Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder:
Identifying Support Needs and
Initiating Effective Strategies
Part One
Chris Filler
Program Director Lifespan Transitions Center
chris_filler@ocali.org
Evant
January 6, 2014
12:30PM – 4:00 PM
A Hopeful Agenda
Registration
12:30 – 1:00
Welcome, Introductions, Who Is Here?
1:00 – 1:10
CHARACTERISTICS of ASD
1:10 – 2:00
Quick Review, Introduce a Tool, Try it!
STRATEGY IDEAS
2:00 – 3:00
Focus on Communication and Sensory
CREATING PLANS with SART
3:00 – 4:00
How to organize supports and strategies
We will take a
short break
somewhere
midway through
the afternoon.
However, if you
need to get up at
another time,
please quietly feel
free to take care of
your own needs.

Expectations
• The expectations of community living, learning, and
working are changing.
• ALL people with developmental disabilities are expected
to be provided real opportunities to be part of their
communities
• This means we must prepare community environments,
build on individual strengths and interests, and provide
customized and effective supports.
• For individuals with ASD, this can take special planning
and skill.
DSM-V
1. Persistent social-communication impairment
2. Restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior
Can be Complicated by Co-Occurring Disorders in some people
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html
ASD is a Spectrum Disorder
• Characteristics
• Challenges and Strengths
• Potential Opportunities and Barriers
Social
Sensory
Communication
Emotional Regulation
Cognitive Differences
Restricted Patterns of
Behavior/Interests
Restricted Behavior and Interests:
Can be the foundation for success!
Displays
rituals/nonfuncti
onal routines
Strong need for
routine or
sameness
Strong
need for
closure
Difficulty
handling
transition or
change
Eccentric or
intense interests
Asks
repetitive
questions
Unconventional
motivation
Spectrum of Social Profile:
Preferences and Challenges
Difficulty
Understanding
Nonverbal
communication (Body
Language and Facial
Expressions)
Difficulty
Understanding
Social
Communication
Difficulty
participating,
waiting
Difficulty
Maintaining
Personal Space
Differences in
Eye Contact
Lacks
Tact/Appears
Rude
Difficulty
Making Friends
Emotional Regulation:
Indicators of Challenge
Difficulty
tolerating
mistakes
Appears anxious,
easily stressed
Appears
depressed/sad
Exhibits
meltdowns
Easily
frustrated
Demonstrates
unusual fear
response
May demonstrate
self-injurious
behaviors
Cognitive Differences:
Challenges Can Hide Strengths
Strong word recognitionpoor comprehension
Poor problem
solving
Has excellent
memory for
details
Has
attention
problems
Poor
organizational
skills
Difficulty
generalizing
skills
Extensive
knowledge in
narrow area of
interest
Difficulty
understanding the
connection between
behavior and
resulting
consequences
Communication Qualities
Can Amplify Communicating Partner Mismatch
Difficulty with
rules of
conversation
Difficulty
expressing
thoughts or
feelings
Difficulty asking
for help
Immediate
or delayed
echolalia
Little or not
speech
Interprets words
or conversations
literally
Difficulty with
humor/sarcasm
Difficulty
starting, joining,
and/or ending a
conversation
Sensory Preferences and Needs:
Potential Barriers May Arise
Avoids
Seeks
Makes noise such
as humming or
singing frequently
Seeks activities
that provide
touch/pressure
Responds in
unusual manner
to temperature
Responds in
unusual manner to
sound
Avoids activities
that provide
Avoids
touch/pressure
activities that
provide
movement
Seeks activities
that provide
movement
“In My Language”
View this video on youtube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnylM1hI2jc
Meet Larry Bissonnette
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku5rYjgbbPg
More of Larry
Documentary “ Wretches and Jabberers” (www.wretchesandjabberers.org)
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/taboo/videos/autistic-artist/
The Point…
Even if WE are unsuccessful in
tapping into a person’s
communication system, abilities,
and thoughts…
..never assume they do not exist.
Our responsibility is to keep trying!
Support Begins with Understanding
• Learn to
understand what
you observe (or
hear) about a
person with ASD
through the ‘lens’
of the features of
autism.
Support Begins with Understanding
• View the person as
competent, skilled, and full of
potential while also facing the
barriers that ASD may create.
Creating)the)Right)Fit:!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Name:)
Creating the “Right Fit”:
Identifying Strengths and Needs
Communica2on)
Concerns:)What!aspects!will!need!
intervenAon!and!support?!!
Posi2ve)Aspects:)How!is!this!area!a!
strength?!
Social)Competency)
Concerns:)What!aspects!will!need!
intervenAon!and!support?!!
Posi2ve)Aspects:)How!is!this!area!a!
strength?!
Sensory)
Sensory)Observa2ons)
Communica2on)
Social)Competency)
Observa2ons)
Posi2ve)Aspects:)How!is!this!area!a!
strength?!
Social)Competency)
)Communica2on)Observa2ons)
Sensory)
Developing!a!Person2Centered,!Strengths–Based!Profile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Date:!!!!
Concerns:)What!aspects!will!need!
intervenAon!and!support?!!
Creating)the)Right)Fit:!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Name:)
Creating the “Right Fit”:
Identifying Strengths and Needs
Sensory)Observa2ons)
Wants own space. Likes
the movement of
rocking chair and car.
Sensitive to touch.
Posi2ve)Aspects:)How!is!this!area!a!
strength?!
Opportunities do exist.
Build on TV shows to
establish more interaction.
Use favorite programs (Nat
Geo) as a way to connect.
Posi2ve)Aspects:)How!is!this!area!a!
strength?!
Knows what helps him.
Have some ‘tool’
already that work to
help his sensitivities.
Communica2on)
Wants to communicate.
Initiates! Can use his
ability to initiate to
introduce other means
to communicate. Visual?
Social)Competency)
Pushes people away
that get in his space.
Calm times with others
(watch TV, car rides)
are the best. Relaxes.
Posi2ve)Aspects:)How!is!this!area!a!
strength?!
Sensory)
Social)Competency)
Observa2ons)
Social)Competency)
Uses few words. Pays
attention to the
environment. Bangs on
table to signal a need.
Sensory)
)Communica2on)Observa2ons)
Communica2on)
Developing!a!Person2Centered,!Strengths–Based!Profile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Date:!!!!
Concerns:)What!aspects!will!need!
intervenAon!and!support?!!
Not many concerns.
Need to find motivating
things that will
encourage him to use a
communication tool
Concerns:)What!aspects!will!need!
intervenAon!and!support?!!
Others overreact when he
pushes. Can escalate to selfabuse (hitting head). Need
to create a proactive plan.
Need to help communicate
in another way.
Concerns:)What!aspects!will!need!
intervenAon!and!support?!!
He can be so sensitive that
he escalates before we can
help. Need to find even
more ways to help him
meet those needs in the
community.
What Did You Learn Tell About Scott’s Right Fit?
Scott wants to work in his local community a few hours a week. In the past he has tried to
enter the world of work, only to find that he struggles again and again to be successful. You
spend some time with Scott and his family to get to know him better so you can help make the
“Right Fit”.
One of the first things you notice is that Scott yawns quite a bit. His mom says he has days
where he doesn’t sleep well. He may wake up at 3 AM and not go back to sleep. On those days
he is tired and she says he can get cranky over little things.
You also note that when you are start asking Scott question, he struggles to answer and
changes the conversation to Game Shows…his favorite topic! When you change the subject
back to your question, Scott seems to get nervous, anxious, and a few times Scott abruptly
excuses himself. While he is out, his parents explain that when he feels himself getting anxious
or nervous, he will try to find a way to take a break…to separate from the stress. They tell you
that if the stress continues and he cannot manage it, or regulate… he might cry, scream or
occasionally he has been known to throw items. That’s why he excuses himself for a brief time.
Scott returns in 5-10 minutes and he is willing to try and engage in conversation again. In fact
he seems to want to be with you and interact with you. Of course, he does continue to move it
back to the game show theme. Even when you look at your watch and use some strategies to
clue him in on your interests in other subjects, he seems not to be responding. You finally ask
him directly if you could talk about something different, to which he agrees and tries to answer
questions as best he can. Scott’s conversation seems to lag when his mom and dad are both
talking with you. He visibly seems anxious as the three of you chat quickly and laugh about a
funny story. In fact, Scott disengages with the conversation as soon as more than one person
joins the conversation. He tries hard to be part of a group, but it clearly is difficult. In the
middle of all this, you also notice that when a car outside blasts it’s horn to move some geese
off the road, he jumps and puts his hands over his ears.
You then ask Scott about what he does during the day…what he likes to do. He has a hard time
giving you a cohesive answer until he picks up his calendar / schedule. He then gives you a
detailed description of the events of his past week. Similarly, when you ask about what he likes,
enjoys, etc… he is quiet. His father opens a photo album on the table and slips it across the
table to Scott. At that point Scott begins telling you about liking the car shows he and his dad
often attend, swimming, volunteering at the food bank to help organize and label the items
and looking at the price of items in stores (because that helps him play “Price Is Right”. )
Scott moves easily and smoothly around the room. He gets up and down frequently and seems
to favor sitting in the overstuffed chair with the pillows and high sides. He does sit on the
couch briefly, but moves to the favored chair when you and his father joined him on the couch
and sit on either side of him.
Read About
Scott.
What Did You
Learn About
Scott’s ‘Right
Fit?’
Scott’s “Right Fit”: Identifying Strengths and Needs