Tagged with 'autism awareness'

When thinking back to holiday celebrations in the 1960s and 70s, I remember a time when there were specific timeframes and expectations. Labor Day meant that school was about to start. We did not think about decorating or getting costumes for Halloween until the beginning of October. On November 1^st, we transitioned into Thanksgiving preparation. On Thanksgiving, the Macy’s Parade ended with Santa starting the movement into Christmas. We celebrated holidays after the first of the year one at a time. Usually, we would have stories about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and decorating boxes to receive Valentine’s Day cards the week before those holidays.

I was taken back to those thoughts this year when I began seeing Christmas displays being put up as early as Halloween and heard radio stations which began holiday music at midnight on November 1. I have nothing against the holiday season starting early but am concerned that the overload of emphasis on these days is creating a great deal of sensory overload and a sense of overwhelm in many individuals, both neurotypical and neurodiverse.

It is beautiful at this time of year to take drives and see the holiday lights up around various parts of our cities. While we are doing that, are we taking the proper precautions to make sure some of our friends are not overstimulated? Ideas like keeping them comfortable inside of the car, van, or bus is important. Extreme temperatures within the vehicle can exacerbate potential escalations. Be sure to have time in between the various light displays so that proper time for processing of emotions can take place. If we are outside, are we pacing our walk so that speed is not adding to any potential escalations as well? This is like taking individuals out for Trick-or-Treating. We want to make sure that the pacing is such that there is no overstimulation occurring out on the streets, even before having any of the treats at the end of the evening. How are we protecting our individuals from too much noise? Do we have noise reducing headphones or ear buds to go along with a hat if it is cold out? Halloween is another time where having this type of sound protection is important.

As we move inside, how are the environments decorated? Lots of lights can be overwhelming as well as blinking lights. If we are doing the decorating, are we spacing out the décor so that it does not become overwhelming? There is nothing wrong with having lights on a tree inside, but how are they offset with other decorations? The picture you see is my tree this year and it has a lot of lights. I chose to keep the rest of the room simply decorated as I wanted the tree as a focal point without being lost in a sea of lights and colors. Be purposeful in how you are decorating. Think of what brings joy to you as well as what might create your own level of sensory overload. Work to find that space which highlights the holiday and is not the bare minimum. At the same time, you do not want lights and sounds so overwhelming, one might seek refuge in a casino to stay calm!

You want to think the same way in classrooms, offices, and any area in which there may be a lot of people coming together. Decorate for any holiday with a focus on celebration without overdoing it. Lights and sounds can be distracting as well as overwhelming. When you have lighting, keep it appropriate for the environment. Be sure to keep the sound level down so that it is not distracting for the area as a whole. Halloween is a time when some of the decorations include movement sensor reactions. Be sure that any sounds are at a reasonable level and that individuals know that something will happen when they interact with or pass by the sensor.

Inclusivity with celebrations requires us to make accommodations for those who might not always be able to join in the festivities in a typical format. What are you doing to assist those who have visual impairments. Are you including information in braille? Are you making sure that the scenes in the room can be explained through alternate text in some way? Are you creating some type of path that an individual who uses a cane can navigate to make sure they do not crash into anything like trees or displays that may be in areas where there is usually empty space? What about for those who may be deaf? Are there signs describing the decorations and notifications about celebrations? Is there closed captioning for any videos that are being watched by the group? Always keep your audience in mind!

I was working with a group who wanted to make sure that they had their workplace environment as inclusive as possible. As I was working with them, there was one employee who commented that “it was so much easier when we didn’t have to worry about all this nonsense.” Aside from the gasps from his co-workers, I was taken aback by his lack of understanding. Creating inclusive celebrations allows us to involve as many individuals as possible. Without looking at who will be attending, we can create a restrictive environment for some. It would be like going to some party or dance club where only those invited can enter, but one doesn’t know if they are able to enter until they get there.

Inclusivity also expands beyond the sensory side of things. We want to be aware of the beliefs of those attending the festivities or working in the office. During the holiday season, we have different days that are celebrated by different groups. Are we including some reference to those days as well so it does not seem like a “private” celebration? Are we able to add celebrations with food and activities that fully embrace each of these holidays? Have we set up the opportunity for groups to explain the beauty of their holidays and the traditions around them? Even something as commonplace in many locations as a “Secret Santa” should have some recognition of those who may not celebrate Christmas or those who have economic restrictions which limit even low-end spending. This is not to say we have to cancel these types of activities; we simply need to be aware and make adjustments for the sake of including as many people as possible.

The holiday season and all celebrations throughout the year are reasons for us to come together. By taking a little time and being conscious of our students, our co-workers, and all individuals who may be a part of our celebration, we can make decisions on how we can decorate and celebrate so as not to overwhelm or frustrate people. Instead, we are opening a door to a celebration which everyone can feel the same joy that we might feel.

May all of you and yours have a wonderful holiday season!

During each spring, tens of thousands of students check their email or standard mail waiting for an acceptance letter from colleges. For thousands of middle school students, spring brings acceptance letters from private high schools. Parents in certain locations throughout the country seek acceptance into special pre-school programs for their young children. Individuals of all ages hope for acceptance into groups or other activities. The idea of acceptance is nothing new. We have seen it throughout the history of humanity. The idea of not being accepted brings concern and sadness and may even cause feelings of failure. Acceptance is an important part of any community and can help to establish higher levels of diversity and success within that group.

A few years ago, we moved from April being the month of “Autism Awareness” to “Autism Acceptance.” This came about because one can be aware of another person, but not accept them for any number of reasons. With the large number of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, acceptance of who they are is important to maintain a socially healthy community. Those who push back and fight accepting these individuals often do not understand that many individuals who may have had undiagnosed ASD have provided amazing insights into the world because of their “uniqueness” or “idiosyncratic” approach to life. Some people fear a label and do not give that person a chance to demonstrate what they can add to life.

Several years back, I was contacted by some consultant colleagues for insights on a project they were working on with a district. The district was moving toward having a strong inclusive approach to their student population and was developing a plan and budget to properly support faculty and students.  The seven-person Board had final approval and it looked like it would be a close vote as two members were opposed simply because of costs for the professional development. Two members were former educators and were very positive about the movement. So, both sides had the opportunity to present the pros and cons of an inclusionary program. The only argument against the plan was fiscal in nature. I was asked for insights on proper training and documentation because of work I had done internally with schools in the 1990s and early 2000s.

On the night of the public Board vote, both sides had one final time to share their side. Each side did and the crowd was asked to remain silent while the vote began. One of the three Board members who was undecided offered to vote first with his rationale. He shared his status as a parent of two students as well as a citizen concerned about doing what was right. He then went on to share that although the inclusion of students was important, he was going to vote against it because he did not want his children to “catch Autism.” Chaos arose in the meeting, but his vote was cast, and the other two undecided folks voted along with him in fear of something that wasn’t real. That district voted down inclusive classrooms because of being labeled without knowing anything about it. Fortunately, two years later a new superintendent entered the district and was able to put through a resolution with proper funding and training for “modern classroom teacher support and training.” Inclusion was able to be introduced in that way.

Events like that demonstrate why awareness is not enough. Too often, individuals making decisions are not aware of what actually happens in the classrooms. This is especially evident in our politically charged environment today where people assume they “know education” and “what really goes on” because they went to school. We have to put ourselves in a situation where these generalities and labels are pushed to the background while the individuals and the great things they bring to the community are in the forefront. One way of doing this is to highlight the accomplishments of all students side-by-side. Create videos and materials that surround the amazing work done by students, making sure that neurodiverse students are featured with their neurotypical peers.  

When we look for examples, think about some of the students on the autism spectrum who may be excellent actors or actresses. Be sure to use them in some of the advertising for shows or for recruiting others into the fine arts. Look at some of those individuals who may have other conditions and still make a positive difference in activities throughout the school. Be sure to have these students along with other students as examples to the community of the positive things being done by the students.  

Create community events like “Talent Evenings” with performances from the bands and choirs surrounded by art and pottery from student portfolios. Have the actors and actresses perform a short piece while speech and debate can mirror some of their competitions. I mention all these areas as various districts have shared with me how their neurodiverse students are thriving in these settings – something that the larger community may not be aware of at all!

We have heard of using the Universal Design for Learning principles for arranging classrooms and other educational settings. Keep the idea of "universal" in mind when highlighting the efforts of our students. We have experienced some of our students who may be on the autism spectrum becoming great athletes in sports like basketball, cross country, soccer, and volleyball. We don’t have to promote their condition, but we do have to promote their accomplishment. This way, we are designing a platform where individuals are assessed on what they have accomplished.

The question might arise surrounding those students who may be in programs to give them life skills with the goal of transitioning into the workforce. Celebrate them as well. Offer evenings and weekends when the community can interact with them as well as with those in standard vocational programs.  Look at what dishes can be cooked and serve those without distinguishing one group from another. Have some students work together to build something that can be presented to the community. Inclusion comes from the acceptance we have of one another. The way to break down some of those barriers is to highlight what can be done as opposed to how individuals are seen. By starting within our schools and programs, we can develop acceptance which can then be modeled for the world outside of our school walls!

Acceptance and Awareness – Watching our Words

By: Dr. Raymond Heipp

In the 1980s, the band Missing Persons had a song called “Words.”  Within that song, the refrain contained the line “What are words for?”  That song popped into my mind when I recently was invited into a discussion about language and its uses with our exceptional community.  I was asked which was more appropriate; person-centric or condition-specific language.  Both of the sides had amazing points as to why their argument was more appropriate.  So rather than begin with that point, I started with the change from this month being designated Autism Acceptance Month from what had been Autism Awareness Month. 

This changeover began several years back and has come to the forefront over the last two years.  People often ask me, “Why did this change?  Don’t they both mean the same thing?”  The reality is that they mean two different thought processes and that it is not simply a matter of semantics.  When we originally spoke of “Autism Awareness,” many people had not heard that term or only thought of it in a pejorative sense.  In the minds of those people, individuals with autism “could not function in the world.”  It was a myopic view based in a lack of information.  The idea of “Autism Awareness” focused on bringing information to all groups that provided a strong foundation from which people could understand the Autism Spectrum and dispel some of the myths that had been passed along. 

The idea of Autism Acceptance came about as we saw more individuals on the Autism Spectrum unable to get jobs or restricted from full access to inclusive programs, even if the ability to succeed was there.  We move from the thought of wanting to have people on the outside understand what Autism was to wanting the outside world to accept all individuals based on their abilities.  Dr. Temple Grandin put it best when she mentioned in some of her talks that individuals on the Autism Spectrum often made excellent accountants or quality control managers because of their ability to have hyper-focus and strict attention to details.  Yet, the outside world was not as willing to accept someone who had a condition listed next to their name or had a unique way of interacting with others.

Thus, Acceptance here is much more important than Awareness.  Acceptance is a validation of the individual and that individual’s abilities.  This is essential to understanding the individual for who they are.  Awareness only points to a knowledge of a condition.  That knowledge is far-too-often generalized with an assumption that everyone with that condition is exactly like others in with the same condition.  There is not the push to understand the individual and what is brought to the table by them.  Because of that, some very intelligent and capable individuals are pushed to the side.  We must be willing to accept the individual for who they are!

So when we look at the difference between Acceptance and Awareness, we see that the distinction lies upon where our focus needs to be.  Acceptance lies within the specifics of looking at an individual.  Awareness looks at the general understanding of a condition.  Thus, the words do have importance and how we use them will make a difference in the lives of many.

So many of you are going back to my opening paragraph and asking what my response to the original question was.  Don’t worry, both of those groups were wondering the same thing after I shared this distinction of Acceptance and Awareness.  I do think they were shocked when I explained to them that they were both right. 

When we speak of person-centric language, we are highlighting the individual over the condition and keep our focus on their abilities.  So that should be the only choice, right?  On the contrary, condition-specific language is becoming more widely used by the individuals with those conditions as a way of sharing a characteristic of who they are.  This was made very clear to me by a gentleman who explained to me at a meeting with adults in a training program that he was disabled and that was part of who he was.  He was proud of this fact and let me know that to him it meant that it was okay to do things differently than others.  He worked in a restaurant and shared with me that he didn’t do things like his co-workers, but still did them well.  What a great way to look at life!

Please watch your words and understand the deeper context within what they communicate to others.  My final answer to those groups after letting them know they were both right was to let them know when I spoke of individuals, when possible, I simply used their first name.  That is done out of respect to them and keeps me focused on who they are.

Happy Autism Acceptance Month!