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Hello Autism Empowerment Friends,
John and I wanted to let our Southwest Washington friends know about a special upcoming event on Saturday, May 19th. It is a benefit concert to help save the Vancouver Parks & Recreation Department's Summer Fun Sensory Camp.
Our youngest son attended this camp for multiple weeks last summer and enjoyed it tremendously. The staff were professional, accepting and kind. It was an environment where we felt comfortable that our son (5 years and a couple months at the time and prone to wander) would be safe and welcomed.
Unfortunately due to cutbacks in the City budget, the Sensory Camp was slated to be eliminated. A proactive and positive group of local parents have gotten together and formed a grassroots area to help raise $25,000 in 30 days and help save the camp. We support them in their goal and if you're in the area on the 19th, please do consider attending the concert and / or making a separate tax-deductible donation to their fund.
When we originally heard that the camp was scheduled to be eliminated, Autism Empowerment looked into the cost of creating and running a similar camp ourselves, however it makes much more fiscal sense for the Parks and Recreation Department who already have created a successful program (and would have much lower insurance rates for a program such as this) to do what they already do best.
We hope that they are able to close their funding gap this year and we encourage you to attend the benefit concert if you can. We know a couple of the moms working very hard on coordinating the benefit and thank them for all their hard work and support to help keep a successful summer program in the Vancouver community.
Saturday, May 19th, 2012 at 7 p.m. - Save the Sensory Camp Benefit Concert
Today we have a blog with information from Angie Voss, OTR/L from UnderstandingSPD.com regarding how to handle meltdowns in the classroom from a Sensory Perspective. Although useful for teachers, teacher aides and classroom assistants, this information is also helpful for parents, day care or day camp leaders, scout leaders or group activity coordinators.
SPD stands for Sensory Processing Disorder. It is very common for children and adults on the autism spectrum to have sensory processing issues.
How to Handle a Meltdown in the Classroom
A Sensory Perspective
One of the biggest mistakes made by teachers and assistants in the classroom is in how they handle and respond to a “meltdown”. As a sensory based occupational therapist, I believe the biggest missing puzzle piece is in understanding WHY a child has a meltdown. Most teachers and staff have simply not been taught why the child may be having a meltdown and how to help them. Unfortunately meltdowns often fall into the behavior category in our society. Yet in my clinical opinion, there is a very small percentage of meltdowns which warrant being considered behavioral, especially with children with sensory differences (including but not limited to: ADHD/ADD, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety disorder, developmental disabilities) and sensory processing disorder.
IMPORTANT SENSORY CONCEPT
Children inherently want to please, they do not want to misbehave or get in trouble.
This concept is very important to remember when talking about meltdowns. The meltdown is often misunderstood for attention seeking or spoiled behavior or simply the child trying to get what they want out of the situation. This may be true in a few cases, but with many children it is often much more deep rooted than that.
Here are some of the most common reasons a child with sensory differences may have a meltdown in the classroom....
Sensory overload from various stimuli (such as a loud and chaotic classroom, visual disorganization, or being bumped or touched unexpectedly by too many children)
Dysregulation and the inability to maintain self-regulation and a ready state due to minimal or limited sensory tools and strategies in the classroom
Sensory overload from a loud cafeteria or gym activity
The inability to cope with a new or challenging situation
Inability or difficulty in communicating wants and needs
Difficulty with transitions, and lack of or minimal warning time to transition
Lack of sleep or over tired
Lack of proper nutrition or too much of the wrong food
Change in routine within the classroom, possibly a substitute teacher
Lack of essential sensory nutrition found through movement and play during recess
Most meltdowns trigger a "fight or flight" reaction for the child's brain, especially children
with sensory differences and needs. Therefore the meltdown lasts longer and is difficult to
manage.
What Does “Fight or Flight” Look Like?
Hitting, kicking, biting, spitting, pushing (especially while standing in line or in new
challenging/overwhelming situations or activities)
Trying to run or escape from the situation
Trying to hide under something like a desk, table, or chair
Burying themselves in a teacher’s arms, avoiding all eye contact, or trying to curl up in a
ball on the floor or at their desk
Covering ears or eyes
Crying or screaming
Shutting down completely and not speaking or responding
Even falling asleep unexpectedly
How do you Help and Respond with Respect for the Child?
Top Three Points to Remember
1. Physical restraint is NOT an acceptable solution.
2. Do not treat the meltdown as behavior…respond based on “fight or flight”.
3. Be prepared and have a safe sensory retreat available for the child.
Children with sensory defensiveness perceive their environment as dangerous and painful
based on how they process sensory information. Therefore their nervous system switches to
the sympathetic nervous system and displays a “fight or flight” response. A child who has a
difficult time processing and modulating sensory input can also have the tendency to switch
to “fight or flight”. And almost all sensory kiddos have a difficult time with self-regulation, in
turn, a greater risk for “fight or flight” episodes.
Sensory Solutions, PLLC Angie Voss, OTR/L
For Further Information Visit: UnderstandingSPD.com
We had previously contacted Angie to make sure it was okay to reprint her work on our blog and Autism Empowerment webiste and she was delighted to agree. We also recommend her book, "Understanding Your Child's Sensory Signals - A Practical Daily Use Handbook for Parents and Teachers." We purchased ours through Amazon and found it very user-friendly and easy to read.
For more information, please check out her website at http://www.understandingspd.com
Angie is a registered and licensed occupational therapist specializing in sensory integration treatment techniques and sensory processing disorder. She attended University of Florida and San Jose State University, where she also completed an extended internship in a sensory integration clinic. Angie has always been dedicated and passionate about her work with children, with a deep down, true adoration and respect for sensory kiddos. From day one in her sensory integration clinic internship she KNEW this was her calling and perfect career path. She excelled and naturally understood the concept of sensory integration and had a dramatic and positive impact on the life and progress of her very first little patient, even as an intern! From that internship forward she knew she was in the right place with the right career and has spent the last 20 years advocating and impacting the lives of countless children with sensory differences and SPD.
For a printable link of the information presented here, please visit:
http://www.understandingspd.com/uploads/3/0/0/1/3001883/meltdowninclassroom.pdf
Hope you find this information useful!
Karen
Autism Empowerment Friends,
I encourage you to watch a quick video today if you haven't seen it previously.
Autistic Child is Disruptive in Cafe - How Will Patrons React?
My husband came across the following video earlier today and shared it with me. Admittedly both of us were rather emotional regarding the content since:
a) We have 2 children on the autism spectrum and
b) Each one at one point or another or even simultaneously (!!) have been disruptive in restaurants before and
c) We have experienced both compassion and a lack thereof from fellow patrons.
Although it wasn't a restaurant situation, one of my saddest memories of lack of compassion came during a Christmas Eve service a couple years ago when my kiddo was going through a bit of sensory overload. I won't go into the details here now but suffice to say that if people don't show acceptance and compassion in a church on Christmas Eve of all places, then there is really a lot of work to be done! It was really hard for us to go back after that but we realize now that the incident, although very humiliating and unpleasant did help strengthen our character and resolve and compassion for others. Sometimes when people show the example of the absolute wrong thing to do, it is so much easier to find conviction and strength in oneself to advocate for what is right. Interestingly enough, it also taught me a lesson about forgiveness. It is so much easier to be open to God's word and his calling for my life when I release the excess baggage.
But before I digress any further, let me pull myself back to the video above. In case you haven't seen it yet, I won't give the ending away.
My first impression was that the story was mostly a positive one and in a month dedicated to Autism Awareness and Acceptance, stories like these that people can watch fairly easily give food for thought to the general public even if the scenes played were not representative of every family's life impacted by the autism spectrum. There could have easily been other scenarios or other endings and as one who thoroughly enjoyed studying Social Psychology in college, I would have liked to see more variations. Inevitably, if you play enough scenarios, you're going to get different kinds of results to present, however I am satisfied with the ones they chose to show. I only watched the clip above so maybe in the actual TV show on ABC there were more. If you saw it, please let me know.
As every child on the autism spectrum presents differently, it would be remiss to generalize the type of behavior the boy was showing in the restaurant to all children on the autism spectrum, however I have known enough autism parents and have had enough experience with my own children in restaurants to note that scenarios like this in many variations and degrees of severity do happen to families impacted by autism regularly. Try grocery stores or shopping malls, airports or planes. Thank goodness for the movie theaters around the country that now offer Sensory Friendly viewings. I hope more kinds of businesses will follow suit.
Autism Empowerment is dedicated toward creating programs, services and support that people can plug into in the here and now to create a positive, collaborative autism community that Accepts, Enriches, Inspires and Empowers individuals on the spectrum as well as their families to reach their highest potential. By building and supporting creative positive communities of individuals, families, schools, businesses and community partners that foster acceptance, encouragement and love, we can reduce isolation that individuals and families feel and create opportunities for people to let their lights shine with the confidence of knowing that they don't have to be lonely and in the dark. (Like our message? Please share! We appreciate individual and community support and want to share our mission far and wide!)
Out of curiosity, I checked the comments on the ABC website underneath the video to read what people would say. As seems to be standard fare, there is no way to please everyone, especially if they are in a position in their lives where it seems like they are looking for opportunities to be displeased.
For example, the title of the video was "Autistic Child is Disruptive in Cafe - How Will Patrons React?" I knew that some would immediately be offended about the word "autistic". Personally, I prefer person first language for the most part but I'm not going to let a word itself offend me. Usually if I feel offended by something, it is the tone and intent of the word(s) being used and not the word itself.
When I write my blogs, I realize that when I say Aspie or person with autism or whatever I choose to say that as well-intentioned and compassionate and accepting as I am trying to be when I convey my messages, there will be some who will disagree with my choice of verbiage or not understand my intent. We each come to the table with a unique set of life experiences. Our paths may be strikingly similar or distinctively different. They will always be unique and so we can never expect for any man or woman to truly get everything we say all the time. Heck, even we are often regularly at battle with ourselves over some thing or another.
So that all being said, if you watched the video in its entirety or just the clip above like I did, please feel free to share what you think. We allow for anonymous posting but please don't take that as an invitation to forget your manners. :-)
Until next time, Autism Empowerment friends!
Karen
We weren't casting any doubts tonight, we were casting for fish!
Cub Scout Pack 2, Vancouver, Washington's first ever registered sensory friendly cub scouting pack that Autism Empowerment volunteers with is preparing for Klineline Kids Fishing this weekend, Friday, April 13th, 2012 and Saturday, April 14th, 2012 at Klineline Pond in Vancouver. We had a den meeting tonight at River Rock Church in Vancouver and the kids got to practice casting a fishing line, learning how to bait a hook and doing some coloring of different fish pictures. It was a fun group time and all of the boys earned their fishing belt loop. Fun!
This is the 13th year that Klineline Kids Fishing is hosting this special event and will be the second time that our family has attended. Last year was Justin and Ryan's first time ever fishing! Here was the result:
Proud Mommy moment! One of my favorite pictures of the year!
Each year the Klineline Kids Fishing hosts a Special Needs Kids Fishing day on Friday and then a community wide kids fishing day on Saturday. Last year, we were able to attend the Friday event because the kids were on Spring Break but this year since they are in school, we didn't want to pull them out, so we will be attending on Saturday along with a small group of boys and parents from our pack.
The Klineline group in association with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and the GoPlay Outside Alliance of Washington (GOPAW) were really accommodating to allow our Cub Scout Pack 2 the opportunity to attend as a group on Saturday afternoon as well as to be able to work with volunteers who will be sensitive to the needs of our kiddos. Some of our pack will be able to make it on Friday but we are so grateful that they are willing to take our group on Saturday as well. Although not all of the kiddos will be keen on touching the fish, there will be people on hand to help with baiting, reeling in and scaling.
All of the kids get a free fishing pole and t-shirt and the opportunity to catch and bring home two fish. What an awesome value and a neat way to get kids outdoors! (Hope the weather holds up!) This really is one of those neat experiences that our family never experienced when we lived in California but we're glad to be making a tradition here!
If you happen to be out there on Saturday afternoon around 3 p.m. and are interested in Sensory Friendly / Special Needs Cub Scouting or Autism Empowerment, the Cub Scout Pack will be out there in our purple Cub Scout Pack 2 shirts. Feel free to say hi!
Until next time!
Karen
