VOICES FROM THE FIELD

Finding Ways to Navigate the Stress of Fire Drills  

When you have autism, sometimes simple things aren’t so simple, like fire drills. Fire drills can disrupt routine and cause sensory overload. Staff in OPWDD’s Finger Lakes region are helping one young man with autism cope with these challenges. Using a variety of supports, staff are finding ways to meet this man's needs and help him grow more secure with fire drills. Learning about the important purpose of fire safety and fire drills and practicing what happens during a drill without having an actual “drill” has helped.  Thinking creatively about how to lessen the sensory impact of the alarm and finding a comforting item to use during a drill has also worked to help ease the stress of fire drills for this man and grow his confidence.
Kolleen Heslor, Psychologist
   

Working Together to Learn  

Every other week, a small group of autistic young men meet to build their social skills and their ability to cope with their frustrations and feelings. As they have shared activities and games, they have helped each other and have become friends. Using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis, this group has provided a consistent routine, employed visual aids for social and coping skills, and has broken skills down into smaller components to achieve success. The group members' time together has helped them feel good about their learning, and they look forward to being together. Since the group began meeting, the young men have experienced more positive relationships with their peers and improved their ability to use positive coping skills when they are stressed.
Kyle Fitch, Psychologist Assistant 

Collaboration is Key 

Working with individuals on the autism spectrum is rewarding in that it offers a completely different experience and perspective of the world around us. Identifying an individual’s interests and nurturing opportunities for them to have those experiences can be the greatest support we offer to someone with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 

An interdisciplinary approach helps us support someone with ASD in the best ways. Occupational therapists can help meet a person’s sensory needs. Psychologists guide staff on approaching transitions, maintaining a routine and supporting someone when experiencing stress. Nurses can evaluate and help treat discomfort. Dieticians can identify food sensitivities or aversions and provide recommendations for foods someone may enjoy. And speech therapists and pathologists can provide adaptive equipment such as tablets and pictures so that a person can learn to communicate. Working together in this way has led to the best outcomes for people with ASD. 
Deirdre Castillo,  Psychologist

Benefiting from Technology and Their Own Space 

Technology can often help people on the autism spectrum. In our work, we have found that some people enjoy searching for preferred items or videos on the Internet. Others have enjoyed playing games on tablets or similar devices. Video games have also helped encourage interaction with others, while some people simply enjoy watching their peers play. We have also helped people personalize their bedrooms to be relaxing and 'homey,' with easy access to the things they prefer so they can have their own calming space.
Ron Meinstereifel, Psychologist  

 

Coping with Changing Routines

We have found that we are the ones that have needed to make accommodations to properly support the people with autism we work with. We know the affect routine changes have on the Autistic population, and that is a very real dynamic. However, we are learning that they can change routines if the change itself becomes routine. People with autism can adapt. Using routine modifications has been an effective strategy, as has implementing new routines.
Roy Spina, Psychologist

Fostering a Sense of Self-Empowerment

We found that working on a sense of self-empowerment is extremely important. For instance, when a person is able to take care of some of their own needs independently, it may make them feel more independent, increase the chances of healthy interactions with others, and expand their environment. Routine interactions with others can provide a person with a sense of family rather than isolation, as is often the case when they feel a lack of empowerment.
Roy Spina, Psychologist

Many Ways to Learn and Grow 

Working to support people on the autism spectrum, OPWDD staff employ strategies based on theories of behavior, including Applied Behavior Analysis. Through their daily work, staff help people to improve their leisure and play skills, adaptive and daily living skills, and social and self-regulation skills. Many times, these gains have opened doors for people to participate in activities they enjoy and, as a result, have improved the quality of their lives.  Some examples include:

• A 10-year-old has become independent in toileting and was able to attend camp.  
• Visual supports, social stories and changing how staff communicates have helped someone who once destroyed property and took others’ belongings to understand and practice what is expected and to improve his behavior.   
• Coping strategies, including deep breathing, counting to 10, visualization and reminders to tell others what is upsetting him, have helped another person who struggled with anxiety and agitation.  

​​​Karyn Vacanti-Shova, Psychologist  

Paying Attention to Learn and Support 

To support someone with autism effectively requires that staff develop an understanding of the person, their likes, dislikes and needs. For one gentleman with autism, OPWDD staff have learned to provide the upbeat social approach that he prefers, to provide for his reading interests in specific subject areas (music, history, world travel, cultures, food, etc.), and to be ready to discuss the subjects he brings up. They have learned to check in throughout the day, to ask and make suggestions, offer choices and meet him where he is on any given day. They have learned how to draw him out after periods of his own withdrawal by instilling trust and talking about his interests and opportunities for venturing out related to those interests.  Staff note that he has taught them to listen, to pay attention and to meet him where he is.

Kyle D. Houser, Psychologist 

 

 

Using Mindfulness Meditation

Some people with ASD have benefited from mindfulness, particularly meditation (attention to breath). Some use it daily. Others use it when they feel agitated and anxious. They have said it helps them to self-soothe and calm. Some will do it on their own time, and at other times I will guide them through it. I have done this as a group activity and also used it with individuals when someone is agitated. I have noticed the impact it has and how beneficial it is. The level of agitation and anxiousness decreases, and I have seen people become calm. I have included it as an effective coping skill and intervention in their behavior plans and promoted it for daily use.
Migda Hunter-Hernandez, Psychologist 

 

Using Journaling to Ease Anxiety

I worked with an individual diagnosed with ASD (and borderline intellectual functioning) living in one of our group homes. He was very anxious about bodily sensations (believing that he would become very ill with some serious disease) and obsessed about wants and wishes.  I encouraged him to journal. He would write or dictate his thoughts to me, and we would keep the pages. He would also write his obsessive thoughts down between sessions and bring them to the session for review. This practice helped ease his  anxiety.

Ethel Teichberg, Psychologist