Autism Magazine by AutismMagazine

AUTISM ISSUE 2 - DEC 2021

Magazine

STIMMING STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT REGRESIVE AUTISM

MELTDOWNS VS TANTRUMS

PARENTS SUPPORT GROUPS EIHGT HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

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TABLE OF CONTENT 1.

WELCOME

STIMMING

MELTDOWNS AND TANTRUMS

TOILET TRAINING

8 HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

PARENTS SUPPORT GROUPS

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

REGRESSIVE AUTISM

AUTISM MAGAZINE

WELCOME

Welcome to Autism Magazine a platform that is specially designed to share all the information about autism spectrum disorder. We aim to provide information about development, special education, behaviour, communication and social skills. Autism Magazine aims to serve as guidance to all the questions relating to autism. We will regularly have interviews of professionals, organizations and families affected by autism around South Africa. Our Autism Magazine is suitably made for adults or parents with children on ASD, NOS and professionals.

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STIMMING Have you wondered why your child is so overly obsessed with the washing machine or why they would rather rearrange toys instead of actually playing with them? Well, I’ve got news for you, it’s also part of stimming. I once worked with a student that always spoke about sonic the hatch hock, I ended up watching every sonic movie. Isn’t it weird how people on Autism make us look at the world differently and how they influence us to start appreciating small things? Repetitive behavior also known as stimming (self stimulatory behavior) can be marked by physical movements, sounds, words or moving objects. Stimming varies in appearance and frequency, it helps people on ASD to regulate their feelings by calming them down and it also helps to stimulate their auditory, visual, tactile and olfactory senses. In other words, stimming is a coping mechanism that serve a lot of purpose. We all stim unaware sometimes when we are anxious or stressed we would maybe click on the pen a lot or constantly touch our hair., the only difference is people on autism do it more frequently. A person on ASD would stim a lot when they are frustrated, in an unfamiliar environment and when they are trying to reduce anxiety and to decrease sensory overload. Types of stimming • Visual stimming: staring at spinning objects or light, and adjusting their eyes. • Auditory: making vocal sounds, repeating parts of movies or songs. • Tactile: rubbing objects or people/ themselves or sometimes scratching. • Taste/smell: licking/chowing things, smelling people or objects • Echolalia: repeating words they heard from movie scene/people. • Proprioception: this is the most common stim used to help them feel balance, this could present itself in rocking, jumping, flapping hands, running, tiptoeing, swinging.

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How to deal with stimming Imagine having to stop the only thing that helps you manage and regulate your feelings. Stimming does not need to be controlled unless if it’s causing problems such as self-harm, disrupting school / ability to learn and its causing social isolation. The easiest way to manage stimming is through understanding what might be causing the behavior and teach children self-control rather than wanting to change them. Imagine having to stop the only thing that helps you manage and regulate your feelings. Stimming does not need to be controlled unless if it’s causing problems such as self-harm, disrupting school / ability to learn and its causing social isolation. The easiest way to manage stimming is through understanding what might be causing the behavior and teach children self-control rather than wanting to change them. stimming could be managed using the three-term contingency. A – Antecedent (what triggers behavior) B – Behavior (behavior that follows after e.g., humming or covering ears) C – Consequence (how you can deal with the behavior or how you can avoid the behavior) For an example if you know that change of schedule might course stimming, try to prepare beforehand and it’s important to keep a visual schedule. having a visual schedule keeps calm and reduces the fear of unfamiliarity. Try to keep fidget toys or sensory toys etc. they help to keep calm and to stay busy.

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I can tell you; you have received remarks such as “you can’t control your baby; they are too naughty or your baby is too spoiled”. You probably also have had incidents where your child had intense aggressive behavior such as kicking, biting, banging head on objects or screaming. That’s what we call a meltdown, meltdowns are unconditional emotional outbursts. They can be caused by multiple things such as change of routine, anxiety, unusual fears, sensory overload etc. unfortunately meltdowns appear with no warning sign at all.

MELTDOWNS VS TANTRUMS

Some people mistake tantrums for meltdown. Tantrums usually occur when a child is trying to get something (eating dessert before finishing their food) or escape from something (avoid to eat all their vegetables) and tantrums are usually much shorter than meltdowns.

Meltdowns can not be completly prevented but they can be managed. 6

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There are many things that can trigger meltdowns and it’s good to know how to prevent or handle a meltdown when it occurs. It may not be the easiest thing to conquer but you can avoid a lot if you know, what might be causing them. When your child is having a meltdown, you have to keep note of what caused the meltdown, how they reacted to the meltdown and what calms them down during the behavior. Keeping notes of your child’s meltdown helps to keep track of what triggers the meltdowns and in future you know how to prevent them. Managing meltdowns Having a visual schedule and keeping to routine helps to avoid meltdown from occurring. Children on ASD likes safety and like anticipate events so that they can be emotionally ready. When your child is having a meltdown , you need to: • Drop the unwanted input • Try to comfort them • Keep them calm • Try to relax your child using weight vest etc. • Eliminate punishment • Give them their sensory tools • Try a quick distraction (play their favorite video) Meltdowns can’t be completely prevented but they can be managed, they will still occur but knowing what to do when they do occur will make the process bearable and most likely shorter than they normally would last.

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TOILET TRAINING I have seen so many posts of parents asking how they got their little ones to be fully toilet trained, well... all I can tell you is that every parent has a different story to share. I have been working with children on ASD for years and I have quite a few stories to share as well but for now all I can say is that it’s different for everyone. I am currently toilet training a three-year-old student and we have been toilet training for a little over a month now. The first few days he would not sit on the toilet,he is still not independent but he now at least sit on the toilet, he also understands when I tell him “Lets go to toilet” and he actually does wee when we get to the toilet. If you have been in this journey, you will understand my victory.

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Tips for toilet training • Unfortunately there’s no specific method to toilet training because every child is different but the key to every child is consistency. • You have to make toilet training part of your schedule and let them sit on the toilet for at least 5 minutes. • Do not put any time frame to your toilet training, be patient and celebrate every improvement and don’t forget to reinforce them. • Have an understanding that it is a new experience for them and toilet training is still unfamiliar so you will probably get behavior but it gets better as soon as they get used to the routine. • Give them their favorite sensory/fidget toy while they sitting on the toilet, this will not only calm them but it will make them stay longer. • Don’t compare your child to other parents’ stories because it might only frustrate you • It’s going to get messy but its going to be worth it.

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8 Holiday Activities Holidays are just around the corner and schools will be closed for a month. It’s a joy to have your little ones running around at home but it can be stressful when you constantly need to run after them just to keep an eye on them. A month can be a really long time to just rely on gadgets and television to keep your children entertained. Here are eight activities that will not only keep your child entertained but also prevent regression from all the things they learned at school.

1. Reading stories or picture discussions You probably thinking how are you going to get a child that’s on ADHD to sit and actually listen to the whole story, well it’s not easy but its worth a try. Get a short story of things they like and make sure the story has a lot of pictures. Ask questions while reading the story and if they are nonverbal ask them to point at certain objects of pictures. 01

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2. Practice handwriting Practicing hand writing is very important to help improve your children’s fine motor and writing skills. You can practice handwriting by drawing patterns, drawing vertical and horizontal lines, tracing numbers and letters. There are so many ways to practice handwriting (depending on your child’s development) you can also practice writing sentences. 3. Art an craft Start saving on toilet paper rolls, egg cartoons, boxes etc. instead of throwing them away. Use anything recyclable, you can make animals, decorations and many more. Check pinterest for more art and craft ideas and remember to keep to your child’s development level. 4. Puzzles Puzzles are a good way to keep the mind active. Buy at least three new puzzles and help them with your little one, try to find puzzles of themes they enjoy and don’t forget to keep to their developmental stage. 5. Sensory activities Children love sensory activities; you can have them play with water and pour in different cups. You can have play dough, slime or have small objects in a container full of sand and have them look for those item. Keep it fun and safe! 6. Paint Most children with SPD don’t like getting their hands dirty, choose painting that they will enjoy. Have fun and don’t forget to keep it educational (you can teach about colors or different planets, it depends on their development) 7. Baking You can make easy mix muffins or pancakes with your little one, they would love it. They can help with starring or adding measured ingredients. Have a bigger bowl to avoid the mess when they are staring. 8. Treasure hunt Treasure hunt is for older game rules, hide some objects in the house make them look for those objects. It would with siblings or other cousins, remember

children that understand or in the backyard and be nice if they playing the more the merrier!

9. These activities will help you bond with your child, they will also help you discover their strength and weakness. It’s a holiday have fun and schedule your activities to maybe three times a week and don’t forget to rest.

parents support groups

Importance Of Parents Support Groups Expecting a child comes with a lot of transitions and adjustments, parenting a child on autism spectrum disorder comes with a lot of characteristics, responsibilities and needs. Many parents with children on ASD feel very isolated and that nobody really understands the pressures of dealing with their child on a day-to-day basis. Support groups can be very helpful for families with a child on a spectrum. Support groups enables parents to share information and experiences. They also serve as a safe space to vent about frustration and share their feeling with no judgement. I have come across a lot of support groups on Facebook and they are really necessary because a lot of advice and information is being shared on the platform. I also know some parents have created their own community WhatsApp groups where they share local schools, therapies and other services. I believe that one can never have enough information when it comes to autism, we need groups, organizations and workshops to raise awareness. I will be sharing three organization in South Africa that can be beneficial for parents.

Autism Organizations in South Africa 1. MOCWA (Mothers Of Children With Autism) its a community organization that support parents with children on ASD through networking, information sharing and support. They had their 6th conference this year and one of my clients attended and she said she is definitely going for more conferences.

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2. The second organization is Inam, they increase awareness about autism and advocate for access to education for children on Autism. We do need organizations that help to raise awareness and that provide workshops which are information sessions on autism for parents, practitioners, caregivers and community at large. 3. The last one is Autism South Africa, they aspire to achieve a society in which persons with autism spectrum disorder enjoy all the rights and opportunities to meet their needs and fulfill their potential. Before corvid Autism South Africa would have autism walks every year in April for autism awareness and I really enjoyed them, hopefully after the

pandemic the walks will continue. Autism South Africa also hosts online workshops for parents, caregivers and practitioners working with children on ASD.

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POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Examples of positive reinforcement • Clapping hands and cheering • Civing a high five • Giving a hug or pat on the back Giving thumbs up • Positive talk • Telling the child how proud you are of them • Offering special activity (playing games or reading books together) • Offering praise • Telling another adult how proud you are of them

Positive reinforcement is not only known to build self-esteem but also known as the best way to manage challenging behavior and to increase desired behavior. I reinforce my students for every good thing they do, could be following instructions very well or for getting a lesson right. Reinforcement can be used to teach children new behavior and skills. It does not only benefit us; it makes them feel good and as a result they will start engaging in a desired behavior more frequently. Praising children or applauding them every time they do good strengthens their confidence and helps them see their personal strengthens. Reinforcement should specifically be given for the behavior that you are trying to increase, it helps children understand, what is required of them and it also increase the chances of the positive attribute to occur again. We were training one of my students to feed himself while sitting at the table, it took long to get him finish his food with no edge of running around the house but he eventually got a hang of it. I used to praise him for every bite he took or for every time he didn’t fight me to get off the chair. Share your experience of positive reinforcements on the comment section and how your child is reacting to them.

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stages of development

Stages Of Development As a mother you become aware of every development in your child’s growth even though children develop at their own pace but there are milestones that give you a general idea of what to expect as your child grows. Expects have created different charts that help keep track of child development across different domains such as cognitive, physical, language and socio-emotional development. ASD is a developmental disorder and that’s why it is important to stimulate children frequently through play, learning and communication. Research shows that early diagnosis and intervention before or during pre-school are most likely to have positive effect on skills. Few things to teach your 2–5-year-old child • Instruction following • Number recognition • Letter recognition • Pencil grip (tracing lines, patterns and name) • Identify two dimensional shapes • Manage behavior and emotions • Compliance People on ASD can benefit from treatment regardless the age, they can improve with a well-designed intervention specifically for their needs. There’s no cure for autism but there are ways to treated symptoms and maximize abilities.

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regressive

A utism

I have heard a lot of incidents where children were along to rhymes and playing with other children and all of a sudden all of that stopped. It can be quite sad experiencing your child regress from all the development they had. Regressive autism is a condition where a child seems to be developing fine and suddenly, they begin to lose all that development. These regression symptoms are usually happen during toddlerhood before the age of two. Regression in more noticeable with speech and social skills. Children that have lost their speech also seem to become a bit distant towards their peers and other people due to limited communication and as a result that cause regression in their social skills as well. Starting early intervention is a good idea especially when you see sign of delay in certain areas of development. It is important to always check on your child’s development and try to maintain certain skills, toilet training for instance is one of the skills that always has to be maintained especially when a child is not fully independent. I have worked at a school before and I have experienced a lot of set backs where children that where toilet trained come back to school in January on nappies because they were wearing nappies most of the time when they were on holiday.

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children that have lost their speech seem to be distant towards their peers

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Holiday season is coming and children will be off school for quite some time and they are most likely going to forget some of the skills that were taught in school. During your spare time when you are not busy try to devote some time to activities that will keep them entertained and that will not only be beneficial for them but it will also bring you closer to your child and create a bond as well. If you have not checked my eight holiday activities blog, please go check it out by clicking on the link Eight Holiay Activities. It might give you fun activity ideas that you can do with your little one at home. If you have experienced any regression with your child, please share on the comments and let us know what intervention you are using. 91

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