Category: ASD

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Holidays: 5 tips to help your child through the holiday period

17/12/2018

ASD and the school holidays | Hopscotch & Harmony Psychology

As we come to the end of the school year, it brings about excitement for many. The end of school year also brings many change – change in routines, end of school year events, end of year excursions, celebrations, step-up days, going away on holidays. For some children, these changes can be unsettling and can make them feel anxious.

Here are 5 tips on helping your child through the holiday period:

Maintain routines. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder generally cope best when they have routines. Routines create structure and predictability, which helps children know what to expect. Where possible try and maintain routines, such as bed-time routines or eating breakfast at the same time each day.
Schedule down time during the day. As mentioned above, the holidays often bring about many changes for a child. Scheduling some down time into the day may help your child regulate their emotions and sensory challenges. Down time activities can be activities that your child finds soothing. For example, these might be blowing bubbles, reading a book, or listening to music.
Use visuals. Visuals can help a child understand the changes that are going to occur. Visuals, unlike our words, remain constant for children to refer back to. There are many different types of visuals that you can use depending on your child’s needs. Some examples of visuals that could be used are: a calendar (this can show your child when they are going back to school), daily schedules (these show what is going to happened during the day), and social stories (these are short stories that clearly explain a social situation). A speech pathologist or psychologist can help you understand how and when to use visuals.
Prepare your child for trips. If you are planning on going away, it is often best to let your child know what to expect. Travelling away from the family home also brings many changes for a child; for example: a different room, a new bed, and different foods. Explaining what to expect can be done using a social story. Having some soothing activities (such as a book, snacks, comfort toys) may help your child regulate their emotions during the travel time.
Have quite time. Visiting relatives or friends and/or attending holiday events can be overwhelming for some children. Let your child know about safe places they can go to have some quite time during these outings. Also, prepare them with some strategies they can use to help them self-regulate, such as taking deep breaths or using noise cancelling headphone.

We hope you and your family enjoy the school holidays! If you wish to meet with one of our psychologists to help you and your family during this period, please contact 9741 5222.

Sarah Gatt is a Hopscotch and Harmony Psychologist passionate about providing early intervention services to young children in order to help aid their development and reach their full potential. She creates a warm and safe therapeutic environment for children by providing therapy in a creative and individualised manner. Sarah consults from our Werribee practice.

Females on the Autistic Spectrum

9/5/2018

Georgina Psomiadis, Clinical Psychologist

When looking at the research, different studies, together with anecdotal evidence, there are various results in ratios between males and females on the autistic spectrum, ranging from 2:1 to 16:1, respectively!

So why are there such differences across studies? There are several possible reasons for this, some of them being:

More subtle presentation in females (though subtle presentations can present in males also)
Diagnosticians and trainers are not recognising girls given the current diagnostic criteria is more associated with the more ‘obvious’ criteria, more often seen in males.
Autism is usually not being considered as an explanation for the difficulties experienced by women (the specific questions are not being asked)
Other diagnoses are often used to explain autistic experiences

The below table illustrates the differences between more obvious characteristics of ASD compared to more subtle characteristics (National Autistic Society):

Often, I hear parents say that their daughter’s teachers don’t notice any ‘problem’ in the classroom, and in fact, they’re considered the perfect student! This is often quite distressing for parents as their child may to experience intense emotional outbursts the moment they arrive home.

Girls tend to mask their behaviours quite well, as they are more motivated to engage socially. They spend excessive amounts of energy doing so at school, as to not get noticed and fly under the radar. Because of this mental and emotional exhaustion, here comes the meltdowns when they finally feel like they can be ‘themselves’.

Unfortunately, there may be very little clear ‘red flags’ in early childhood other than shyness, being quiet and having interests that are ‘typical’ for young girls, though the intensity of this interest is excessive.

The expressive language used by autistic females is often exceptionally good, which can then mask their difficulties processing verbal information. Their eye contact might also be quite good, they may do ‘small talk’ well and can be very chatty, though these tend to be quite exhausting and when their energy is not replenished, can cause significant distress and other mental health conditions over time.

Females who seek therapy present with mental health issues such as eating disorders, personality disorders, depression, anxiety and self-harming behaviours that can divert the clinician’s attention away from a possible underlying autism.

Mothers who identify with having autistic characteristics are typically the ones who bring their young daughters into therapy or for assessment, as they notice the difficulties in their child as similar to their own difficulties, and don’t want their child to go through the same challenges as they did growing up.

We know that appropriate support at younger ages leads to better outcomes. Early intervention is always a good idea, whether a formal diagnosis is made or not (although having a diagnosis can open up funding support for interventions); if the clinician is attuned to the ASD presentation, they will provide the appropriate interventions.

Our mission at Hopscotch and Harmony is to smash the stigma of mental health conditions and a big part of our work is working with young children, teens and adults on the autistic spectrum.

Having an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) does not have to be scary.

There is so much support out there and this will continue to grow as our understanding of their needs deepens. Listening to so many individuals with autism talk about their relief and enhancement of self-understanding when they receive a diagnosis are some of the benefits of going through the formal assessment process. Though this is not true for everyone.

Some people identify with having autistic characteristics or self-diagnose as having ASD, and are content with being aware of what they struggle with and their strengths and don’t want a formal diagnosis. Some people may overly-identify with a diagnosis and feel like ‘something is wrong with them’. This is where clinical judgement and parental intuition come into play… there is never a black and white answer, is there?

Many psychologists at Hopscotch and Harmony are highly skilled in the assessment process for ASD. If you want more information on this process, please call us and we will guide you through this.

Georgina Psomiadis is a Clinical Psychologist who sees children, teens and adults regarding a broad range of mental health concerns. She has a particular interest in supporting young people in creating an inner calm and confidence with their identity. Georgina considers the brain-body connection and incorporates mindfulness in her treatment. Call 9741 5222 to make an appointment with Georgina at Hopscotch & Harmony's Werribee or Point Cook practices.

Sensory behaviours in children; how can we understand and support them?

4/4/2018

Leanne Smith, Psychologist

When might these occur?

Children with Autism are most commonly thought of when there is mention of sensory
sensitivities or sensory behaviours. One of the criteria that a child with Autism may meet is
experiencing hyper (high) or hypo (low) reactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in
sensory aspects of the environment. There are also children who may not have a diagnosis who may present with sensitivities to some extent.

How do I know what to look for?

There are many categories of senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, balance and we can even extend to include proprioceptive and vestibular input. There are two common presentations of sensory sensitivities.

Hypersensitivity occurs when sensory input exceeds a person’s ability to cope. This is a low sensory threshold and the child is explained as a sensory avoider.

Hyposensitivity occurs when greater than normal levels of input are required for registration. This is a high sensory threshold and the child may be seen as a sensory seeker.

Why might a child engage in sensory seeking or sensory avoiding?

Whether a child is seeking or avoiding sensory input, there are reasons behind the behaviours we can see. These may include the following, but can include many more:

Escaping from a situation
Releasing or blocking emotions
Avoiding a thought, an instruction or a demand
A way of taking a break
A way of feeling secure and safe
Enjoyment; it just feels good!
It reduces anxiety
It’s a routine now – it’s what I do!

What can I do to help?

As with any behaviour, if we can find out or make a prediction of why it is happening and what function it serves, we have a much better chance of making a successful support plan for the child. But how do you figure this out? Watch your child in various environments and observe their behaviours and reactions or even just ask them. Ask others involved in your child’s care also – it’s important to gather information. Be a detective!

Here are some tips that were shared on our blog recently about functions of behaviour – check it out:
https://www.hopscotchandharmony.com.au/blog/behaviour-the-importance-of-figuring-out-why.

Below are some common examples of behaviours and how you may be able to assist.

If a child is seeking sensory enjoyment:

Yes, sometimes these behaviours are enjoyable for a child, but are disruptive to the child’s
opportunities to socialize or it may be impacting/disrupting their learning or attention. If this is a behaviour that is safe, gently speak to your child (or use pictures) to explain it is not time for this just now; however, they may have some time to engage later. Remember, it’s okay for a child to engage in these behaviours sometimes; they serve a function. You also may like to suggest to a child they engage in these when it is time for them to follow their own ideas/explore their environment or when they take a break.

If a child is engaging in a disruptive sensory seeking behaviour:

If you believe the behaviour is inappropriate or disruptive, For example, if a child enjoys biting and sucking their school T-shirt, but this is the tenth one you’ve purchased this year! you may like to further explore why are they biting that material in the first place (Boredom? Anxiety? Is it a concentration aid? Does it calm them?). You may then consider providing alternative opportunities that serve the same function. If this really is just for comfort or concentration, they may like to have a more appropriate option (a small piece of similar material available to them that they can use). If this is due to anxiety, we need to look further into teaching effective and appropriate coping skills. Your child needs a proactive strategy.

If a child is a sensory avoider, provide appropriate ways for sensory avoiding where possible:

Can you help the child to communicate their discomfort in an appropriate way? Or maybe a child can be taught how to minimize the effect the sensory experience has on them. They should always be taught how to cope through a sensory experience as well as being given a way to minimize its effects. The world is an unpredictable place and your child may inevitably experience what they are trying to avoid at some stage.

A summary - How do we understand and how do we help?

Identify if there is over or under sensitivity. Sometimes you may be able to observe this yourself, or sometimes you may need some input from trained practitioners such as a Psychologist, an Occupational Therapist or a Speech Pathologist.
What skills and strategies can we teach the individual?
Sensory avoiders: how can we change the environment to better assist the individual? / Sensory seekers: How can we integrate sensory input into the daily routine?
Communicate it between environments – Let your A Team know the plan; tell yourchild’s teacher, their helpers, their grandparents, your family members, your child!

If you believe your child may benefit from an integrated and individualised plan, speak to our Client Relationships Team today to discuss a practitioner who may be suitable to assist you and your child.

“It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses”.
― George Eliot (Novelist, poet, journalist, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era)

Leanne Smith
Leanne is a Hopscotch & Harmony Psychologist who has a special interest in helping young children develop social skills and emotional regulation. She supports parents and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to learn life skills and improve well-being. Leanne consults from both Belmont and Werribee.

The difference between bullying and teasing

27/3/2018

by Melissa Bailey, Psychologist

Why should we know the difference?

A common theme that comes up in working with children and adolescents is bullying. Often I hear reports from clients who feel they are being bullied at school, which is obviously troubling for both the client and the parent, as nobody wants to be bullied and no parent wants to hear that their child is being bullied, or feels uncomfortable going to school.

Although a child may genuinely believe that they are being bullied, not all reports of bullying can actually be defined as such. In some cases the child may perceive teasing to be bullying, whether it is intended to be playful and harmless or goes too far and becomes hurtful.

In particular, kids on the autism spectrum, or who have social difficulties, tend to have a more challenging time interpreting social situations and may perceive teasing as bullying. Therefore it is important that kids (with or without ASD) and their parents understand the difference so that they can appropriately handle the situation, whether that be to work with the school to address the bullying and/or to seek assistance through school programs, a psychologist or counsellor to help develop and build a child’s resilience and assertive communication skills.

What is bullying and teasing?

Bullying: The National Centre Against Bullying (NCAB) define it as when an individual or a group of people with more power, repeatedly and intentionally cause hurt or harm to another person or group of people who feel helpless to respond. Therefore bullying is not a single episode of rejection, acts of nastiness or mutual arguments, disagreements or fights.

Teasing: Teasing is a social exchange and can be friendly, neutral or negative. Teasing or being mean is different to bullying as there is usually no power imbalance.

Although teasing can be hurtful and unkind it’s common among children and so it is important to know the difference as they may require different responses. Whilst I understand it’s common amongst children, I don’t condone bullying or being mean, and feel that it’s important for us to have common terminology so that we can assist children in the most appropriate way.

Melissa Bailey
Melissa supports primary and secondary school aged young people who experience emotional dysregulation, reduced self-esteem and self worth and who have difficulties at school. She is dedicated to working in partnership with educators and parents to ensure those closest to young people have the necessary skills and resources to support them.

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Holidays: 5 tips to help your child through the holiday period

Females on the Autistic Spectrum

Sensory behaviours in children; how can we understand and support them?

When might these occur?

How do I know what to look for?

Why might a child engage in sensory seeking or sensory avoiding?

What can I do to help?

A summary - How do we understand and how do we help?

The difference between bullying and teasing

Why should we know the difference?

What is bullying and teasing?

Categories

our services

Our practice values

contact us

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Holidays: 5 tips to help your child through the holiday period

Females on the Autistic Spectrum

Sensory behaviours in children; how can we understand and support them?

When might these occur?

How do I know what to look for?

Why might a child engage in sensory seeking or sensory avoiding?

What can I do to help?

​A summary - How do we understand and how do we help?

The difference between bullying and teasing

Why should we know the difference?

What is bullying and teasing?

Categories

our services

Our practice values

contact us

A summary - How do we understand and how do we help?