Course: Module 1: The meaning of Autism

The meaning of Autism

Overview

General Objectives

Knowledge- Getting to know the basic aspects of autism spectrum disorders; issues of genetic disorders and multiple disabilities; basics of psychiatry, psychopathology and neurology; diseases and selected medical problems related to autism spectrum disorders.

Skills- Developing skills- Willingness to use basic knowledge about people with autism spectrum disorders in HR work.

Social competences- To sensitize HR trainers to the need to constantly expand their knowledge in the field of basic knowledge in coaching work with people on the autism spectrum.

Educational Outcomes

After completing the module, the participant has the following knowledge:

Participants know the medical and psychological symptoms of disorders in people on the autism spectrum.
Participants know the issues of genetic disorders and disabilities of linked people from the autism spectrum.
Participants have in-depth knowledge of the specific functioning of people with autism spectrum disorders in medical, psychological and counselling aspects
Participants know the concepts of working with ASD in an in-depth manner and the various determinants of the effectiveness of the interventions taken.
Participants know and understand the process of adapting the requirements to the special needs of people with autism spectrum disorders.
Participants know and understand the importance of developing the tastes and interests of people with ASD.
Participants can critically assess their own knowledge and skills and use it in the process of solving complex coaching and training processes in working with people on the autism spectrum.

Duration

10hours

Course Content

Category: English

Topic outline

General

Collapse all Expand all
Unit 1: What is autism?
Unit 2: Explanatory concepts
- Curriculum Page
- Activity presentation Page
Unit 3: Autism subtypes and spectrum heterogeneity
- Curriculum Page
- Activity document Page
Unit 4: Strengths-based approach to employment of people with autism
- Curriculum Page
- Activity video Page
Unit 5: Guidelines for future trainers and HR staff
References
- References Page
Quiz
- Quiz
Forum
- Module 1: Forum

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Frequently Asked Questions

A young man with autism who I’m training for the job never looks me in the eyes. Does he feel uncomfortable looking at me and should I insist on that?

People with autism often have poor eye contact. One of the most common reasons is insufficient recognition of information on the face of the conversational partner. It sometimes happens that individuals with high-functioning autism consciously try to make eye contact as long as possible, so their behavior is as similar as possible to the behavior of typical peers. Also, many programs prepare people with autism for a job interview; they are trained to make eye contact. However, they usually feel uncomfortable because of that, and they often make a great mental effort to adapt themselves to the environment.

A worker with autism is often hand flapping and tapping certain objects. Does this behavior make any sense and should we draw his attention not to do that?

Hopping, flapping, rocking from side to side, touching objects or body parts are relatively common motor stereotypes in people with autism. Although looking from the outside in, they represent meaningless activities, these motor mannerisms have a significant function for a person with autism. They most often represent the way for an individual to comfort and cope with stress or to achieve appropriate sensory regulation. Observe how stimuli in the working environment affect the emergence and intensification of stereotypes and, if necessary, adapt the environment following the sensory needs of workers with autism. Stereotypes should not be suppressed, but if they endanger a person with autism and people around, contact an expert who will give you advice on how to act in a specific situation.

I watched a movie on television about a young man with autism who has an exceptional memory and can perform complex arithmetic operations by heart.

I watched a movie on television about a young man with autism who has an exceptional memory and can perform complex arithmetic operations by heart. Is it just fiction or do all people with autism have some special abilities?

People with autism can have special talents and, if they are appropriately directed, they can use them to perform some professional activity. Such people are called autistic savants and, besides the exceptional mechanical memory, they can have other skills (calculating calendars, exceptional ability to visualize, draw, play musical instruments, learn foreign languages, etc.). However, this phenomenon is very rare, so most likely, you will never be in a position to work with autistic savants.

I said to an autistic worker to take some goods to the warehouse, but he returned them immediately. How to explain that behavior?

People with autism usually have deficits in the theory of mind, i.e. in the ability to understand other people's mental states. One of the ways to manifest this deficit is a lack of understanding of the conversational-partner intentions. The worker with autism appeared to have understood what you told him, but not why you told him that. You wanted him to take the goods away and leave it there, but you didn't say that, assuming he understood your notions. Try to be more precise when giving assignments.

A worker with autism is well trained to perform all phases of the job, but spends too much time on one phase (e.g. cleaning the table) and seems to lose the objective of the job he is doing.

A worker with autism is well trained to perform all phases of the job, but spends too much time on one phase (e.g. cleaning the table) and seems to lose the objective of the job he is doing. How can I help him not to stall on insignificant details for too long?

Most people with autism tend visually process information, which is a good solution to present each of the stages of work with picture cards. Picture cards can be fastened with hook-and-loop fasteners and arranged from left to right or from top to bottom. Teach the worker to recognize the meaning of the first picture card, to take it off after the first step is done, put the picture card in the intended place. The same process is done in all other stages of the activity. It would be good for the worker to have a picture or a model of the finished product in front of him so that he can be reminded at any time what is expected of him. But if he stays on one activity for too long, you can use a timer to teach him to visually monitor how much time is provided for the realization of one stage of work.

Why is it recommended to use video modeling in training people with autism to perform various tasks?

Why is it recommended to use video modeling in training people with autism to perform various tasks? What are the main guidelines I should follow if I decide to implement video modeling?

Video modeling is identified as an effective intervention for adults with autism, as an intervention that can contribute to the successful gaining, maintenance, and generalization of working skills. In addition, video modeling is considered to be economically cost-effective, does not require big investments, easily is integrated into the context in which job training is provided, and contributes to the independence of the trainees. Here are some useful guidelines in implementing video modeling: Step 1: Select the worker whom you want to implement video modeling; Step 2: Choose and define the skills you want to work on; Step 3: Inform parents that you will use video modeling in teaching their child and make sure they agree with that; Step 4: Analyze the tasks, make a list of all individual steps for each wanted skill; Step 5: Set criteria for mastering individual steps; Step 6: Create and edit videos (you can use different programs, free programs are usually recommended, for example iMovie); Step 7: Define the time and place where you will start implementing video modeling; Step 8: Implement video modeling with the worker (explain to the worker that he will watch the video, and after watching, the worker will repeat what he saw in the video); Step 9: Provide opportunities for generalization and maintenance of acquired skills (the ultimate goal is to teach the worker to complete the task without watching the video first. When the worker masters certain tasks with the help of video modeling, allow him to try to perform the same skills outside the usual surroundings, without the video).

Can I teach a worker who has never used a visual schedule before to use it? And how?

Yes, visual schedules can be implemented at any time, regardless of the person's age. It is important when you create a schedule, to put it at a visible place for your employee. Your employee should be able to see the schedule before starting the first scheduled activity. When the time comes for a scheduled activity to start, indicate that to the employee with a short, verbal instruction. For example, say "Check the schedule". This helps your employee to pay attention to the beginning of the next activity. In the beginning, you may have to physically guide the worker to check the schedule (e.g., gently touch him on the shoulders and encourage him to approach the schedule or to point the next activity on the schedule). You can gradually reduce the physical prompt so that your employee can start using this visual reminder on his own. When the task is completed, tell the worker to check the schedule again, using the procedure described above, and go on to the next activity. Pictures of completed activities can be taken off the schedule and stored, or in the case of a digital schedule, you can simply go on to the next step by clicking on the picture.

Can an adolescent or adult be taught to demand wanted activity with the help of a communicator?

The communicator can be introduced at any age. The appearance and number of pictures, as well as the content of recorded messages, can vary depending on the age and cognitive potential of individual with autism. It usually starts with just one picture on the screen that represents a wanted object or activity, and the person is taught to request it by pressing the picture on the screen. During the learning process, the person is provided with the necessary stimuli (complete and partial physical prompting, gestural and visual – for example, a lamp that directs red rays to the place that the user needs to press can be used), which decreases and disappears over time, preventing a person from becoming dependent to stimuli.

People with high-functioning autism can be taught certain work activities. However, if a person is non-verbal and has low intelligence, cannot be employed, right?

Non-verbal people with autism of low intellectual abilities can still be trained for a whole range of work activities. It is only necessary to divide each activity into a series of small and easy steps and to train the future worker with the chaining technique. This technique is encouraging to perform the first step of the activity and supports a successfully performed step. In the beginning, these prompts can be physical (we take the hand of the worker in our hand and perform activities together). Over time, we try to change the type of prompting (pointing the finger, modeling, i.e. showing how an activity is performed, verbal prompting, etc.). When the worker manages to perform the first step of the activity without prompting, we move on to the next step and train the same way.

Is it true that workers with autism, like computer jobs? What attracts them so much to work on a computer?

Since the autism spectrum is very heterogeneous, it cannot be said that all people with autism have the ability and affinity to pursue occupations within the IT industry. However, it can be said that computer jobs are really attractive to many people with autism, especially those who are highly functional. Working on a computer does not require complex social skills and communication is easier (for example, when you send an e-mail, no one pays attention to non-verbal communication and you have more time to think about what message you are sending). Numerous activities on the computer are based on the application of certain algorithms, which provide predictability and reduce stress. Besides, the content on the Internet is mostly visual, which matches the dominant way of processing information in most people with autism.

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