Communication, Interaction, and Autism Acceptance
If you've read enough of my writings, you know that I am an activist for the rights of all people - especially Autistic people - to communicate using whatever method it works for each individual. Communication and Autism Acceptance Everybody communicates. Communication doesn't need spoken words. Communication doesn't need words at all. Behavior is communication. Smiles, looks, our bodies - those are used for communication and they are as valid as any word. I can type, and I like to type. Even if typing is exhausting, I still use this method to speak out. Interaction and Autism Acceptance But I
Quick Tips to Create a Visual Schedule
Judy Endow on the Importance of Continuing a Visual Schedule After a Natural Disaster Many children with special needs use a visual schedule to organize their day. A visual schedule shows which activities and the order in which the activities will happen. A visual schedule can map out a big chunk of time such as an entire morning, afternoon or even a whole day. A first/then visual schedule shows what will happen just now (first) and what will happen next (then). (Endow, 2011) If your child uses a visual schedule it is important that you continue using a visual schedule through the
Autism, Direct Instruction and Having Friends
Autism, Direct Instruction and Having Friends by Judy Endow Social Understanding and Communication Social understanding and communication are two areas impacted by autism neurology. The way this plays out is different from one autistic individual to the next. Typically, for autistics I have worked with, this means that they do not always pick up social information from the world around them through observation only as most people do. Instead, they sometimes need direct instruction concerning information their autistic neurology doesn’t allow them to automatically pick up and learn. I think it is important that those around autistics understand that not
Autistic Consultant on Autism, Making Friends and The Hidden Curriculum
Autism, Making Friends and The Hidden Curriculum by Judy Endow It can be difficult for some autistic people to sort out what things are okay to say and what things are not okay to say in various social situations. This was true for a high school student I worked with during the past year. William very much enjoyed talking with others, but was asking questions and making comments that were not appreciated by teaching staff. Worse, these comments and questions were causing other students to avoid him rather than include him in social exchanges. Each time teaching staff explained to
Teaching Autistic People
by Judy Endow Autistic People of All Ages Can Learn Just like people of all ages can learn, so is it that autistic people of all ages can learn. It is an utterly sad state of affairs that this even needs to be said, but unfortunately, it needs to be said. Too often I see autistic children being babysat rather than being taught at school. When I ask about academic curriculum being used, I am told, “Oh, he has autism” as if this is an answer to my question. In my work as an autism consultant I am called on
Autism and Consequences
by Judy Endow Autism and Consequences Sometimes a person with authority over another engineers a consequence for certain behaviors as a way to decrease the frequency of unwanted behaviors. One way people learn is from consequences. For example, if you leave your car parked outside with the windows down and it rains, the natural consequence is that your car seats will get wet. Sometimes a person with authority over another engineers a consequence for certain behaviors as a way to decrease the frequency of unwanted behaviors. For example, a mother or a caregiver might decide that if hitting occurs at
The Changing Implementation of Accommodations
The Changing Implementation of Accommodations Accommodations are something provided by law to people with disabilities. It is easy for people to understand physical accommodations such as wheelchairs and curb cuts. It is much more difficult for people to understand accommodations when it involves sensory and processing differences such as those common to autistic people. Because an autism diagnosis is one of a spectrum diagnosis there are a variety of ways autistic people experience their particular autism. In fact, even though there may be similarities, just as no two neuro majority people experience the world in exactly the same way,
Autism Visual Thinking and the Parking System
Autism and Visual Thinking Many autistic people think visually. As a young child who thought visually I was often thought to be stubborn and insisting upon my own way when in reality I was merely trying to keep ahold of a thought. Today in my work I come in contact with many on the spectrum and see the same phenomenon at work. Let me explain with two examples: Example Parking Objects: Every day Britt comes to school with a toy from home. It is very difficult for her to leave the toy in her cubby so she carries it
Autism, Accommodation and Differential Expectations
People generally are very pleased with themselves when they have made an accommodation for me. I know this because they proudly announce it! In turn, I have learned to say thank you when people announce their thoughtfulness at making an accommodation for me. I truly am thankful because it allows me a fuller participation in the events going on around me. It also makes me smile because I have been making accommodations for people my whole life and it has never occurred to me to announce it!
Autistic Visual Thinking Impacts Comprehension
by Judy Endow I think in colors. My thinking colors have sound and movement. When I hear spoken words my neurology automatically goes for the match – a match for the words I hear to a familiar concrete picture of something in the world outside my skin or to an internal picture I have stored in my memory. . When I was a girl I heard the saying, “I got the world by the tail.” Immediately, the matching pictures of my experience of the world popped up for me to see. I found the best match and promptly assigned
Autistic Neurology or Psychiatric Symptomatology?
by Judy Endow Sometimes autistic neurology – specifically our style of thinking and the way our brain handles information bumps up against what can appear to be psychiatric symptomatology. This has happened to me many times over the years. My style of thinking is visual along with being quite literal and concrete. I understand myself and, in general, thoughts, ideas and concepts by having or creating an object or visual representation of that construct. Here is an example: “…in my life, I have come to a fuller understanding of the parts of me as represented by actual pastel colored
The Predictability, Pattern and Routine of Stimming
by Judy Endow The neurology of a person with autism does not automatically organize the world outside their skin. When we are able to organize the happenings in the world we usually do so differently than neuro majority people. As a young child I saw over and over how light from the sun interacted with water particles rising from the ground and with water droplets in the air. This repeated experience became useful over time in that I learned the predictability of this occurrence. I also learned the effects of various factors (such as clouds, rain, air temperature, wind,
Social Rules that Change with Age
by Judy Endow The “hidden curriculum” refers to the set of rules or guidelines that are often not directly taught but are assumed to be known. Most people automatically pick up this hidden information; their brains work that way. For those of us with autistic brains, this information is truly hidden; we do not automatically pick it up. Hence, the term, “hidden curriculum.” Even though our brains are not wired to automatically pick up this hidden social information, we can learn it. Once we learn it then we know it just like everybody else. Sounds easy. It is
Autism and Eating Out
Autistic author and consultant, Judy Endow, shares strategies for managing sensory sensitivities when eating out.
Fear, Anxiety and Autistic “Behavior”
When it comes to autism and "behaviors" it's better to understand and work with -- not on--the autistic person who is employing the behavior.
Autism, Visual Schedules and Prompting
Verbally prompting each step of a sequence isn’t an expedient way for many students with autism to learn routines.
Autism and Processing Social Information
My autistic neurology means that I am not good at picking up typical social cues, understanding complex social situations, automatically picking up meanings of idioms, or understanding the hidden curriculum that most others automatically pick up (Endow 2012). This means I often look naïve and gullible. The fact is I AM naïve and gullible when I try to use the social constructs of neuromajority folks to navigate the world around me. When I was younger and deemed “in need of help” that “help” largely involved others trying to teach me to think and act as if I had a
Outsmarting the Hard of Autism to Attend Live Theater
I love musicals and other live theater performances. About five years ago I googled the name of the performing arts theater in my town along with “season tickets” and was delighted to discover the possibility for a whole new adventure! My friend Marilyn and her adult son Jimmy (who also likes musicals and has autism) decided they would like to do this too. Each year I am the person who sends out the information on shows and orders the tickets for all three of us. Along the way we had to outsmart the hard of our autism and figure out
Autism and Holiday Schedules
Autism and Holiday Schedules by Judy Endow As an autistic getting through the holiday time can be quite tricky. As an autistic parent with children who had different needs it was even trickier. Routine and structure can go a long way! They anchor the days that can otherwise be perceived by an autism neurology as totally chaotic, which in turn, often leads to being overwhelmed and experiencing meltdowns. 1. Start by creating a visual schedule. You can simply use paper and pencil or use an iPad or computer to make your visual schedule. Words can
Communication Supports for Speaking Autistics?
As an autistic, I know first hand how my communication abilities are different from the neuro-majority people around me. Most people do not understand my differences because I can speak. On the surface my communication abilities appear normal. This make it very difficult for people to understand when I need accommodations they are just that – accommodations – not personal preferences. For example, even though I can speak to crowds of thousands of people my neurology does not permit me to engage in telephone conference calls in a meaningful way. The most I can do is listen, but after a
World’s First Kid-Friendly Wheelchair From Wheelchairs of Hope
It's unacceptable that any child miss out on an education because of not having a wheelchair, and Wheelchairs of Hope is doing something about it. Wheelchairs of Hope is an initiative based on the belief that mobility from early childhood is a gate to education, and that access to education creates a new generation with improved skills, higher self-confidence levels, and more hope for the future. The UN, the WHO, and two Nobel Prize winners are backing the work of Wheelchairs of Hope. With production sites spanning three different regions, Wheelchairs of Hope will be able to guarantee shipment of
Supporting Autistic Relationships
As an autistic my connections to other people are perceived visually. In fact, I often need to have a concrete visual available in order to be able to think about my friends. A challenge I am often faced with is the erroneous presumption and resulting behavior of neuro-majority people when I need a visual in order to maintain a relationship. Many Autistics Are Visual Thinkers For those of us who are visual thinkers it seems logical that visuals would play an important part in developing relationships with others and in maintaining those relationships over time. In fact, many of us
How to Improve Literacy Without Even Trying
One of the simplest things you can do to improve your child’s reading skills is already in your home. Closed captioning is free, easy to use, and a natural literacy booster. Research shows that closed captioning increases literacy skills in people of all ages. Simply having the captions on can dramatically improve vocabulary, word recognition, comprehension, and reading . Closed Captioning supports literacy for all. by Lauri Swann Hunt Turn on the closed captioning in your home; on your tvs, ipads, phones, and computers. Many people think closed captions are only beneficial for deaf and hard of hearing people. And,
DCMP: Described and Captioned Media Program
Explore the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) Website to learn it promotes and provides equal access to communication and learning for students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind. The DCMP is an idea that works thanks to funding by the U.S. Department of Education and administration by the National Association of the Deaf.
Accessibility Is a Right Not a Privilege
Accessibility is a right not a privilege. 20 posts on Accessibility, Universal Design, and Inclusion It's Time to Go Beyond Access Creating Equal Opportunities For ALL Students to Participate in School Athletics State Obligations UNESCO Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Inclusion Is A Right Not A Privilege Paula Kluth on The Inclusive Class Roundtable The National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials Why Would We Want Inclusive Education? Ollibean Spotlight: Kerima Cevik Pay It Forward Activist How AAC and assistive tech make classrooms better for all : Paula Kluth The Case for Inclusion Part 3: Sea Change Access to the
The Importance of Supports
"If we invested a mere one-tenth of the amount of money that we currently pour into causation into empowering Autistic people to communicate, that young man and hundreds of thousands more like him would be able to communicate their needs to us today. I am not here today to speak for every Autistic person – that’s impossible. What I am here for is to argue for every Autistic person to have the same opportunity to communicate that I have come to enjoy thanks to the support that I have been lucky enough to receive in my life." Ari Ne'eman
Inclusion, Communication and Civil Rights
"Learning is easy when the teacher knows you can learn. " Henry Frost
Closed Captioning Helps All Students
"Not only were students talking about how much having the captions helped them as they took notes, their test scores went up," Collins said. During the first year of a 2-year case study, he showed videos without captions to establish a baseline of student comprehension, then in the second year turned on the captions and began to see improvement in comprehension and grades. "During the baseline year, there were a lot of Cs. In the second years, they went from Cs, Ds and Fs to As, Bs and Cs. It was really significant improvement," he said. "We're living in an
Senator Harkin Delivers Speech in ASL Upon ADA Passage in 1990
Upon passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 13th, 1990, Senator Tom Harkin delivered a speech on the Senate floor in American Sign Language. Harkin, whose brother Frank was deaf, was the lead Senate author of the ADA, which was enacted later that year. His speech is the first in American Sign Language to be delivered from the Senate floor.
Need for culturally sensitive treatment for deaf patients with psychiatric disorders
Members of the Deaf community who have mental health problems need culturally sensitive treatment to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment, according to a report in the March Journal of Psychiatric Practice. The journal is published by Li
What’s the Difference between Reduction in Homework and Shortened Assignments?
By Kori Hamilton and Elizabeth Kessler, professional special educator and NICHCY advisor. Being able to provide ample opportunities for success to all students requires a clear understanding of the needs of each individual student. Every student has a unique learning style, and some students require more help than others. Students who receive special education services have a plan in place to identify the type of support(s) that’s needed. One type of support is an accommodation, which is a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability. A modification, which is a change in what is being taught
The Inclusive Class: Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities
Nicole and Terri are looking forward to interviewing Dr. Sheldon Horowitz about ways classrooms can support children with learning disabilities.
