Sue Larkey Blog

Transition includes change in teacher, change in room, change in students in the class not just starting preschool, school, high school and beyond. The nature of ASD is such that transition can be extremely stressful, no matter what age or how BIG or SMALL the change maybe. Changing Teacher is like…. Moving to a Foreign Country For the child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) moving to a new teacher, classroom or campus is like moving to foreign country. There is a different language (eg one teacher says ‘pack away’, new teacher says ‘clean up’). Teachers and other students have different facial expressions and body language to interpret, new rules, new schedules, new smells, different pencils just to mention a few changes. This new ‘foreign country’ causes the child to feel enormous anxiety and stress, which in turn can lead to behaviour. This anxiety and behaviour can be managed by effective planning and transition strategies. This article aims to...

Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Managing meltdowns is very important. I believe the key is getting in early and putting in place strategies before the behaviour escalates. You will need a range of strategies to prevent the meltdown escalating. For some students strategies that may help include: ignoring, distracting, redirecting, send on an errand, and more. Understanding the Three Stages of a Meltdown will make it easier to identify and apply strategies to prevent. Click This Link for Easy to Read and Print Page >> Managing_Meltdowns Managing Meltdowns Managing meltdowns is very important. I believe the key is getting in early and putting in place strategies before the behaviour escalates. You will need a range of strategies to prevent the meltdown escalating. For some students strategies that may help include: ignoring, distracting, redirecting, send on an errand, and more. Three Stages of a Meltdown 1. Build Up It may look like: ·     Walking in a...

Many people on the autism spectrum have difficulty with social skills as they are not logical – rules change, games change, people are your friend one day but not the next and children use language and phrases that can be confusing. In addition not being able to predict what people mean and understanding the context of a social situation can make social situations very frustrating. This is called ‘Theory of Mind’. Most children can pass a Theory of Mind test by age three, whereas most people with ASD have an impaired Theory of Mind. 'Theory of Mind is the ability to recognise and understand thoughts, beliefs, desires and intentions of other people in order to make sense of their behaviour and predict what they are going to do next. It has also been described as ‘mind reading’ or ‘mind blindness’. (Pg 112 ‘The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome’ by Dr Tony Attwood) Signs of an Impaired Theory of Mind Problems with explaining own behaviors Problems with understanding emotions...

Exam time and tests are often a very difficult time for students with ASD. Their anxiety, fear of failure, perfectionism and learning style often makes this a highly stressful time for everyone. In my experience often their longer processing time makes it difficult to read a question and then figure out what it really means. They may also perseverate (become stuck and not move on) on a question that they don't know. Some students have difficulty explaining their 'thinking' and just put the answers rather than showing their 'working out'. It's important we put in place appropriate procedures /adjustments so that students can perform at their best in tests & exams. In my experience the more practise students have with exams and tests the better we can prepare them. By doing practice tests and past papers we can become aware of the adjustments needed to support the students to ensure the best outcomes. One of the most important considerations when testing students with ASD is to...

Executive Functioning: The Brain's Air Traffic Control Learn about Executive Functioning Now! Have you ever watched planes taking off and landing at a busy airport and wondered how air traffic controllers manage it all? Now, imagine a similar system in your brain, managing thoughts, emotions, and actions. That's executive functioning for you! Subscribe to my podcast via my podcast page to get weekly episodes about ASD just like this one delivered automatically to where ever you listen to podcasts.What I Wish I Knew YEARS AgoThe one thing I wish I knew YEARS ago was the IMPORTANCE of executive functioning and HOW to improve it as it underpins everything from behaviour to social to engagement. Executive functioning refers to the part of your brain that organises, prioritises and regulates emotions. However, I prefer to refer to it as the 'Air Traffic Control,' as just like air traffic control has to manage thousands of planes on countless runways with perfect timing, students have...

Social Scripts Subscribe to my podcast via my podcast page to get weekly episodes about ASD just like this one delivered automatically to where ever you listen to podcasts. Friendship, play and social interaction are all two-way - and we need to support both the child with ASD and their peers to make social skills programmes work. Using social scripts to teach children with ASD, ADHD, ODD and PDA how to engage socially can be a great strategy to improve understanding of events and situations. Social scripts describe a social situation, skill or concept. The goal of a social script is to promote true social understanding. For example, I taught a Year 1 girl who wasn't doing her work, constantly getting frustrated and not staying at her seat. It turned out she didn't know how OR when to ask for help. Creating a social script to explain the concept of 'asking for help', significantly changed this child's ability complete work. Other students seem to learn these concepts without...

Subscribe to my podcast via my podcast page to get weekly episodes about ASD just like this one delivered automatically to where ever you listen to podcasts. Eye Contact I've had a lot of questions in regards to eye contact and understandably so since eye contact is an important part of communication and socialisation. It demonstrates an awareness of and interest in the other people. However, for children with ASD it doesn't come naturally and has even been reported as 'painful' by people with ASD to look at people's eyes. In many cases when children are not looking at people's eyes /faces, people assume the child is not paying attention or listening. However, we must be cautious not to assume that not looking means not listening, in fact many children report listening best with their eyes closed or when they look away. Teaching eye contact is very difficult, as in society when we communicate we actually use an 'eye gaze' rather than eye contact (staring into eyes). I've had...

Subscribe to my podcast via my podcast page to get weekly episodes about ASD just like this one delivered automatically to where ever you listen to podcasts. I have had many parents and educators requesting resources and tips for teens and young adults. I agree it is hard to find information and resources for how to guide and support this age group. I am thrilled to find a resource whose aim is “to increase the odds that your child grows into an adult with a rewarding, meaningful life” (xiii). Dr Temple Grandin and Dr Debra Moore The Loving Push by Dr Temple Grandin and Dr Debra Moore is a must read. What I enjoyed about the The Loving Push is that it was written using a mixture of personal and professionally researched based ideas. It weaves together the stories of several young people who are on the autism spectrum and their parents. The accounts describe overcoming and working through their challenges to become increasingly capable of independent living. It includes the...

Making it a Success in 2018 What you will learn Strategies to help teens and adults Exam strategies Creating successful social scripts Improving executive function What is theory of mind Teaching eye gaze          

Girls with ASD are often undiagnosed as the criteria was created by examining mainly boys, and the problem is that girls can be very different. I think we all know ‘neuro-typical’ boys and girls are very different in their social, communication and behaviour so it is no surprise that girls and boys with ASD are different too. Although are many characteristics that are very similar between boys and girls with ASD but I thought I would list the main differences. 9 Ways Girls with ASD differ to Boys with ASD Their special interests are usually animals, music, art, literature. They often have a very good imagination which includes imaginary friends, games, being animals or taking on persona of other girls. They often see speech therapists for their speech and may be diagnosed with specific language disorders, however, there is something different about this girl no one can quite put their finger on. They often play with older children or children that are much younger. This play is...

Behaviour – Why Do Children Do THAT? Solutions and Strategies for Common Classroom Behaviours Behaviour REASON WHY THEY MIGHT DO THIS SUGGESTED STRATEGIES Chewing on shirt, hat string or objects Chewing is calming for these students so it is important you provide opportunities to chew. Chewy tubes, Chewigem necklace, Pencil toppers. Oral Motor Programme. Water bottle with straw – they will need a few straws as tend to chew through. Hiding or running away This is a ‘flight response,’ usually due to confusion, lack of ability to problem solve of emotional build ups. Give a Preventative Break (go for a walk, bounce on a fit ball). Teach problem solving skills (important do this when calm). Recommend reading From Anxiety to Meltdown Difficulty accepting criticism This can be due to anxiety around making mistakes. Often part of Executive Functioning difficulties. Give a Preventative Break (go for a walk, bounce on a fit ball). Teach problem solving skills (important do this when calm)....

Many schools have introduced lunchtime Clubs and had great success. Playgrounds are unstructured, unpredictable places where children with ASD struggle to follow and join in the numerous social interactions surrounding them. Children with ASD frequently return to class from the playground in a high state of anxiety. In addition, their self-esteem frequently takes a battering. In our book Developing Social Skills, co-author Gay von Ess and I have lots of practical ideas and strategies to support social skills. Top Tips for Creating Successful Lunchtime Clubs Use students’ current interests and create clubs around these, or skills the students need. Consider setting up for students who are not coping in the playground or constantly having incidents. Name the Club: 'The World of Fun,' ‘Lunchtime Club,' 'Rest and Relaxation' or 'Games Group.' Have set open days each week. This can be from 1-5 days. Decide on number of students who can attend. Decide HOW students join the...