Autism and the Post Primary School Programme (Joint Event) Dalriada School Ballymoney Co.Antrim

Autism and Social Communication Social communication is a multi-faceted, complex interaction involving mastery in many of the following, • Understanding non-verbal cues • Command of tone of voice • Command of facial expressions • Understanding different purposes of conversation • Sense of humour • Familiarity with social courtesies • Making the abstract concrete • Visual structure and predictable routines • Activities that provide support for language abilities • Interactions that provide focus on peers and self-awareness • Generalisations Social communication can, therefore, be challenging for many young people with autism. Many want to be socially interactive, make friends and form relationships, be included within the classroom and wider community, but find it difficult because of the many social conventions needed to achieve effective communication. Young people with autism experiencing such difficulties may find it hard to understand the messages being given, such as the meaning we put into our voice, the expressions on our faces, and gestures such as waving, pointing or shrugging Expected Outcomes Participants will have an increased understanding of • How social communication is defined. • The social communication difficulties are experienced by those with autism • Best practices in supporting the young person in the classroom, family home and wider community • The importance of visual information as it remains available long enough to enable the young person to focus on it or return to it as needed to establish memory for the message it is communicating. • Visual tools provide a non-transient foundation for more effective communication. • How to use the strengths of the young person with autism to help him or her communicate effectively.

Autism and Sensory Processing Sensory processing generally refers to the ability of an individual to register sensory information, make sense of that information, and to respond to it. This is a complex and fluid process involving all the sensory systems (auditory, gustatory, visual, olfactory, tactile, proprioceptive, and vestibular). When sensory processing is working well, an individual’s responses to sensory information are positive and support interaction. However, sensory processing difficulties are quite prevalent in the profiles of children with autism and can affect every aspect of life and development. This session examines the sensory processing differences frequently associated with autism and will demonstrate how such difficulties impact on learning, leisure activities and choices, social interactions and behaviour at home and in school. Expected Outcomes Participants will: • Develop a basic understanding of some of the sensory processing differences in autism. • Understand how sensory processing differences can affect the young person’s experience in school and at home. • Gain knowledge of strategies, which will assist in meeting the young person’s sensory needs. Course Overview • Sensory processing difficulties and how they can occur in autism. • How sensory processing difficulties can present in school and at home. • How sensory processing difficulties can affect learning and participation in school and at home.

Autism and Anxiety Management
Post Primary aged students with autism experience anxiety in many situations, with some experiencing significant anxiety difficulties. For many, school is a major source of stress. While many reasons are shared with the full student body, there are some key factors relating to autism that mean stress and anxiety are more likely. Everyone shows their anxiety in individual ways, so the most reliable observations that a student is anxious are going to be made by the people who know the student best. This highlights the need for a collaborative approach between the family and the school.
This session is an introduction to strategies that can be used to alleviate the experience of anxiety in students with autism. This will include an introduction to cognitively based strategies and how to develop student centred strategies to deal with anxiety.

Expected Outcomes
Participants will:
• Understand how the difficulties experienced by those with autism,  including sensory difficulties, can contribute to the development of anxiety.
• Understand how anxiety can escalate and may result in an outburst.
• Develop some simple strategies to prevent the escalation of anxiety.
• Understand the basics of cognitively based management approaches.

Course Overview
• Anxiety triggers and build up.
• “On the spot” anxiety management strategies.
• Developing a “stress kit”.
• Cognitively based approaches and the emotional toolkit

Autism and the Promotion of Positive Behaviour
Young people with autism can experience elevated levels of anxiety and stress often resulting in distressed and inappropriate behaviours for a variety of reasons, including interaction with the environment. Responding effectively to behaviour remains a concern for families and professionals living and working with young people with autism. Early intervention and planning are important to ensure that everyone has an array of proactive strategies to defuse rather than escalate a demanding situation. This session will examine how an understanding of autism can influence interactions and thus the behaviour of young people and challenge the term, “Challenging Behaviour”.

Expected Outcomes
Participants will:

• Understand reasons for what we see as inappropriate behaviour
• Learn practical strategies for recognising early warning signs and making positive interventions
• Recognise the “Rumbling, Raging and Recovery” aspects of behaviour and what we as practitioners can do
• Understand the behaviour and anxiety bank account

Course Overview

• Clarity of information, including expectations and procedures.
• Consistency: A healthy, strong home school partnership is vital.
• Common sense: Remembering that sometimes the most effective is also the most straightforward and easiest.
• Continuation: Keeping the teaching and the positive supports in place to continue to help the young person to develop effective life skills

Autism and Life Skills, including Relationships and Sexuality Education

Life skills are regarded as independent living skills or daily living skills.  It is also important to include executive function or thinking skills such as organising, planning, prioritising and decision making.
 

Categories of life skills include: 
•    Self-advocacy
•    Personal finance
•    Transport and community involvement
•    Leisure and recreation opportunities and activities
•    Home living skills
•    Career path and employment

Relationships and Sexuality Education, including friendships
Effective teaching of issues around life skills and sexuality education involves close collaboration between schools and parents to ensure messages are clear for the students with autism. This session will examine the impact of adolescence on young people with autism and examine the broad definition of life skills, within the contexts of work, leisure and personal care, and how the core difficulties, associated with autism, may directly affect the development of life skills.  Participants will be shown how to incorporate behavioural interventions with visual strategies to help teenagers with autism cope with some of the typical issues of adolescence and the acquisition of life skills. It will also focus on the delivery of relationships and sexuality education for students with autism

Expected Outcomes
Participants will
•    Have a greater understanding of how the core difficulties associated with autism affect the development of life skills in work, leisure and personal care.
•    Learn and develop methods to assess and teach life skills in the School and family environment.
•    Be more able to facilitate students to achieve greater independence in relevant daily activities such as play, work tasks, personal hygiene, toileting and organisational skills.
•    Have an increased understanding of the opportunities available to improve and develop students’ life skills within the school and home environment.
•    Understand the impact of adolescence on young people with autism.
•    Learn some strategies involving behavioural and visual strategies that will provide supports to adolescents with autism.
•    Provide strategies for the delivery of sex and relationships education to students with autism