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Social Narratives to Reduce Anxiety
Social Narratives to Reduce Anxiety
Shanti Kurada
A 'social narrative' is an general term that refers to any type of story written to help individuals with ASD understand , prepare for, and be able to positively respond to a particular situation or environment, that is unfamiliar or challenging in some way. The article below gives an overview of social narratives. A 'social story' is a specific type of social narrative, developed by Carol Gray. In the video (left), Gray discusses how these have changed over the years.
Many individuals with autism show a preference for predictability because the way they process information makes interacting with the general population confusing to them. People don’t always mean what they say when they’re being polite. Raining has nothing to do with cats and dogs. And “that’s just great!” can be accompanied by anger or a sneer. In order to deal with these unknowns, they cling to the known, the things that can be relied on - the sunrise in the morning, the piece of string that never changes its shape, the vanilla flavored cereal. The fact that 2 plus 5 always equals 7 is inordinately reassuring.
Added to this anxiety over an unpredictable world, is the difficulty with sensory processing - crowds, noise, voices, specific tones, smells, touch, and lights can be bothersome. Their systems are so busy dealing with this onslaught that it’s hard to focus on what the other person is saying or what they’re supposed to be doing to be functional and safe. The result is either escape, paralysis, or lashing out. An overwhelmed person with autism in a busy airport may take off, refuse to move an inch, or strike someone seemingly without an apparent cause or trigger. These types of breakdowns only strengthen their need for predictability and routine, their attachment to objects that never change, and elaborate rituals that anchor them.
Yet, they must operate within a constantly changing unpredictable world. How then do we help them get through that long flight, tolerate a substitute teacher, or the fact that their favorite meal at the restaurant is unavailable? A social narrative is a way for people with autism to prepare for difficult situations and be able to respond to them in a positive manner. Read More
Pamela LePage,Ph.D.
"It is possible to watch a 100 videos on how to swim, but if you never jump in the pool, you will never learn to swim. To learn to be a friend, you have to make a friend and feel the connection."
Shooting the film "Revenge of the Donuts Two: Sprinkles Ghost"
"Our experience has been that children spend a lot of time laughing while shooting their short films, many of which are funny movies."
A film group working together on a project
"I want to be a story writer for video games, a costume or set designer ..." says a teen in the film group.
Trang Nguyen, Director, Community Gatepath says,"People with ASD often struggle to focus and communicate effectively and experience anxiety when over-stimulated. However, they are motivated by specific interests and passions and are uniquely creative. They see and do things differently, thus offering a fresh perspective. Creative expression through the arts can be very fulfilling and therapeutic. Art therapy provides a visual tool for communication, a window to the imagination, and a motivation to make social connections. Read More
Self-management
Self-management
Promoting independent self-regulation
Shanti Kurada
The video (left) shares a webinar on self-management from the Johnson Center for Child Health and Development. The presenter discusses prerequisites, discrimination, self-instruction tools, and data monitoring. The article below gives an overview of self-management and includes a case study.
Self-management interventions help individuals with ASD independently regulate their behaviors to respond positively in a variety of settings and situations that involve communication, social interaction, and adaptive functioning.
All of us must self-manage our behaviors as we respond to people, situations and events. We learn to listen or speak up, initiate or respond, problem-solve independently or ask for help, depending on the situation and context. We learn to adapt our behavior to the culture we exist in, whether it is our school, workplace, neighborhood, party, or a foreign country. We imitate the social mannerisms of the group we are in. Although this adaptation seems automatic, it is actually a 4-step process of observation of the environment, self-monitoring of one’s own reactions, self-reflection and decision making, and finally adaptation to ensure successful interaction. Individuals with ASD may struggle to execute these steps, hence they are broken down and taught systematically. Once they learn to do this, it promotes their independence and empowerment. Read More
Zones is a curriculum that promotes social-emotional regulation by teaching awareness of emotional states and coping mechanisms through visual supports.
Leah Kuypers, MA Ed, OTR/L & Elizabett Sautter, MA CCC-SLP
Image courtesy: Redbubble
Students with autism are like any other students in many ways - they are excited about learning and motivated in a specific area of interest. However, challenges with social-emotional awareness make it hard to understand implicit cues and social rules, manage relationships, and handle anxiety-inducing situations. The College Link Program was set up to help students with autism navigate the college experience with supports and room for individualized learning.
Above: Drew Lochtefeld is studying history and political science and has an amazing knowledge of historical events, dates, political parties and ideologies. The program has helped him become organized and stay focused on his goals.
Above: Kenton Barks (middle) is a theater student. He is great with voices and hopes to become a voice actor. During a visit, he performed an uncanny imitation of the Star Wars character Chewbacca. Antonio (left) is an art major and has a talent for drawing and photography.
Eric Roman
A service dog provides a teenager with unconditional love and an emotional anchor that helps her navigate the community.
"Palua is always right where Abbi needs her to be; a constant, predictable, and silent companion on the apprehensive voyage outside our home."
"Palua acts as a human bridge, drawing people in to ask about the dog ... this gives Abbi a chance to talk wth them. Now, Abbi is the girl with the dog instead of a girl with Autism."
Maise Soetantyo, M.Ed., RDI Consultant
Pioneered by Dr. Steve Gutstein, the RDI Program helps ASD individuals develop flexible, dynamic thinking, reciprocal communication, self-awareness, and independence. The natural Guided Participation Relationship (GPR) between parent and child is often disrupted due to atypical development.
The breakdown of GPR impedes the parent and the child’s ability to function as a guide and as an apprentice. This leads to a high level of anxiety, inflexibility, learning difficulties, social, emotional and communication challenges. The RDI program works on restoring the natural guide-apprentice relationship between parent and child. Parents thus become empowered to help their children grow in flexibility, reciprocity, and autonomy.
This is a parent-driven intervention that requires learning, involvement, planning, recording, and self-assessments. RDI consultants provide guidance but the bulk of the work is done by parents - as RDI is based on the premise that the most effective learning happens within the parent-child relationship. To understand if this is the right intervention for your child, more information can be found on the RDI website www.rdiconnect.com
Disclaimer
Disclaimer
Autism Learning Community does not endorse any of the therapies, interventions, or legal/financial strategies discussed by the professionals or parents on this website. Information on this website is general in nature and is not intended as direct or authorized medical, legal, educational, or financial advice. The information is to be used as a starting point for building awareness about the available options and learning to navigate resources. Users are encouraged to conduct further research based on their child's individual needs and seek direct advice from professionals they know and trust.
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