Subconscious Freedom Treatment Centre in Ballarat, Victoria | Medical and health

Subconscious Freedom Treatment Centre

Locality: Ballarat, Victoria

Phone: +61 413 347 233

Address: 5 Spencer Street 3350 Ballarat, VIC, Australia

Website: http://subconsciousresearch.com.au

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24.01.2022 Assessment; Understanding the Behavior’s Function All behavior serves a function (purpose) for the person. Behavior occurs for a reason(s). It serves a funct...ion for the child. The child may be acting out to escape or avoid something uncomfortable for him, maybe doing it for the attention or reaction he gets from others, maybe for stimulation when bored, or to gain something that he desires. The child may be screaming because he has no other way of communicating that he is hungry, frustrated, or in pain. He may be screaming because the demands placed on him are greater than his current skills in dealing with them. He may be screaming because he is overwhelmed by the sensory chaos of the loud noises, bright lights, and strong smells in the grocery store. He may be screaming because his sister just took his favorite toy from him or screaming because he just stepped on something sharp. Consequentially, the same behavior can occur for a variety of reasons (under a variety of conditions), and several behaviors (screaming, biting self, hitting others) can occur for the same reason (e.g., get out of doing something). Identifying the function(s) the behavior serves gives us a good understanding of why it is occurring, the purpose that it serves for the child, what is maintaining the behavior, and some ideas of how to go about supporting the child and reducing the problem behavior. It can be troublesome to try and change behavior before understanding the purpose that it serves the child and the conditions under which it occurs. Reducing the problem behavior may be as simple as modifying some of the conditions causing the behavior (reduce demands, provide added support, etc.) or changing the way we react to the behavior (support rather than demand, minimize our emotional reactions, redirect, etc.). Often, we do not have to change the child at all but modify the conditions (often our own behavior) surrounding the behavior. In other cases, we may need to teach alternative behaviors to replace the ones we wish to decrease. When doing a functional assessment, we try to define the conditions occurring just before the behavior, that may be influencing (triggering) its occurrence. These conditions are usually called antecedents to the behavior. They set the stage for the negative behavior to occur. By tracking (documenting) when and where the behavior is occurring, what is occurring, as well as with whom, we can identify common conditions (antecedents) that trigger the behavior. Maybe it may occur when certain demands are placed on the child, under certain sensory stimulation (bright sunlight), when left alone with nothing to do, etc. By noting these conditions each time the behavior occurs, we can isolate out common patterns (conditions) that produce undesirable behavior. Identifying under what conditions the behavior occurs can tell us a lot about what function the behavior serves for the child (escape demands, attention, getting something, etc.) Often, we can reduce the frequency of the behavior simply by eliminating or modifying the conditions (antecedents) that elicit the behavior. If we can change the conditions triggering the behavior (reduce the demands, provide more frequent attention, give frequent breaks, etc.), we reduce the need for the child to engage in the behavior. Even if we cannot eliminate or modify the conditions, we can provide added support (greater assistance) or accommodations to help the child adapt to the conditions (e.g., sunglasses to minimize bright lights). Changing the antecedent conditions that trigger the behavior is often the best, and easiest, way to reduce the unwanted behavior. Change the conditions before trying to discipline the child. We may also look at under what conditions does the behavior not occur. If the behavior does not occur when added support or assistance is given, then we may want to increase our support to minimize frustration. If the behavior is displayed when the activity occurs in the morning, but not when the activity is in the afternoon, then we may change the time of the activity until the afternoon. If we can identify times and conditions when the behavior is less likely to occur, then we may want to increase those conditions. So, by identifying when, where, and under what conditions the does occur, and when it reliably doesn’t occur, we can make major modifications in these conditions. In addition to identifying the conditions triggering the behavior (antecedents), we also want to identify the effects (reactions) the behavior has immediately following its occurrence. What does the child get from the behavior? Again, we want to note what occurs (especially how people react, and what effects the behavior has for the child) immediately following the behavior (e.g., withdraw demands, reactions of others, getting something he wants, escaping situation, etc.). These are the gains or payoffs that the child receives from engaging in the behavior. These effects are often what are reinforcing the behavior and increasing the likelihood that it will occur again under similar conditions. By identifying these effects, we can often modify the consequences so that the behavior does not provide the same payoffs for the child, thus decreasing the likelihood of it occurring again under similar conditions. We may want to minimize our reaction to the behavior if our attention seems to reinforce it. We may also want to make sure the child doesn’t get what he wants by throwing a tantrum or get out of doing things by acting out. Also, we want to teach the child better, more adaptive ways, of obtaining the same effects (saying stop or help, rather than hitting when wanting to escape a difficult demand). As you can see, by changing the conditions that elicit the behavior (antecedents) and the effects (consequences) that occur immediately following the behavior, we can significantly modify the likelihood of the negative behavior occurring again. Emphasis should be on identifying the conditions that trigger the behavior and building in added supports to either eliminate or modify these conditions. This way, we are reducing the stressful conditions that trigger the child’s undesirable behavior. In addition to changing the conditions, once we identify the function (purpose) that the behavior serves, we can also begin to teach other, more acceptable, behavior that can meet the same result (purpose, function). If the child chews on his shirt for stimulation to stay aroused, we might substitute chewing gum to take its place. If the child yells in class to get the teacher’s attention, he might be taught to raise his hand instead. We will take a closer look at teaching replacement behavior in the next article of effective discipline. This series on discipline can be found in the green book Autism Discussion Page on Anxiety, Behavior, School and Parenting Strategies. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2

24.01.2022 Stuck in a sea of emotions! For many on the spectrum, intense emotion comes on like a tidal wave and spins them into a whirlpool of emotion that overwhelms them... to the point of getting "stuck" in a cycle they find hard to get out of. They lose all ability to think, reason, and communicate what is going on. Their brain is in a panic attack mode. Try to talk, reason, or counsel them in the heat of the moment only adds fuel to the flames. This is where establishing a "behavior script" can be a good tool to redirect the child out of the whirlpool. A behavior routine (coping strategy) that you practice ahead of time that parents can redirect the child into when upset. This pulls their attention into a "behavior pattern" and away from the over-reactive "limbic" system (seas of emotions). Often these routines can be rhythmic sensory-motor patterns or auditory patterns like repeating numbers or letters. Do you or your child experience getting stuck in overwhelming emotion? What do you currently do in such situations? This article was published in the brown book, The Autism Discussion Page on stress, anxiety, shutdowns and meltdowns https://www.amazon.com///178592804X/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_img_2

23.01.2022 No one should ever feel alone in this world. It's up to all of us to create and allow opportunities to be there for each other and make our relationships priorities. Speaker: David J. Flood Youth Motivational Speaker

22.01.2022 Write it out! Compensating for weak planning and organizational skills. We frequently discuss the need to use visual strategies (picture schedules, written li...sts, etc.) to help make the child’s life predictable and understandable. Writing it out (or providing a picture schedule) provides the child a visual, concrete path that not only organizes his day but makes it clear and understandable, reducing anxiety and providing continuity to his day. We all use appointment schedulers, weekly calendars, visual organizers, etc., to help organize and structure our time. For people on the spectrum, these strategies are even more important. The ability to plan, organize, remember what to do, and carry out a course of action are all part of executive functioning skills located in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain. This same area of the brain is also responsible for being able to stay focused on a task, monitor what we are doing and how well we are doing it, and being able to shift gears when things are not going well. Consequentially, like people with ADHD, those on the spectrum have problems in these areas. When you have weak executive functioning skills, you need to have strong external executive functions. Until children develop these skills, parents and teachers provide these functions for them. They plan and organize for the children, remind them what to do and how to do it, monitor their actions, and provide them feedback on how well they are doing. As children get older, and that part of the brain matures, we fade out the external controls (adult monitoring) and expect the children to internalize those skills. Unfortunately, for individuals with weak executive functions, they have difficulty internalizing these processes. Because of brain wiring differences, they may never be strong in these areas of planning, organizing, and preparing. However, even though it is not easy to change the brain wiring, we can compensate for weaknesses in these areas by making external, what is lacking internally. As the child ages, we need to replace adult monitoring with other external executive functions. This can be accomplished by teaching teens and young adults on the spectrum to use visual models (making lists, keeping a schedule, etc.) to organize themselves. By using daily planners, written checklists, and visual organizers, these visual strategies can provide the outline needed for planning and organizing themselves. In addition, with the advancement of technology (smartphones, PDAs, IPad, etc.), these concrete compensations can be made very portable with auditory reminders to do daily routine events. As children get older, we want to teach them how to use written lists, written schedules, calendars, visual organizers, flow charts and problem-solving outlines to help organize their time, plan out steps of activities, brainstorm alternatives, and provide checklists from everything from the morning routine, cooking, organizing homework, and going grocery shopping. In addition to organizing and problem solving, people on the spectrum can also use written outlines to prepare for upcoming events. We often talk about preparing the child before events by previewing that activity. Usually, this includes previewing (1) what they can expect to happen (in sequential order if possible), (2) what is expected of them, (3) what barriers or problems they may experience, and (4) what strategies they can use to handle any problems. By parents previewing these four things, it prepares the child for what to expect, increases predictability, and reduces anxiety. However, eventually, the person needs to learn to preview for themselves. They need to appraise situations on their own to identify what is needed, what is expected, and what potential problem situations may arise. This way, they can be prepared for what they are entering into. We need to transfer this previewing from the parents to self-management tools. Using a written outline that answers these four questions (what to expect, what is expected of them, what possible problems, and what possible solutions) can be a tool the person can use to outline events before going into them. It is important that individuals on the spectrum learn to use written schedules, check off lists, task sequence lists, visual organizers, and planning outlines to help the person plan, organize, and prepare themselves to navigate their daily routines. They can be reliable tools for compensating for areas that may remain weak for their entire life. This series on Executive Functioning can be found in the blue book, Autism Discussion Page on the Core Challenges of Autism. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2

20.01.2022 Hello everyone I'm so close to 20,000 followers and it's making me burst. Please share my page with all your freinds and help me spread my words and photos to as many people as possible Thank you

20.01.2022 "Great minds don't always think alike" Artist: Anne Belle (image shared with permission) #Neurodiversity

19.01.2022 Autism is an Information Processing Difference In autism, this processing is somewhat impaired by poorly developed neuro-pathways between the brain centers. Co...nsequently, these weak connections (wiring) between the different brain centers interfere with simultaneous communication between the various centers. These weak neuro-connections are due to both underdeveloped, long-range connections between the brain centers, and in some cases, an over-abundance of poorly developed short-range wiring within individual brain centers. Figure 2.3 Autistic processing differences partly due to poorly developed neuro-connections. The weak wiring (long-range connections) between the brain centers interferes with the rapid integration of the different centers. There is also evidence suggesting that the short-range connections within some brain centers are too dense, often overwhelming the centers with too much information to process. In both instances, the transmission of communication between the brain centers is weak and poorly integrated. As we will see later, this lack of well-integrated processing is responsible for many of the social, communicative, and emotional challenges experienced in autism. For now, let’s focus on two primary challenges this processing difference presents 1. Difficulty rapidly processing multiple information simultaneously. Simply speaking, the brain centers have difficulty simultaneously communicating with each other. Since most of our dynamic world requires us to integrate and process multiple brain centers simultaneously, the autistic brain is at a disadvantage. 2. Delayed Processing. This inability to rapidly integrate multiple information simultaneously requires more time to sort out and process the abundance of information sequentially, rather than simultaneously. Instead of the brain processing this information simultaneously, it must consciously process the information sequentially, serially piecing the information together. Depending on the impairment of wiring and/or the amount of information bombarding the nervous system, this delay can take anywhere between 10 seconds to hours. I have had some autistics tell me that sometimes it takes days for some information to get integrated and processed. How processing differences affect socializing Let’s look at an example of how important our rapid processing of multiple information plays in our neurotypical (NT) daily living. The simple act of relating with another person requires multi-tasking an abundance of information and simultaneous communication between many brain centers. Our ability to rapidly process multiple information simultaneously is what allows us to relate effectively within our neurotypical world. To appreciate this rapid, integrated processing, let’s look at the multiple information that is required when interacting with another person. 1. While we are listening to what the other person is saying, we are simultaneously reading their body language, facial expressions, and non-verbal communication to understand their thoughts, feelings, perspectives, and intentions. What are they thinking, how are they feeling, what is their perspectives and most importantly, what are their intentions? All this information needs to be processed, assessed, and integrated while simultaneously listening to what they are saying. 2. We also interpret what they are saying based on the social context that brings us together and our past experiences with that person. What situation are we in, what is the purpose of the interaction, what social rules apply to this situation, and what experiences have I had with this person? We are subconsciously assimilating all this information with what we remember from the past and what we anticipate in the future. This information is also being simultaneously integrated with the information in step one, all while we are attending to what the person is saying. 3. While we are listening to what they tell us, we are also formulating what we want to communicate back. Based on what they say and what we infer they mean (from steps 1 and 2), we are formulating how we will respond. 4. When it is our turn to talk while concentrating on what we are saying, we are also simultaneously interpreting their body language to read if they are attentive, interested, and understanding what we mean. Do they understand me? Are they interested in what I am saying? Am I offending them? 5. This rapid processing, assimilating information and adjusting our reactions, helps us stay coordinated in this back and forth, reciprocal interaction. It allows us to navigate flexibly through this complex dance of relating with another. Constantly reading, assimilating, and adjusting to a flux of dynamic information and open-ended communication. 6. All this processing also incorporates intuitive rules of engagement that allow us to initiate, maintain, and repair breakdowns in communication, shift gears, and flexibly navigate through ongoing conversation. It sounds exhausting, doesn’t it! It certainly would be if we had to process all this information at a conscious level by figuring it out. Instead, we are processing most of this information subconsciously and intuitively with minimal effort. We typically listen to what they are saying while processing the rest intuitively and subconsciously. This allows us to interact smoothly with minimal effort. As we will see shortly, for people on the spectrum, they cannot rapidly integrate and process all this multiple information simultaneously to read the thoughts, feelings, perspectives, and intentions of others. They miss out on most of the information that is needed to relate smoothly. When looking at this example of social relating and all the different information that must be processed simultaneously, it is not hard to see why relating is so difficult for people on the spectrum. They cannot simultaneously integrate the reading of body language, facial expressions, social rules of the situational context, past experiences with the person and infer the thoughts, feelings, perspectives, and intentions of others. They are left guessing at what is expected and often out of sync with those who they are relating with. This article can be found in the brown book, The Autism Discussion Page on stress, anxiety, shutdowns, and meltdowns https://www.amazon.com/Autism-Discussion-Anxi//ref=sr_1_3

18.01.2022 Static and Dynamic Processing When it comes to processing multiple information simultaneously, it becomes important to distinguish between two types of informat...ion, static information and dynamic information. Static information refers to information that is concrete, constant, and absolute. Such information includes: 1. Facts and data; historical events, details that are constant, logical, and do not change. 2. Concrete details, especially in what we see, hear, smell, and taste (sensory detail). Their perception of static detail is very keen and unbiased. Some autistics can have perfect pitch and photographic memories. They can pick out small detailed imperfections that would go unnoticed by most of us. Many autistics can also notice perceptual patterns that many of us would easily ignore. 3. Procedural rules (2+2=4) that are constant and absolute. These rules and procedures are predictable, absolute, and do not change. Once you learn it, it stays the same. 4. Perceptual patterns that are rhythmic, repetitive, or follows a predictable pattern, such as music and art. The processing of static information is usually a strength for autistics, often stronger than static processing in neurotypicals. For those with strong abilities, they can excel in the arts and sciences, data analysis, engineering, and computer sciences, very important processing strengths for the advancement of society. Dynamic Information However, most of our fast-paced, social world is not static but filled with dynamic, very fleeting, and continually changing information. Often the information is very abstract, vague, and invisible from which we infer meaning. This information is not constant and absolute, but continually changing, varying between situations and continually assimilating and adjusting to new information. Because it is not static, rapidly processing this information requires ongoing appraising, evaluating, comparing, contrasting, and assimilating new information. Our knowledge of what we are experiencing and how we respond is continually changing and evolving based on new information that changes as situations unfold. Most of our daily interactions and activities do not follow a constant, predictable pattern but are free-floating and spontaneously changing from moment to moment. We continually assimilate new information, alter our perception, and adjust our reactions to it. Nothing stays the same; nothing is concrete, absolute, and constant. Referring to our example of relating to others, neither person may know where the conversation will lead, from moment to moment, as it evolves from the continuous, free-floating exchange between the two parties. As we integrate and assimilate this dynamic information, we smoothly flow between topics, adjusting, modifying, and adapting as needed. Most of our daily functioning consists of rapidly processing dynamic information, inferring meaning from vague inferences, and often following invisible rules that vary based on the context of the situation. A specific rule may apply in one situation but must be modified in another situation. No two events are exactly alike, and expectations change from one situation to another. Autism is good at processing static information, but poor with dynamic" information. Rapid processing of dynamic information simultaneously requires strong neurological connections between the brain centers for this information to be integrated, appraised, evaluated, then assimilated into what is already inferred. Our perception of what is occurring and expected is continually changing as we go along. This difficulty for people with autism makes life in our fast-paced, dynamic world hard to process. The parts of our life that are static, concrete, factual, absolute, and constant are very attractive and often highly refined for those on the spectrum. Unfortunately, the rest of our dynamic social world of vague, ever-changing, fast-evolving patterns leave them lost. This article was published in the brown book, The Autism Discussion Page on stress, anxiety, shutdowns, and meltdowns https://www.amazon.com/Autism-Discussion-Anxi//ref=sr_1_3

18.01.2022 Executive Issues in Problem Behavior We just looked at how the executive functions play in goal-directed behavior and how to support weaknesses in these funct...ions. Now let’s look at how executive dysfunction often is behind problematic, challenging behaviors a child may display. People often view the misbehavior as intentional and purposeful when the child either does not understand what the expectations are, does not know how to meet them, or cannot read how their behavior is affecting others. Some of the deficits can help explain the misbehavior we see from these children. To understand this, let’s first review what is needed to pattern our behavior to meet expectations: (1) To behave as desired, the person must understand what is expected, (2) know what to do and can do it, (3) can read the invisible rules and boundaries to judge what is expected, (4) monitor what they are doing as they are doing it, (5) understand when they are getting off course, (6) be able to project what effect their behavior is having on others and (7) project what consequences their behavior will have. That is a complex chain of processes that must be activated to meet expectations. When children have executive dysfunction, the following problems can occur: 1. May not know what is expected. They will have a poor ability to see the big picture, read the invisible rules, and understand what is intuitively expected. They may refuse to respond, appear noncompliant, or oppositional. We often assume that they understand, because they either do not know that they misunderstand or cannot adequately tell us. Often, we either assume that they can read between the lines, or we use too vague of language for them to understand. When the child is not meeting expectations, first assume that they do not understand or misinterpreted what we expected. Clarify and verify understanding. Always seek understanding before assuming that they chose to misbehave. 2. Inability to meet expectations: Even if they intellectually understand what is expected, the children often do not know how to do what is needed. Or, if they know how to do it, they may get stuck or lost in doing it. The person may be able to tell you what they should do, but not be able to do it in the heat of the moment. This makes them appear even more oppositional, lazy, or indifferent. Knowing what to do and being able to do it at the moment are two different processes. If your child has a good awareness of what they should do, do not consider it learned until they can do it in the context for which it is required. It often takes practice in the heat of the moment to engrain new learning. If the child does not follow through with the correct action, even though they know cognitively what to do, first assume this possible deficit. 3. Poor inhibition (impulse control): Many children have very poor impulse control and will often act without thinking, not being able to hold back. They simply act on impulse before the thinking part of the brain can step in, inhibit the response, and appraise what is needed. The executive functioning part of the brain (frontal lobes) develops last and often is not fully developed until the late twenties. This is the part of the brain that allows us to check our impulses until we can appraise what is needed and what the consequences will be. Since this area of the brain is weak, the child’s impulses act before the thinking part of the brain can inhibit them. This is a brain wiring weakness, not intentional behavior. Often these kids feel very badly about what they did after doing it. 4. Not aware of boundaries: Since many rules and expectations are invisible and assumed, many children are not aware of the boundaries or when they are overstepping them. Since they have difficulty reading context (the big picture), they often do not know that they are stepping off the path and heading in the wrong direction. Therefore, it is very important to preview before entering events, what is expected, and what the boundaries are. Provide a mental map, so they have a concrete guide to navigate the confusion. 5. Poor working memory: Even if you preview the expectations, the children may not be able to hold these expectations in their memory during the act of doing the task. Remember, this is a brain wiring deficit where this information comes in but does not stick. Once attention is engaged in the activity, they often lose directions, rules, and expectations;, especially in new situations. Until these events become a learned habit, through repetition, the children may need close supervision, monitoring, and reminding to bridge this deficit. Also, it is good if you can write out a few of the rules, so they have a concrete visual reminder to reference. 6. Poor Attention: Ability to maintain attention and shift attention can often lead to misbehavior. The child may have a hard time discriminating between what is important to focus on and distracting background stimulation. They may become distracted by something attractive to them, which pulls their attention away from what is expected. When this happens, the child becomes fixated on things that attract him, and cannot shift attention from them. In no time, he is wandering off course from what the expectations were. 7. Poor monitoring skills: The inability to monitor what you are doing while you are doing it is a major part of executive functions. The child with this problem is not capable of monitoring what he is doing to stay within the boundaries. He cannot perform the two functions (think about what he is doing, as he is doing it). This also makes it difficult for him to see that others are reacting unfavorably to his actions or know why others are giving him negative feedback. So frustrating for the person when they are constantly out of line, but they either do not know it or cannot monitor their performance. 8. Unaware of consequences: These children often act in the moment, with little forethought about what the consequences will be. Again, this requires multi-tasking, reflecting on what has happened in the past while projecting on what will be the result of their actions. Again, acting without forethought. 9. Poor awareness of how their behavior affects others: Lastly, autistic children have difficulty understanding how their behavior affects others and how others are responding to their behavior. Individuals on the spectrum have difficulty reading the thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of others. They may not realize that others have different perspectives and expectations or understand what those perspectives are. They think others think and feel like them, so it is upsetting when others try to stop them from doing what they see as important for them. 10. Poor Emotional Control: Part of executive functioning is being able to regulate our emotions, match them to environmental demands, and not emotionally over-react. Those with executive dysfunctions often over-react emotionally, panic easily, go from 0-100 quickly and have difficulty calming down once upset. For emotional control, the thinking part of the brain (frontal lobes) must keep the emotional centers of the brain in check. Essentially, the executive function centers of the brain inhibit our emotional impulses long enough to appraise what is needed, assess if the emotional impulse is adaptive, and evaluate what the consequences will be. We then adjust our emotional responses to match the immediate demands of the setting. For those with executive dysfunction, these emotional impulses overwhelm the weak executive functioning centers, resulting in intense, unregulated emotional responses. As can be seen here, there are many areas in which executive dysfunction can come into play when trying to understand the behavior of those with executive functioning challenges. It is important to keep them in mind and not assume that the person is simply trying to act badly. We need to look past the behavior and provide supports for areas that the person struggles with. In the next post, we evaluate a young boy and build strategies for these weaknesses. This article is published in the brown book, The Autism Discussion Page on stress, anxiety, shutdowns, and meltdowns https://www.amazon.com/Autism-Discussion-Anxi//ref=sr_1_3

18.01.2022 Expect Active Participation Learning by doing! Research has that active learning (actively engaged in the learning) is much more effective than passive lear...ning (being told or simply watching). The single biggest factor in learning is being an active participant in the learning task. If the child passively allows others to do things for him, he will not learn to do it for himself. The child becomes conditionally dependent on others doing for him and doesn’t expect to be an active participant in his life. To avoid this problem, it is important to expect the child to be an active participant in everything that occurs for him during the day. If you get used to "including" the child in everything you do, and expect him to play an active part, the child will learn by doing with you! Learning comes from doing with you while you guide as needed to ensure success. From the earliest years, possible include the child in everything you do for him, expecting him to play a small role, taking responsibility for making it happen. You are assisting the child, rather than doing for the child. For the young children, we might have to start by doing 90% of the task, while the child takes on a very small role. If the child is actively involved and plays a role, he is learning. Three primary principles occur during this process: 1. The child learns to be an active agent in his world, empowering him to do for himself. He learns to enjoy the power of independence, from mastering new skills and building feelings of competence. Once he gets used to doing, he begins to expect to be an active participant. He beings to automatically expect to take an active role in everything that occurs to him during the day. 2. While being an active participant in these functional tasks, he is learning important life skills. From the very early ages on, begin teaching personal care skills (bathing, oral care, etc.), household chores (laundry, cooking, making the bed, washing the car, etc.) and community skills (shopping, banking, pumping gas into the car, etc.). It may take longer for the child to learn, so start early and give many years of practice. 3. While doing with you, the child learns important relating skills (referencing others for information, coordinating actions with others, co-regulating roles with another, etc.). These relating skills are difficult for children on the spectrum, so learning by doing together provides numerous daily opportunities to not just learning life skills, but also relating skills. He is learning how to engage with others, learning through relating. Unfortunately, we tend to "do for" the child, rather than "do with" the child. Over time the child becomes conditionally dependent on others doing for him and develops "conditioned dependency." Lack of expectations leads to a lack of participation. In turn, lack of participation leads to a stronger avoidance of participating. Inactivity breeds further inactivity, resulting in active resistance to participation. The child then expects and demands others to do everything for him and actively fights attempts to engage. Consequently, the child becomes an adult who cannot do for himself and will not try doing for himself. There are several reasons why we get used to doing for the child: (1) our low expectations for the child, (2) the child actively resists participation, and we want to avoid the fight, and (3) it is easier to do it for the child. Our limited expectations often hold the child back more than his disability. Also, children on the spectrum get used to the routine. If their routine is not to be an active participant, and for others to do for them, then they will stay in that mode. If we set the routine and expectation early to actively engage, then it becomes routine to be an active participant. Turn it around! Start expecting active participation, regardless of how little, in everything you do for the child. Don't do for, do with! Once the child expects to participate, he starts to learn. If the child is used to doing very little, then start will brief participation. Give him small roles and provide support as needed to make them successful. Even if you do most of the task yourself, give them a small active part to play. If the child feels himself being an active participate, he will start to learn. With guided participation, the child feels himself gaining greater competency and gradually takes on greater responsibility. Once the child begins to consistently "expect" to be an active participant, he becomes an active "learner." With greater participation grows greater competence and stronger confidence. Participation becomes rewarding, increasing motivation for further participation. This does not come naturally for children with autism but will develop with us expecting and encouraging them too! This series on mentoring children on the spectrum can be found in the green book Autism Discussion Page on Anxiety, Behavior, School and Parenting Strategies. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2

17.01.2022 Carol Gray, the creator of Social Stories, has written one for the current pandemic. Free download here: carolgraysocialstories.com//Pandemics-and-the-Coronavi...rus. Please share with anyone who might benefit from this support.

17.01.2022 JOIN US FOR AWETISM 2020 VIRTUAL EXPO (FRIDAY, 20th NOVEMBER 9am-8pm AEDT) - FREE, OPEN WORLDWIDE We are so proud to open up registrations for our AWETISM 2020 ...Virtual Expo, the biggest Autistic youth event in Australia and the largest event in I CAN Network history! This amazing day, which celebrates Autistic students and their passions, is open to participants of all ages worldwide. There will also be valuable presentations aimed at employers, parents & carers, teachers and the broader community. You can choose how you wish to engage - from attending student presentations and panel discussions to visiting online exhibitions and enjoying our keynote speakers. To register for free and/or to learn more, please see: https://awetism.vfairs.com/ For any questions not addressed in the Expo FAQs (linked above), please contact us at [email protected].

16.01.2022 Avoiding demand can be painful for everyone! But, if you're autistic, demand avoidant (PDA) and ADHD, it's particularly difficult! The usual structure and routine employed in autism will not suit. Wenn Lawson

16.01.2022 I hope you enjoy this fifteen minute healing meditation . Please leave a comment. How did you feel after meditation? Leigh

15.01.2022 We have spent a lot of time discussing the cognitive weakness of delayed information processing that often creates confusion for people on the spectrum, but the...re is another very important cognitive function called the "executive functions". As you read through these you will probably recognize these deficits in your children. The brighter the child the more frustrated people get with their limited executive functions. People expect more of them because they are bright. See more

12.01.2022 'Every single kid has something right with them. And my challenge to you is to find it, name it, and grow it.' As a young person diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgra...phia and ADHD, Jonathan Mooney faced a lot of negative messages and internalised that there was something "wrong" with him. Who helped change his life? The adults who identified and nurtured his strengths! Jonathan is now an author, speaker and activist who founded a peer-based mentoring movement for neurodivergent young people in the U.S. For more insights, see this 2019 Education NC piece: tinyurl.com/rzlgnqr #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek

12.01.2022 "If I could go back and tell my younger Autistic self one thing, it would be...'Everything that makes you different is also everything that makes you great.'" H...appy birthday to our Founder & Chief Enabling Officer, Chris Varney! View his 2013 TEDx talk that launched I CAN Network: www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1HQKB2txgY

10.01.2022 Pooh woke up that morning, and, for reasons that he didn't entirely understand, couldn't stop the tears from coming. He sat there in bed, his little body shakin...g, and he cried, and cried, and cried. Amidst his sobs, the phone rang. It was Piglet. "Oh Piglet," said Pooh, between sobs, in response to his friend's gentle enquiry as to how he was doing. "I just feel so Sad. So, so, Sad, almost like I might not ever be happy again. And I know that I shouldn't be feeling like this. I know there are so many people who have it worse off than me, and so I really have no right to be crying, with my lovely house, and my lovely garden, and the lovely woods all around me. But oh, Piglet: I am just SO Sad." Piglet was silent for a while, as Pooh's ragged sobbing filled the space between them. Then, as the sobs turned to gasps, he said, kindly: "You know, it isn't a competition." "What isn't a competition?" asked a confused sounding Pooh. "Sadness. Fear. Grief," said Piglet. "It's a mistake we often make, all of us. To think that, because there are people who are worse off than us, that that somehow invalidates how we are feeling. But that simply isn't true. You have as much right to feel unhappy as the next person; and, Pooh - and this is the really important bit - you also have just as much right to get the help that you need." "Help? What help?" asked Pooh. "I don't need help, Piglet. "Do I?" Pooh and Piglet talked for a long time, and Piglet suggested to Pooh some people that he might be able to call to talk to, because when you are feeling Sad, one of the most important things is not to let all of the Sad become trapped inside you, but instead to make sure that you have someone who can help you, who can talk through with you how the Sad is making you feeling, and some of the things that might be able to be done to support you with that. What's more, Piglet reminded Pooh that this support is there for absolutely everyone, that there isn't a minimum level of Sad that you have to be feeling before you qualify to speak to someone. Finally, Piglet asked Pooh to open his window and look up at the sky, and Pooh did so. "You see that sky?" Piglet asked his friend. "Do you see the blues and the golds and that big fluffy cloud that looks like a sheep eating a carrot?" Pooh looked, and he could indeed see the blues and the golds and the big fluffy cloud that looked like a sheep eating a carrot. "You and I," continued Piglet, "we are both under that same sky. And so, whenever the Sad comes, I want you to look up at that sky, and know that, however far apart we might be physically...we are also, at the same time, together. Perhaps, more together than we have ever been before." "Do you think this will ever end?" asked Pooh in a small voice. "This too shall pass," confirmed Piglet. "And I promise you, one day, you and I shall once again sit together, close enough to touch, sharing a little smackerel of something...under that blue gold sky." We all need a piglet in our lives. Stay Safe your important Andy This was originally written by a blogger called I Know I Need to Stop Talking. #mentalhealthmatters #bullyingstopsnow #EveryMindMatters #yourimportant #itsoktotalk #everylifemattersinfife #itsoknottobeoka #WorldMentalHealthDay #worldmentalhealthday2020

08.01.2022 How to Support From all of this discussion on being true to their neurology, accepting and validating the person, and supporting their autism, where does that l...eave us? Does accepting and respecting them mean allowing them to abuse themselves or others, avoid teaching them right from wrong, or not teaching social etiquette? Does it mean allowing them to stumble around, not learning how to take care of themselves, or respecting others? No, not at all. However, it does mean understanding their processing differences and how they see the world then accepting and respecting these neurological differences so that we are working with the children, not against them. Once you understand and accept these differences, then the following is easy. First, understand the disability before trying to support and teach them. Understand the core differences of autism. When they are not meeting expectations, we need to observe, listen, and understand where they are coming from before jumping in to guide and direct. Do not assume intent to be oppositional or lazy; look deeper to understand how their vulnerabilities or our unrealistic expectations are influencing their performance. We first need to understand what autism is and how it is expressed in the child. How the child thinks, feels, and experiences the world. We need to start where the child is at, understand their experiences to know how to support them adequately. This means understanding the child’s vulnerabilities and challenges. It is so important that we understand the unique sensory issues, processing challenges, and emotional vulnerabilities that are expressed in the behaviors we are trying to change. Next, we need to reduce the demands and stressors to level the playing field. We need to build in accommodations to support their vulnerabilities and reduce their stress. We need to develop a toolbox of supports to accommodate and lessen the sensory, processing, social, and emotional challenges they experience to reduce the stress and anxiety they feel. Next, we need to match the environmental demands and our expectations to their current skill level. When they are not meeting expectations, assume that (1) either they do not know what is expected, or (2) do not have the skills to meet expectations. From there, we either need to (1) lower the demands by modifying the expectations, (2) provide greater assistance in helping them meet expectations, or (3) teach them the skills needed to meet the demands. Through pro-active supports, once you have matched the expectations and environmental demands to the current skill level, the child can relax and learn from you. This will go miles in helping the child feel safe, accepted, and respected by us and teach the child that we are a working partner with them, not someone who simply wants to control and change them. So far, we have talked about how to support the child by (1) understanding and accepting their disability and how it is expressed in them and (2) building in accommodations to support their vulnerabilities to match our expectations to their current abilities. This will level the playing field, help them feel safe and accepted, and trust that we are a working partner with them. Next, we need to help them build skills to feel confident and competent in facing their challenges and tackling uncertainty. We need to move from helping them feel safe and accepted to feeling competent and confident. There are two fundamental premises for teaching and mentoring children on the spectrum. 1. Start in the child’s comfort zones and gradually stretch them. When guiding and teaching, we need to start where the child is at, build gradually, maximize success, and keep it fun! We need to identify what the child’s comfort zones are, respect them and slowly stretch them. We need first to meet them where they are at, provide small challenges that they can realistically handle, and help them feel safe following our guidance. Learning is intrinsically fun if you understand what is expected, can realistically meet expectations, and can see the value in what you are learning. However, often we do not truly understand or choose to ignore what their comfort zones are and start to press too hard, demand too much, and expect compliance to our direction. When we meet resistance, we blame the child and become even more persistent. Assume, the more resistant the child is, the more inadequate they feel. Usually, it means the expectations we are placing on them are greater than their current abilities, so the onus of change is on us, not them. 2. Next, we need to build on their strengths and preferences. Once we understand, accept, and respect their neurological differences and built-in supports to minimize their challenges, then focus your attention on fostering their strengths and preferences. We all have strengths and weaknesses, but we tend to spend too much time trying to change their weaknesses rather than focusing on identifying and fostering their strengths and using their natural preferences to motivate learning. You do not build confidence and self-esteem by continually highlighting their weaknesses, which only teaches them to feel broken and unworthy. Self-esteem and confidence come from highlighting and fostering their strengths and building off their preferences. This approach works with everyone, disability or not, child or adult. In summary, if you help the child feel safe, accepted, and respected, they will be attracted to you. If you help them feel competent, they will more likely follow your lead. Be a working partner to establish yourself as a trusted guide. This article was published in the brown book, The Autism Discussion Page on stress, anxiety, shutdowns and meltdowns https://www.amazon.com///178592804X/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_img_5

07.01.2022 'One way to understand neurodiversity is to think in terms of human operating systems - just because a PC is not running Windows doesn’t mean that it’s broken.'... A timeless quote from our good friend Steve Silberman, from his brilliant 2015 TED Talk, "The forgotten history of autism": www.ted.com//steve_silberman_the_forgotten_history_of_auti

06.01.2022 Inspired by our Family's dealings with Autism, Ki'mah (my Daughter) and I made this Video. It is going to be submitted to Ki'mah's School as part of her Music ...Project and we hope that you enjoy it also. This Video is not for profit and full credit is given to the Song Writer and Musicians involved in the making of the original track. Lyrics - Valerie Foley, Vocals - Scott James, Music - Fiona Johnson... This song can be purchased on iTunes - "Through My Eyes" - Scott James. See more

06.01.2022 For a long time I didn’t speak up about my experiences with Mental Health and Autism because I feared discrimination and stigma. I have always had Anxiety and A...utism but it was from my experiences that my Depression was developed. Since speaking up I have been able to access support and strategies to live my life as an elite athlete and Disability Advocate. If I could say anything to young Elise, who stays in bed all day, suicidal and alone, I wish they could hear this message. There is help. There is hope. Your presence in this world is worthy. It’s been my pleasure to work with the Victorian Government Victorian Department of Health & Human Services to support such an impactful project. It's time we talk about mental health so no more young lives are lost. You can find more information on the series, as well as resources and information at The Better Health Channel -https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/ or searching #timetotalkvic. If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 224 636. In an emergency, call 000. Video Description: Elise Muller was diagnosed with autism at the age of 12 and was told from a very young age about all the things she couldn’t do. But she refused to take no for an answer and ended up playing Australian Rules football at an elite level. Elise is passionate about the role of sport in mental health and founded her own organisation to support people with autism wanting to get involved in recreational activities. The people profiled in It’s Time to Talk about Mental Health have offered up their stories to illustrate to others how we are all affected by different mental health challenges, and to offer hope to anyone who may be struggling. Almost half of all Victorians will experience mental illness in their lifetime but too many people don’t speak up for fear of stigma and discrimination. It’s time to start a new conversation - mental health is something that affects us all. Watch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8fQ6TIrqu4

06.01.2022 Eliminate Anxiety Triggers. Newly Developed Self-Help Meditation. Get Anxiety relief by listening to the New Self-Help Meditation at www.subconsciousfreedomtherapy.com and please share to help othersEliminate Anxiety Triggers. Newly Developed Self-Help Meditation. Get Anxiety relief by listening to the New Self-Help Meditation at www.subconsciousfreedomtherapy.com and please share to help others

04.01.2022 The Autism Spectrum is not linear. Learn more: From Autistic artist Rebecca Burgess, "Understanding The Spectrum: A Comic Strip Explanation" (tinyurl.com/ycqu...oqur) From Autistic uni student Lucy Wallace, "Autism, The Spectrum" (tinyurl.com/y3psz9p4) h/t More Than One Neurotype

03.01.2022 Through darkness, light always finds a way.