…. What pops into your head when you think of the opposite of anxiety?
“Calm” “Relaxed”
what if you were to look at TRUST as the opposite of anxiety
For many people with autism they have difficulty with TRUSTING
Other People
Their Body (sensations/ feedback)
The World around them
Barry Prizant & Dave Finch talk about TRUST and how we can support and build Trust in their Podcast
https://uniquelyhuman.com/2021/01/28/autism-and-building-trust/
I have shared this podcast directly with several people and they have found it so beneficial I thought it would be useful to share more widely.
I have added some key take away points from the podcast:
Allow your child to “be heard”. Acknowledge and try to understand their attempts to communicate. Interpret that tug of the hand, being pushed away, the point, the gesture, the vocalisation, the request to “stop” as meaningful communication. Support your child in getting their message across and being heard.
Dependable, reliable, clear. Do what you said you would do. If it is outdoor play at 10.00 then do it. Use VISUALS and GESTURES to support your spoken output. Take time to explain social rules and expectations.
Predictable, Structure, Consistent. Use Visual Times Lines/ schedules to prepare your child and make things more predictable.
Shared Control. Rather than imposing control give real options/ choices. Help your child feel in control and having an active part in their life rather than having things done to them. Engage them in collaborative problem solving, e.g. I wonder what we could wear on our feet so they don’t get cold and wet when we are playing outside?
Acknowledge Emotions. If we dismiss how they feel then how can they learn to trust their own body and the feelings they are experiencing. Validate their experience and provide supports for emotional regulation.
Use Respectful Language.
Avoid Excessive Intrusion. Reduce or eliminate physical prompting. Ask permission before using physical intrusion.
Positive Emotional Experiences. Celebrate successes. Take photos of activities, events that your child has enjoyed being engaged in. Support your child in building positive emotional memories. Create positive emotional memories by following your child’s lead and engaging in having a joyful experience together (no agenda, no challenges, no work)
Support self-regulation
Anxiety…..
Trust
Highly Recommended Book
Uniquely Human: A different way of seeing autism by Barry Prizant
#Anxiety
#Trust
#Autism
Sarah Winstanley, SaLT
Communication Lincs Ltd. ………because Speech Therapy Matters