Sue Larkey Blog

Employable Me ABC TV Show "Follow people with neuro-diverse conditions such as autism, OCD and Tourette syndrome as they search for meaningful employment. This uplifting and insightful series draws on science to uncover people's hidden skills." Dear my younger #ActuallyAutistic self, I'm writing from 2018. 20 years on from when you went for your autism diagnosis. You always knew you were different, but now you'll know for sure. It will take a while to fully understand. Join my list below to read more... School to Work Transitions for Young People with Autism Spectrum Disorder It is very important we start preparing students for post school options. A great starting point is getting teenagers involved in volunteer work. The school holidays are a great time to volunteer, checkout the volunteer websites as they have many options available. Jeanette Purkis has written a fantastic book The Wonderful World of Work and has kindly written a tip sheet for this Newsletter. 1....

Making it a Success in 2018 What you will learn Understanding Dysgraphia & Handwriting Difficulties 9 Ways Girls with ASD differ from Boys with ASD Creating Goals for The Early Years. Why Making Mistakes is Frustrating & Strategies to Have a Go Making Friends and Being One Top Tips for Lunchtime Clubs & Passive Playrgounds 12 Top Tips for School to Work Transitions Recommended Resources for Teen Years and Beyond Dean Beadles letter : 'Dear my Younger #ActuallyAutistic Self' Worksheets/Posters to Download and use at Home & School Upcoming Workshops (last...

Have you heard of the ‘Amygdala’? Did you know it is thought that an enlarged amygdala could be causing anxiety, sensory processing differences and more. The amygdala is thought to be a part of the limbic system within the brain, which is responsible for emotions, survival instincts, and memory. In his workshops Dr Tony Attwood discusses the studies that have found that the amygdala is enlarged in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He believes this is why we see children not being able to regulate behaviour, unusual reactions to pain and more. Amygdala – limbic structure involved in many brain functions, including emotion, learning and memory. It is part of a system that processes ‘reflexive’ emotions like fear and anxiety. What is known about the amygdala is that it has a dual sensory input system. The amygdala is specialised for reacting to stimuli and triggering a physiological response, a process that would be described as the ‘emotion’ of fear. Once an emotion has...

The whole team including the teacher, teacher assistants, administration staff and leadership team should work towards building a strong relationship with the student. In my experience often the student only develops a strong relationship with the teacher. This is limiting as the student needs to be able to respond to other staff in the playground, and often leadership teams are involved in behaviour management. A strong relationship with the student means that the student will be more receptive to teaching opportunities and more likely to retain more information learnt from the teacher. 4 Key Ways to Build Rapport Get to know the student and his or her interests. Develop a summary profile of the student so everyone is aware of the student’s triggers. Know the students’ name (students on the spectrum often don’t realise you are speaking to them if you don’t include their name). Give students responsibilities or jobs particularly around their special interest. Excerpt from: The...

Dr Tony Attwood’s work on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is very important for children with autism spectrum. According to Tony people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) need to work on feelings and emotions AT LEAST ONE HOUR EVERY WEEK from early childhood right through to adulthood. The issue is not that children with ASD DON’T have feelings or emotions – it’s that they don’t always understand their feelings or emotions, and often don’t have strategies to deal with them. Interestingly, Tony talks about how feelings of sadness or anxiety can often come out as anger. They need a way to vent their feelings and as some just don’t know how to cry – they hit out instead. Teaching them to understand how they are feeling is a very useful tool in helping them to manage their own behaviour. Feelings of frustration or anxiety can very quickly escalate into major meltdowns, but with an emotional toolbox children can learn to manage these feelings before they reach boiling...

Research has found that both exercise and sleep can improve attention, mood, executive function, and self-regulation. “Sleep disturbance impacts cognition, it impacts mood, and it impacts behavior.” Stanford University Psychologist Ruth O’Hara Research has found that two thirds of children with ASD have sleep problems, fragmented sleep, and early awakenings. So be aware that many of our students can be fatigued by early afternoon and may benefit from easier, more repetitive learning tasks in the afternoon. On my Facebook page I recently did a Poll which 1,540 people voted. Remember different strategies work for different children, and if one strategy doesn't work, try another. 16 Key Strategies for Sleep Set up a good bedtime routine. Use timers/clocks/sensory tools. Melatonin (Medication). Teach to stay in bed even if not sleeping. Epsom Salts, Bath or Lavender. Turn off all “blue screens” (iPads, TVs etc.) at least onehour before sleep. Keep bedroom door open. Accept lack of...

To Tell or NOT to Tell, and WHAT to Tell? I regularly get asked whether students should be told they have Autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, etc. I believe telling children about their ASD helps them understand and actually increases their participation and engagement. “Until recently, much of the literature has focused on sharing the diagnosis with parents and carers. Relatively little attention has been given to explaining the diagnosis to the child. Accounts from adults with autism and Asperger Syndrome have suggested that being told their diagnosis is largely positive and beneficial. They report that this helps to make sense of themselves to understand the behaviour of others and enables them to develop strategies to manage situations they find problematic. Sharing the diagnosis also allows individuals to access relevant literature and to make contact with others with autism or Asperger Syndrome. Those who feel confident and positive about their diagnosis are likely to fare better than...

Using the Word STOP What does STOP really mean? Being told to STOP can be very confusing for people with ASD. Many children with ASD, ODD have “Mind Blindness.” It means they often are literal, don’t know the inferred intent of language and have difficulty taking another’s perspective. This means the word STOP can be very confusing. For example if an adult says “STOP” do they mean stop breathing, stop looking, stop moving, etc. STOP does not tell a child what they can do – it only tells them what they shouldn’t do. When you have to use STOP make sure you add a little more information so that the child knows what they should do, e.g. “STOP! Hands down” if he is about to reach for something on the stove or “STOP. Feet still” when he is about to run onto the road or “STOP, pencil down time to listen.” Although these instructions sound a little overdirected they clearly convey the intended message to the child. It is important children know what the STOP word means and to respond...

Photo Cookbooks and Life Skills Cooking! Using Cooking to Teach Everything! Life Skills, Social Skills, Maths, Science, English and more! (See my Cook Books page for Books and CD’s available) Cooking is a daily activity for everyone. It is a wonderful activity to teach ALL ages and stages. Cooking is an activity families, schools, community groups – indeed anyone can do it – and it provides long term recreation and independent living skills. Through cooking you can teach all curriculum areas (see below). By providing a structured programme with goals/learning outcomes you can develop a cooking programme that addresses the learning style and needs of the individual student. One child may use the programme to learn to read while another may use it to communicate, using visuals. 5 Ways to Use Cooking to Teach Here are some examples of how cooking can be used to teach a wide range of skills at both school and home: Sequencing: Cut up recipes and get the child to put in the correct...

In my experience successful education for a child on the autism spectrum starts with a positive working relationship between home and school. One of the biggest challenges for parents/carers and teachers is to develop an effective relationship. It is in the interest of everyone involved child, staff and families that we create a positive partnership. This is created by: Team Work 1. Team work is the key to achieving desired outcomes. We are all on the same side. We all have the best interest of the child at heart. When we have the attitude that we are all on the same team, the child’s team we view everything differently. 2. Share information, brainstorm ideas and learn together. 3. Ask questions. You should never be ashamed to ask questions – we are all there to help the child through life. 4. Brain storm ideas. Remember not every strategy works for every child so it is good to have a few ideas to try. **Sign up at the bottom of this page to instantly access the rest of these...

In is you will learn: 1. What is the Goal of a Fidget Tool 2. How to Select 3. Quick Tips for Sensory Tools 4. Top Tips to Introduce in your Classroom Understanding Sensory: ‘The Magic Wand’ to Improving Concentration and Reducing Anxiety Fidget Spinners – To Use or NOT To Use There has been a huge amount of debate around the use of fidget spinners. I suspect they are a fad that will pass. The great news is these have raised awareness of some students needing sensory tools to engage, participate in learning, regulate emotions and reduce anxiety. It has also highlighted the need to make careful selection of sensory tools. Here are my tips for using, introducing and managing sensory tools in your classroom, preschool or home. Instead of calling the sensory resources ‘fidgets’ or ‘toys’ consider calling them ‘tools’. I often call them a ‘magic wand’ as they can make a huge difference much like glasses are a tool to help me see better, focus, stay on task, be more independent there...

Many of you would have heard me say ‘It takes a community to raise a child with ASD’. It is the support from home, school and the wider community that can truly make a difference – and make it a success. I strongly believe that UNDERSTANDING is a key element of this. In this Newsletter I have included a range of tips, information and resources to help you support the children you know with autism spectrum disorder:  Using fidget tools and how to introduce to whole class, family, etc. Increasing and supporting communication. How and why to use visuals.  17 tips to develop a good relationship between home and school. Using social scripts to help understanding of social rules and situations. Contents of Newsletter 13 pages Understanding Sensory 2 Using Breaks as a Tool 3 Five Key Steps to Developing Self-Calming Strategies 3 Great Resources for Sensory 4 Using Communication Temptations to Motivate Communication 5 NEW Online Learning 9 How and Why to Use Visuals 10 Developing a Good...