Your attitude just might be my biggest barrier

Hi,

Just want to share the following abstracted from an article “Your attitude just might be my biggest barrier” from Indiana Resource Center for Autism. Happy reading…

-choon seng

Behaviors always happen for a reason. The reasons may or may not be obvious to us. They do not simply “just happen” but may be a function of a situation, a communication partner, the message that is being sent, or even a physiological need. Every human being uses behavior to communicate. Even though most of us can speak and have the ability to understand and solve problems, we often rely heavily on behaviors to express our feelings. Many of the individuals with autism spectrum disorders we support may have limited or no speech to access when they want to be left alone, or are having a rough time. Instead, they “act out” as a way of telling us.

Individuals who have autism spectrum disorders or other disabilities are faced with many challenges. One of the challenges they may face are attitudes and misconceptions regarding their behaviors. Often behaviors are looked at as something to be fixed or eliminated rather than a method for expressing feelings or desires.

To overcome this barrier, we need to

- Understand that behavior is communication and that communication is behavior. It is impossible for anyone to “not communicate”. Every human uses behavior to communicate at one time or another.

- Understand the concept of labels and how they are perceived. It is true that we use “labels” to name behaviors but unfortunately labels cause us to miss the message the behavior may be communicating. Often we may dismiss the message of the behavior by saying, “Oh, they’re just doing that for attention seeking.” In many instances, the term “attention seeking” has become a way of “devaluing the needs of people and not taking them seriously”. Perhaps it would be a better option to consider why attention is desired. Is the only time the individual receives any “meaningful” conversation and attention after they have done something which resembles “misbehavior?” Could the individual be hurt, frightened, or frustrated and wanting to tell someone? Could the individual be lonely and simply want to be noticed?

Young children in school love to receive attention and be noticed. Adults also like to receive attention. When you have called someone “just to talk,” has anyone ever told you “you need to call another time when you have something meaningful to say?” Perhaps “attention seeking” behaviors are not always wrong.

Behaviors, sometimes called “self-simulation behaviors,” may also be sensory in nature. Individuals may engage in these behaviors when they are bored, frustrated, stressed, or need to “chill out.” Most of us resort to such sensory-type behaviors however our behaviors are not obvious. We wiggle in our seats, tap our feet, chew on erasers, hum tunes, and bite our nails, to maintain attention or to calm ourselves when feeling anxious. Often when the individual with disabilities uses “self-stimulation,” we decide that we should extinguish the behavior because it is inappropriate, or make the individual stand out as very different. Perhaps we feel uncomfortable with behavior and how it might reflect on us.

By labeling people’s behavior we often feel that we have the right to act on how the behavior affects us rather than on what the person doing it might be trying to communicate. If that’s the case, maybe we should look more closely at those situations when individuals engage in sensory (self-stimulation) behaviors and instead of simply telling them to “stop” ask ourselves, “Why?” or “How can I help?” or “Does the person need help?”

We can make changes to our thinking.

Rather than discussing the behavior incident reports that everyone already knows, begin to focus on the person’s history and personality in order to get a different perspective for why some behaviors may be occurring. Share positive information as freely as “negative” information is shared. Include the individual whenever possible to get their feedback. Build on the strengths instead of creating a curriculum where each individual “majors in their deficits.” Create supportive communities for everyone by listening to the behaviors, avoiding labels, and asking, “Why” or “What can I do to help?”

Concentration!

That seems to be one of the hardest things to ask of our trainees. They tend to exhibit short span of concentration. Is it because people who are intellectually challenged have a lower concentration threshold and easily get restless? What causes them to lose concentration? Is it because they are not interested in the activities (boring/monotonous) that they are engaging in? Is it because they don't understand instruction (or we don’t understand them) and are not sure what is required of them in the activities? It can also be external factors such as hot/stuffy weather, non conducive environment, too noisy, too many movement/people?

How do we improve their concentration? Does doing jigsaw puzzle, beading, cross-stitch help or these tasks just make them more patient? Can one improve on concentration? Maybe by doing meditation, practicing taiji will help our trainees improve their concentration but how do we teach them? How do we get them understand, concentrate, learn and pick up meditation/taiji? That seem too challenging, we shall just focus on the tasks done during class. Maybe we can use apparatus to help them focus on their tasks... apparatus to narrow their views, to engage them in activities and don't let their eyes wander around. Maybe we can prepare our training aids to make the boring activities look more interesting? Say for example, if this trainee likes bright color and we are teaching him counting, we can use colourful cubes. Or if this trainee likes flower and we are teaching her time concept, we can improvise a clock with lots of flower on it. We can also improve on the external factors to help them concentrate better. For example, if the classroom is too hot or stuffy, get out of it and go to an open area with better airflow. Or if there are too many movements in the classroom, ask your trainee to do the task, back facing the crowd. What about playing some light, soothing music to enhance their concentration level?

Maybe we can communicate better using visual to help and give clear instructions to them so that they are not confused. Communication is a big topic and we will talk about it next time.

Meanwhile, ponder though the points discussed and share your insights =)

-choon seng

Malaysia Trip to Kluang

Pat has kindly organised our annual trip to Malaysia.

Date : 21 July (Saturday)
Time : Estimated 6.45am - 10pm
Venue: Tropical Village (Mini theme park, leisure corner and playground), Organic Park, Coffee Powder Farm and Mushroom Farm & Shopping !
Fees: Estimated about $50 per person (subjected to confirmation)

GLs, Please confirm the attendance for this outing for your trainees, caregivers and volunteers by 20 June. (Pat has mentioned this to some of the caregivers previously)

All other volunteers not directly allocated to volunteers, please email me if you are interested to participate in this outing by 20 June.

(itinery is in the email!)

-Fan Han

Amazing Race next Saturday - 23rd June 2007

Dear all,

23rd June 2007 (Saturday) will be the 1st VA outing of the year.

It will be an amazing race around Singapore.
The VA team has put in a lot of effort to put this event together so I do hope that all of you will join everyone in this amazing race ... It will be a good time to know other volunteers from other projects and make new friends.

Meeting place: space outside the Esplanade concert hall
Date: 23 June
Time: 2pm

Attractive prizes will be awaiting for you at the ending point.
Please do not drive as the ending point will not be at Esplanade.

GLs : Please collate attendance for your direct volunteers and send them to be ASAP before 19 June.

All other volunteers (regular or ad-hoc) please either drop me an email or sms me at 97623509. (Please do so before 19 June as well)

For those who cannot confirm the attendance, you are still welcome to join on the day itself. Just register then will do.

- Fan Han

thank you note

Dear all,
The eventful ACID 2007 is over ! (please be patient with my long long thank you list!)

I am sure all those who have attended are still recuperating from the late nights etc ....
As we have told many of you previously, ACID camp is the most tiring and eventful part of being a BKTG/MYG volunteer .... For many, this might really be a lot more tiring than expected and all the fits, wetting + soiling of beds, striping of pants etc ... may not be what was expected as well ... If there is any feedback or comments that you will like to express ... feel free to drop me an email k ?

I want to take this email to express my thanks to all who were at the camp taking care of the trainees with all their heart and soul and would also like to apologise for some things that I forgot to mention to those individuals during the camp:

Our new Volunteers:-
Alfred & Stanley (Thanks so much for bathing Jimmy on the 1st night and also helping out !), Affiq (Thanks for babysitting our big baby ! I am sure you love him as much as we do now !), Alvin (Thanks for being with Weizhi all the time together with Jianyun & Soo Hui while I disappear off to do other things !), Chan Leong, Chan Keet, Daryl, Desmond, Ernie, Jeslin, Jiayi, Reihorng, Robert, Sean, Stanley, Sze Ee, Thye Chuan, Xiaoting, Yue Qi & Violet (Great Job in getting Siew Phang engaged in the activities ! We saw another side of him at camp), Yuting and Zixiong [All the others, thank you for taking care of the trainees ... I must admit I still cannot put a name to many faces (sorry abt that) but we all saw the tremendous efforts put in to take care of all the trainees and I must truly say that it was very well done ! Please feel free to join us in our saturday classes whenever you guys are free or after your A Levels !]

Our Ad-Hoc Volunteers:-
Gim Heng (thanks for always thinking of us and buying supper for all of us !), Huimin (Thanks for looking after Cheng Kwong alone most of the time .. sorry to have not added other ppl to share your load), Libei & Liqiu (Thanks for coming down, sorry that I didn't manage to get your attendance in for the ACID camp), Robin, Isabelle, Serping, Soo Hui and Zhuting (A big big thank you to the both of you for bringing your friends down for ACID otherwise we will never have been able to bring all of them down this year ! Thanks for fulfiling my wish ! *muacks*), Susan & Wencheng (coming down at night to stay awake while the rest sleeps), Hwee Seng aka Dusty and Wee Sing aka Elder (coming down especially to bathe the trainees), Eng Eng

And of course, our dear regular volunteers:-
Andy, Benjamin, Chay Lan, Daniel & June (Thanks for helping to take care of the low support group while doing your observations ! Appreciate both of your help !), Hwei Hwei, Jianyun, Kah Mun, Kah Yee (Thanks for doing Night duty with Isabelle and sorry for waking the both of you while we were clearing the mats), Kelvin, Choon Seng & Pat (Thanks for helping me take care of so many things !) and Simin

(Please forgive me if I missed out anyone .... )

Big thank you to the PJC folks for the exercise mats, I am sure those who slept on it all slept very well !!!!

All the best to PJC canoeing team for your competition and all the best to all JC2 students for your A levels !!!!

Enough of thank you(s), I really hope everyone had fun during the camp despite the lack of sleep etc ...

I will send out separate emails regarding Q2 rooster, amazing race (1st VA outing) on 23 June and the major outing to Malaysia on 21 July !!!!!

Zhuting & Soo Hui: Please do me a big favour by forwarding this email to those who came .... I had some problems sending it to them the other time. Also, this is BKTG's blog address : http://bktg-myg.blogspot.com/ .... Please feel to drop us messages at the blog !!!

See you all in class on the 30th June !
(p/s: Jiat Chow is away in US for conference till 30 June and I will be away from 22 - 30 June)

~fanhan

ACID camp 2007

Just a kind reminder that ACID camp starts this Friday ....

Here are some details:

Event: ACID camp 2007
Venue: Pioneer JC
Date: 08 to 10 June
Meeting Time: 08 June, 7pm at Kembangan MRT. (Pls be punctual.)
Departure Time: 10 June, 1pm from Pioneer JC (ETA 1.40pm at Kembangan MRT)
Camp Fees: SGD $5 (Vols, pls pay to Jianyun on Fri. Soohui & Zhuting, pls collect and pass to us at PJC)

Zhuting to Collect: Yue Qi, Reihorng, Chan Keet, Robert, Yuting, Sean, Daryl, Zhuting, Robin
Soo Hui to Collect: Sze Ee, Violet, Zixiong, Jiayi, Alfred, Desmond, Xiao Ting, Alvin, Jeslin, Stanley, Thye Chuan, Chan Leong, Soo Hui, Huimin (Huiqi & Yiting are not coming)

Please check your emails for the programme list from the ACID committee, a map of PJC for those who are driving, to-bring list for the trainees (additional stuff to bring will be SLEEPING BAG) and the grouping for our trainees.

Also, John will not be able to fetch the trainees - Siew Phang, Ban Lee, Jee Ban and Sze Min on Friday. He will be picking the trainees up on Sunday 1.40pm at Kembangan MRT. For Siew Phang and Sze Min, please ask the parents to arrange to bring them down on Fri. We will arrange transport for Ban Lee and Jee Ban.

These are the people that we will be waiting for at the Kembangan MRT.
If your name is not here, please let me know else we will leave without you !

Fan Han
Andy
Ernie
Choon Seng
Jianyun
Affiq
Kah Mun
Patricia

Please note that our trainees are separated into 2 groups - Low support (High Functioning) & High support (Low Functioning). We will be paired with YCK trainees and CW (new project - Children's Wing, Children from MINDSville). For those who know Jane ... she will be in the same group as our trainees =)

p/s: The classroom do not have air-conditioning ...

See you all on Fri,
Fan Han