Autism In The Workplace – Home Base Page |1
Autism In The Workplace
Home Base
Overview
It is common for everyone to experience anxiety and stress when dealing with daily life.
However, for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), daily situations can result in
significant stress and anxiety. In addition, individuals with ASD have difficulty regulating their
emotions and stress levels. Therefore, they need specific, tailored strategies to help them cope
and regulate their emotional state. Home base is one such strategy or, more specifically, an
environmental structure that provides support. Home base is a location that allows individuals to:
o
prepare for or review the day's events
o
take a break from a stressful situation
o
regain emotional control to avoid a meltdown
o
recover after a meltdown
o
successfully cope with an unpredictable world
Case Study: Gerry
Gerry is a 4-year-old diagnosed with autism who attends an integrated preschool program. Gerry
benefits from being in a small, confined space when he is experiencing anxiety. In collaboration
with Gerry's parents, the staff have set up a tent within his classroom. He has a card on his
communication board with a tent on it representing his home base location. The tent is located in
a quiet corner of the classroom. Inside the tent is a weighted blanket, lots of pillows, and soft,
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squishy toys; there is limited lighting. When Gerry becomes anxious due to changes in routine or
becomes overwhelmed by the noise level of his classroom, he requests "tent" using his
communication board. The staff in the classroom also monitor him for signs of stress, which
include pacing or squeezing his eyes shut. If the paraprofessional or other staff member notices
these signs, she encourages Gerry to go to the tent (home base). While in the tent, Gerry is
monitored by whichever adult is closest in proximity.
Defining Home Base
Home base is any specified location in the home, school, or community where an individual with
ASD feels safe and comfortable. Examples include a specific room within the school building, a
specific place within a living room or classroom, or even a specific seat within a room. The
location should be chosen with input from the individual, whenever possible, as it is most
important that he views the environment as positive and calming. A home base location
generally has few distractions and provides consistency, structure, and supervision.
Time at home base should include individualized strategies to decrease stress and increase the
individual's success outside the home base. Strategies often include sensory activities, priming
and preparation for upcoming events, review of completed tasks, events and other organizational
activities, or other such strategies based on individual needs. Time spent at home base may be
used to complete work brought from the stressful environment. Home base is not intended as an
escape from work or responsibilities. Rather, it is a place that reduces the environmental
demands placed on the individual and/or decreases his internal stress so he is able to complete
his work.
Home base may be included in the daily schedule as a proactive strategy. An individual may go
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to home base at the beginning of the day, at the end of the day, or as planned or needed
throughout the day or activity.
Case Study: Charlotte
Charlotte is a sixth grader with the diagnosis of Asperger syndrome. She attends all general
education classes at her neighborhood middle school. Each day, when she first arrives at school,
Charlotte goes to the guidance office where she meets the sixth-grade resource room teacher,
Mrs. Perry, to discuss her schedule for the day. Mrs. Perry primes Charlotte regarding absent
teachers, schedule changes, and special activities. Charlotte uses the guidance office for her
home base each day, as needed.
When Charlotte arrives on Tuesday, Mrs. Perry has already obtained information regarding
changes in her schedule or absentee information regarding Charlotte's teachers. She lets
Charlotte know that Mr. Brown her science teacher will be absent and that Miss Johnson will be
her science teacher for today. Together they read a social narrative about substitute teachers.
Mrs. Perry also reminds Charlotte of the pep rally scheduled for 2:00 p.m. She reminds Charlotte
that her friend Mary will meet her at the gymnasium door and will sit with her during the pep
rally. She also points out, if she gets overwhelmed, she can always return to the guidance office
for the remainder of the pep rally. Mrs. Perry reminds Charlotte that Miss Tuma, the guidance
counselor, will be in her office for the entire pep rally.
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Case Study: Julio
Julio is a young man with Asperger Syndrome who works at the local public library. His job
entails checking books in, processing on-line requests for book holds and interlibrary loans,
shelving books, and delivering mail within the library. Julio enjoys social interaction but has
difficulty interacting with new people. Therefore, he doesn't sit at the front desk and check out
books. Instead, his primary interactions are with the library staff with whom he is familiar. Julio
has excellent computer skills as well as sequencing abilities. He particularly enjoys re-shelving
books, as it gives him a sense of order and organization.
When Julio initially started working at the library, he experienced high stress levels, which
resulted in a meltdown. His job coach identified the stressors as the following: frustration with
books being shelved incorrectly; difficulty stopping a task before it is completed; and library
patrons asking him questions when he is trying to reshelf books. Julio's job coach, the head
librarian, and Julio decided to designate one of the study rooms at the library as his home base
area. When Julio becomes overwhelmed with work situations, he requests to take a break from
his work responsibilities and go to home base.
Going to home base can either be initiated by the individual as she feels it is necessary, or be
recommended by an adult or supervisor. Therefore, initially, the adult needs to recognize initial
signs of stress in the student. Eventually, the student will need to be taught to recognize those
signs herself and to request to go to home base. Ideally, home base should be used in
combination with direct instruction in organizational skills and self-regulation as the goal is to
increase independence and success across environments.
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It is important that everyone involved views home base as a support and not as a punishment.
Ideally, home base is used proactively; that is, to prevent meltdowns. However, it can serve as a
safe place to recover from a meltdown. Regardless, home base is not the same as a time-out, so
the same space should not be used for both purposes. For example, if a child is sent to his room
for time-out, a different location should be identified for home base.
Summary
It is common for everyone to experience anxiety and stress when dealing with daily life.
Individuals with ASD may benefit from specific, tailored strategies to help them cope and
regulate their emotional state: home base is one such strategy or, more specifically, an
environmental structure that provides support. Home base is any specified location in the home,
school, or community where an individual with ASD feels safe and comfortable. Determining
the location and use of home base is as unique as the individual with ASD.
Citation and References
Coffin, A. B., & Bassity, K. (2007). Home base: Online training lesson (Columbus: Ohio Center
for Autism and Low Incidence). In Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI), Autism
Internet Lessons, www.autisminternetlessons.org. Columbus, OH: OCALI.
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Discussion Questions
1. Individuals with ASD might benefit from home base. Think of a child you know with
ASD. Why might he benefit from home base? When might home base be used
throughout his day?
2. When determining a location for home base, what key components should be considered?
(Answers on next page)
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Answers
1.
A correct answer could include the following: student experiencing high stress;
meltdowns; difficulty with transitions; struggling with organizational skills; need for
sensory breaks or input
Why: Intermittent breaks throughout the day can increase overall success and
independence; to avoid or recover from meltdowns; to aid in self regulation; to
increase success with transitions and changes in schedules/routines through
preparation which helps to decrease stress allowing them to be more effective learners
2. A correct answer should include the following: a highly structured environment with
few distractions; a consistent environment; an environment which provides the
appropriate level of supervision; access to sensory strategies as appropriate; pleasant
and positive for the individual; quiet; safe environment