“A complex developmental disability that essentially affects the way a person communicates and relates to people.”

All individuals experience difficulties in relation to :

Communication:

• literal understanding/use of words, poor understanding/ use of speech.

Social Interaction:

• difficulty establishing relationships or friendships individual may remain “aloof” or passive in their behaviour.

Learning:

• difficulty maintaining attention or focusing on tasks. May think abstractly.

Behaviour:

• individuals may have a resistance to change as well as restricted interests. May have repetitive mannerisms e.g. hand flapping.

Sensory Stimuli:

• individuals with ASD will respond differently to stimuli this may vary from restrained sensitivity to over-sensitivity. Some children may be clumsy or dyspraxic.

Anxiety and Stress:

• this may range from a withdrawal to a bedroom to an outburst of emotion.

• Play strategies to foster turn-taking and social skills
• Intensive interaction to encourage communication and to help eliminate inappropriate behaviours
• Intrusive teaching which encourages children actively to seek help and to be engaged in class activities
• Stress-reducing activities to help individual children cope with difficult situations, including managing anger and aggression
• Friendship techniques e.g. circle of friends

EA Autism Advisory and Intervention Services (AAIS) have a number series of videos from “The People That Matter”. These videos can be found on the AAIS website:

Autism Advisory and Intervention Services (AAIS) Website