Understanding the Autism Spectrum

CEUs are available for this presentation at AllCEUs a https 3A 2F 2Fwww allceus com 2Fmember 2Fcart 2Findex 2Fproduct 2Fid 2F1079 2Fc 2F a Want to listen to it as a podcast instead Subscribe to Counselor Toolbox Podcast Understanding the Autism Spectrum Dr Dawn-Elise Snipes PhD LPC-MHSP LPC Executive Director AllCEUs Objectives It is called a spectrum disorder because people with ASD can have a range of symptoms Symptoms Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts as manifested by the following currently or by history Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity ranging for example from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation to reduced sharing of interests emotions or affect to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions Direct communication Honesty Nonjudgmental listening Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction ranging for example from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication They often think in pictures or video Frequent Co-Occurring Issues Epilepsy 30 of people with autism Grand mal or absence seizures cause the person with ASD to blank out or stare into space for a few seconds are often triggered by Hyperventilation Malfunctioning fluorescent lights Intense strobe lights like visual fire alarms Natural light such as sunlight especially when shimmering off water flickering through trees or through the slats of Venetian blinds Certain visual patterns especially stripes of contrasting colors Gastrointestinal problems 46-85 Pain caused by GI issues is sometimes recognized because of a change in a child s behavior such as an increase in self-soothing behaviors like rocking or outbursts of aggression or self-injury Children with ASD do not develop a perception of themselves as active agents that can deal with novel incongruent disorganizing information They do not experience their capacity for emotion mediation Social impairments in children with ASD interfere with the ability for parents to be responsive sensitive Lack of responsive parenting impairs parents ability to provide timely and responsive support which could provide a safe route to exploration and growth Children with autism are attached to their parents However the way they express this attachment can be unusual To parents it may seem as if their child is disconnected Both children and adults with autism also tend to have difficulty interpreting what others are thinking and feeling Children with ASD form generalized expectations that engaging in novel situations will have catastrophic consequences in contrast to the autonomous growth-seeking efforts of their neuro-typical peers Parents of children with ASD spend considerable energy just obtaining their child s attention which distracts from energy used to enhance their interactions Parents of children with ASD must employ more high-intensity and directive methods such as increased physical contact as well as providing more cues and prompts By toddlerhood most children with ASD have switched from passivity to more active avoidance and emotional disengagement negative mutual influence cycle in which both parents and infants are unwittingly propelled to respond to one another in increasingly abnormal ways that dramatically impact their subsequent relationship Interventions Be consistent Stick to a schedule Reward good behavior Use teachable moments Create a safety zone with visual cues Pay attention to the kinds of sounds they make their facial expressions and the gestures they use when they re tired hungry or want something Remember that behavior is a way of communicating Find the motivation behind the behavior Make time for fun Pay attention to sensory over- or under- sensitivities and their impact on behaviors Teach tasks in small steps using visual cues Seek respite care Explore individual marriage or family counseling Keep a daily log using text and or pictures Break large tasks clean your room down into smaller tasks Teach interpersonal interactions through cartooning Help the child communicate by using drawing Use the term challenges instead of weaknesses Explain the diagnosis to the patient Examples of Autism in the Media Summary AllCEUs courses are accepted in most states because we are approved as an education provider for NAADAC the States of Florida and Texas Boards of Social Work and Mental Health Professional Counseling the California Consortium for Addiction Professionals and Professions

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