Fragile World
On The Spectrum
Tools for Helping Your Child Feel
“Safe, Accepted, & Competent”
Areas of Challenge
This course will discuss the following points.
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Describes stress, meltdowns & shutdowns.
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Identifies common stressors
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Identifies possible accommodations compensations to reduce stress.
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Good tool to summarise areas of vulnerabilities for teachers , friends and relatives.
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Good tool for designing comprehensive treatment plans.
Basic Premise Of This Course.
Every child strives to feel “Safe, Accepted, and Competent”
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Safe and secure
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Physically, emotionally, socially.
Why is Life so hard?
My brain is wired differently
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Weak connections between areas of the brain.
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Difficulty processing sensory input and multiple information.
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Difficulty regulating emotions
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(poor cortical control of limbic system-emotions).
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I perceive and understand the world differently.
Autism is a neurological, information processing disorder
Theory of Underconnectivity
Underdeveloped neuro-pathways between brain centers.
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Poor communication between different areas of the brain.
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Difficult to process multiple information simultaneously.
Inability To Rapidly Process Multiple
Information Simultaneously
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Information Overload
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Sensory Overload
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Emotional Overload
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Social Confusion
The World can be Overwhelming
Sensory Processing Problems
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Noise to loud!
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Light to bright!
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Touch is torture!
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Clothes to scratchy!
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Smells make me sick!
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Sensory Defensive
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Trouble integrating senses.
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Poor filtering
I feel confused, overwhelmed,
and anxious!
Information Overload
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This inability to rapidly process multiple information results in “delayed information processing”.
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Because the flux of information is faster than the ability to process it, the child picks up only bits of information.
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Since higher percentage of processing is at conscious level, it becomes mentally draining, very taxing.
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Brain can become overloaded very easily, further reducing its processing abilities.
Communication
Communication Requires Multiple Processing
Simple interaction requires rapid processing of multiple information.
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80% of communication is nonverbal.
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Usually fleeting and fading quickly; often vague, with multiple meaning. Requiring constant comparing, contrasting, evaluating, assessing.
People with autism have difficulty processing that fast.
Communication Problems
Difficulty processing what others are saying.
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Interaction often goes too fast.
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Often only picks up on bits and pieces of interaction.
Has problems understanding multi-meanings.
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Difficulty with metaphors, sarcasms, humor, etc.
Very literal, straight forward, and naively truthful.
Cannot read between the lines, context, pragmatics.
Social Deficits
Relating Requires Multiple-Processing
Hearing the words.
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Interpreting body language.
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Reading intent and perspective.
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Understanding the context.
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Deciding how to respond back.
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Referencing other’s feedback to our response.
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Give and take, back and forth, co-regulation occurs way too fast to process.
Social Anxiety
What did they say?
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What do they mean?
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They talk too fast?
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What do I say?
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How do I act?
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I just don’t get it!
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I don’t want to embarrass myself!
My World is Often Confusing and Overwhelming
Too Loud! Too Bright! Too Confusing! Too Scary! Too Demanding! Too Fast!
The World Moves Too Fast For Me!
Social Isolation and Depression
Difficulty fitting in.
Strong social anxiety.
Frequently teased, bullied, or taken advantage of.
Numerous attempts but fail.
Social isolation: “I give up.”
Strong feelings of incompetence.
Often depression becomes sets in.
Emotional Overload
Difficulty labelling feelings.
(all negative emotions as fear!)
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Problems identifying source of feeling.
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Difficulty sharing emotions.
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Very difficult time with mixed feelings
(e.g. love and jealousy).
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Problems regulating emotions.
(controlling emotional reactions)
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Very intense emotional reactions.
When Emotion
Hits
Frequently goes from 0-100 quickly.
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Often labels all negative emotions as fear.
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Difficult time recognizing emotional buildup until its too late.
Will often lose emotional control.
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Difficult time rebounding when upset.
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Frequent mood swings.
I do not feel “safe” with my emotions. They set off “fear” and “panic”
Our Job
First, to understand and accept them; value and
love them.
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Then help them feel competent:
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Tackling the confusion.
Mastering their emotions.
Relating with others.
Understanding and bridging their differences.
Empowering them to advocate for themselves.