Structure"&"Routine" 9 most!ASD!individuals!will!benefit!from!having!information!put!into!a!visual!format!–!the! major!advantage!of!visual!information!is!that!it’s!stable!and!can!be!studied!over!time! (without!the!original!information!changing!or!decaying)! 9 also,!most!ASD!individuals!do!best!when!life!is!predictable!–!having!definite!structure!and! routine!to!activities!and!schedules!of!activities!or!work!tasks!will!help!create!a!calm! environment!for!new!learning!and!experiences! 9 Social!Stories!–!these!can!be!traditional!written/picture!stories!or!they!can!be!videos!–! social!stories!can!give!positive!information!about!what!to!expect!in!a!new!environment!–!by! reducing!the!element!of!surprise,!they!prepare!the!ASD!individual!to!calmly!negotiate!a! novel!situation! 9 Visual!“walk0throughs”!will!be!helpful!in!reducing!stress!(initially,!you!can!send!pictures!or! videos!of!the!recreation,!education!or!employment!building/space,!then!have!the!ASD! individual!come!through!for!a!1BtoB1!tour!before!the!first!day!of!class!or!work)! 9 Visual!Schedules!are!important!to!help!ASD!individuals!know!what’s!happening!next!and! what!to!expect!(verbal!information!is!often!missed!in!group!situations)!–!changes!to!the! normal!routine!should!be!clearly!(and!visually)!marked! on!the!schedule! ! 9 Visual!“Jigs”!are!instructions!in!visual!format!(like!a! picture!“recipe”)!that!give!stepBbyBstep!numbered! instructions!for!how!to!do!a!novel!activity!or!work!task! ! " " " "
- 6. ! WAVE%Program%–%Including%Individuals%with%Autism% ! 6" www.waveottawa.ca"!!!!!!!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sheila!Bell,!Speech0Language! Pathologist! ! " 6."Time"Pressure"&"Transitions" 9 changing!from!one!activity/task!to!another,!or!from!one!physical!space!to!another!can!be! challenging!for!an!ASD!person! 9 give!“count0down”!type!warnings!marking!the!amount!of!time!left!until!an!activity!is!over! –!visual!timers!can!help!to!make!this!more!obvious!to!an!ASD!individual! 9 structure!your!recreation!or!employment!time!to!reduce!the!number!of!transitions! 9 ask!the!family!(during!intake)!about!effective!strategies!they!use!at!home!to!help!the!ASD! person!disengage!from!one!activity/place!and!move!to!another" " " Managing"Crises"&"MeltQdowns:" Individuals!with!Autism!experience!stress!and!anxiety!on!a!daily!basis.!This!high!stress/anxiety! level!can!become!obvious!as!loud!and!difficult!behaviour.!Common!sources!of!stress!and!anxiety! include:! 9 Difficulty!following!a!communication!exchange!or!social!interaction!“at!speed”! 9 Inability!to!predict!what!will!happen!next!(breaking!routine!without!warning)! 9 Time!pressure! 9 Closing!one!activity!and!starting!another!(especially!if!first!task!is!not!complete)! 9 Sensory!overload!(background!noise)! 9 Too!many!people! 9 Task!is!too!hard!and/or!not!understood! 9 Exposure!to!problematic!allergens!(including!“seasonal!disintegration”)! 9 Measurement!of!performance!(winning!&!losing)! 9 Subtle!(not!seen!by!instructor/job!coach)!bullying!by!other!children/adults! 9 Specific!(idiosyncratic)!fears!&!phobias! "
- 7. ! WAVE%Program%–%Including%Individuals%with%Autism% ! 7" www.waveottawa.ca"!!!!!!!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sheila!Bell,!Speech0Language! Pathologist! ! " Strategy"#1"–"Know"the"individual’s"triggers"and"signs"of"“stress"rising”" Here!are!some!examples!of!“stress!signs”!(note:'this'is'another'question'to'ask'at'intake)' 9 Tics!&!repetitive!behaviours!(eye!blinks,!facial!grimaces,!nose/throat!noises,!body! movements)! 9 Language!“scripting”!(repeating!lines!from!TV/movie!or!previous!personal!negative! scenario)! 9 Distressed/angry!facial!expression! 9 Loud!laughter,!rising!voice!volume! Strategy"#2"–"Have"a"“Safety"Plan”"for"meltdown"situations" 9 Designate!a!“safety!spot”!(or!several!spots,!especially!if!you!are!working!in!a!large!or! multiBlevel!building!–!think!through,!ahead!of!time,!potential!“safe!spots”!for!offBsite!trips)! 9 “Safety!Spot”!should!be!quiet,!!have!enough!room!for!ASD!person!to!move!around! comfortably!(without!having!to!be!too!close!to!other!people),!and!be!selfBcontained!(limited! exit!points)! 9 ASD!individual!should!know!ahead!of!time!about!the!“safe!spot”!and!be!clear!that!it!is!a! “calm!down”!place,!not!a!punishment!(this!is!not!“time!out”)! 9 Write!out!the!“safety!plan”!in!language!and!pictures!for!the!ASD!person(social!story)!!–! identify!their!“safety!people”,!let!them!know!what!will!happen!when!they!are!upset!and! need!support!(the!routine!or!protocol),!give!them!a!way!to!let!you!know!that!a!situation!is! deteriorating!and!they!need!help!(e.g.!an!emergency!“break”!card,!“help”!card!or!“get!me!out! of!here!”!card)! 9 When!an!ASD!person!is!in!“meltdown”,!they!do!not!have!access!to!their!usual! communication!skills!–!keep!language!to!a!minimum,!maintain!a!calm/neutral!face!and! voice!tone!–!what!looks!like!anger!is!really!distress!–!it!may!help!to!dampen/change!your! own!automatic!emotional!responses!by!imagining!the!child/adult!crying!(so!that!your! response!becomes!calming/soothing!rather!than!pumped!up!by!adrenaline!to!fight/flight)! 9 Main!goal!is!to!let!the!ASD!child/adult!calm!down!(while!keeping!everyone!physically! safe)!
- 8. ! WAVE%Program%–%Including%Individuals%with%Autism% ! 8" www.waveottawa.ca"!!!!!!!2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sheila!Bell,!Speech0Language! Pathologist! ! 9 If!it!is!impossible!to!move!the!ASD!individual!safely,!then!clear!others!from!the!physical! space!where!the!upset!is!occurring!(turn!that!into!a!temporary!“safe!spot”)! 9 Calm0down!routines!and!strategies!will!be!different!for!each!ASD!person!–!talk!to!family! to!find!out!details!of!what!works!and!ask!them!to!help!you!obtain!any!specialized!equipment! necessary!(e.g.!weighted!vests,!headphones,!dark!glasses,!etc.)! 9 Key!staff!should!have!detailed!information!about!the!safety!plan,!and!should!have!layers! of!backBup!plans!(plan!A,!B,!C,!etc.)!so!that!the!plan!can!be!quickly!adapted!to!multiple! environments!and/or!sudden!escalation!of!distress!presenting!in!an!unforeseen!way! 9 All!staff!(including!support!staff)!should!know!the!ASD!individual!by!sight!and!have! basic!information!(e.g.!“this!child!should!always!be!accompanied!by!an!adult,!so!if!you!see! him!on!his!own,!please!notify!key!staff!immediately!and!follow!him!at!a!safe!distance!to!be! sure!he!stays!safe!–!don’t!interfere!directly!unless!he!heads!toward!an!outside!exit!door”)!–! this!can!be!set!up!in!the!same!way!as!you!would!alert!staff!to!lifeBthreatening!allergic! reactions! ∗ REMEMBER:!there!is!always!a!flight!risk!(even!with!ASD!individuals!who!have! never!run!away!from!a!group!before),!so!have!an!“emergency!search”!protocol! in!place!as!well! Strategy"#3"–"Later"meet"to"problemQsolve"(possible"causes,"plan"for"next"time)" - look!at!the!context!of!the!behaviour!(what!happened!just!before,!at!the!same!time,!just!after)! - make!a!"best!guess"!about!the!source,!then!make!changes!based!on!that!guess!(e.g.!if!you!think! the!task!is!too!hard,!try!modifying!the!task!requirements,!on!the!other!hand,!if!you!think!the! noise!level!in!the!class/group!is!too!high,!you!might!try!creating!a!quieter!oneBtoBone!teaching! or!work!spot)! - verbal!ASD!individuals!may!be!able!to!tell!you!what!the!problem!was!after!they’ve!had!a! chance!to!calm!down! - if!signs!of!stress!lessen!with!the!changes!you!make,!you're!on!the!right!track;!if!stress!level! remains!the!same!or!rises,!you!need!to!look!at!the!situation!again,!and!see!what!else!might!be! causing!the!person’s!distress!