Expert: Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell - 1/28/2010

Question
I am a teacher who pulls out a group of 5 students,grade 3 for replacement Reading/Lang & math.
My one student diag. with Aspergers(however I feel he is more on the "Autism") end of the spectrum.  He is quiet,often goes off on his own,does not seek peer relations,is NEVER in anyone's personal space unlike some Asperger students I have worked with.  As of late he has been having quiet "meltdowns."  Mumbling,saying his "brain is going to explode" I know that the work I give him is not too difficult, yet I feel by "math time"(2:00)he has had enough.Any advice? I give frequent breaks.

Answer
Yes, you're right. When you're looking for a reason behind a behavior, sensory issues are a good place to start.

Despite having a diagnostic label, personalities enter into things. It sounds like the Asperger's children you've dealt with have outgoing natures.This can make it difficult for all concerned when this exuberancy does not go along with an intuitive understanding of social conventions. There are definitely kids with Asperger's who are quiet, are loners and avoid the personal space of others.

Your student sounds like his is in distress. He's lucky to have a teacher who recognizes that something is behind the behavior and responds to help him.

You've already ascertained that he's capable of doing the work he's given which is a good start since figuring this out involves detective-like work. Your observation that by 2:00 he's done is probably accurate.

Giving frequent breaks is a good strategy but something further is bothering this child. You wondered about sensory issues. Do you have access to an occupational therapist? They can be very helpful in determining what may be behind what you’re seeing.
Does he have a history of sensory issues? Was he bothered by things when younger but the issues seemed to resolve over time? Perhaps they have returned – that does happen to kids with autism spectrum disorders. Or if at one time he was bothered by auditory sensations, he may now have developed visual sensitivities.
                                                                   
What has changed in his life? Are things different at home? In the classroom? Have some rules or expectations changed? You don’t mention where you live, but in some regions, there are major climate changes from season to season. The temperatures, winds, degree of sunshine, etc. can all have an effect on very sensitive individuals. In areas that experience cold and snow in winter, kids with tactile sensitivities can have a hard time adjusting to the extra layers they must now wear, the swish, swish sound of snow pants, and to the weight of winter clothing.

Allergies are common in kids with autism and Asperger’s. In the more enclosed spaces of cold winters, there may be increased exposure to dust or other allergens.
Is this student ill? Does he have a cold, a low grade infection? Recognizing how he feels internally may be difficult for such kids and more difficult yet to communicate with others when they’re unwell.

If you continue to have trouble figuring out what may have precipitated the current anxiety, take a step back and think of when he was functioning well. What worked then? Sometimes when kids are on a good path, we withdraw supports, thinking they are no longer needed. Maybe the supports were withdrawn too quickly? Perhaps he was doing well because of the supports you had in place.

It is always safe to use visuals. There is comfort in a visual schedule because it lets the student know exactly what will happen in his day (or his morning or half morning – whichever length of time is most appropriate for the particular child to see at once).  A visual schedule will also give him a sense that this particular subject that is causing him grief will not last forever. Something he likes is coming up soon. A visual timer (such as a Time Timer) will help him see how much time is left until the next period or until lunch.

www.do2learn.com is a good site if you are unsure how to use a visual schedule, plus there are free pictures available there. Social stories are a good way to let him know what will be expected of him.

Use social stories to let him know what is coming up and what will be expected of him. Here are some examples of social stories:  http://www.autisminspiration.com/public/department47.cfm
And here is some information on how to write social stories or your own:
http://www.hisd.k12.mi.us/specstuserv/tipsheets/Social%20Stories.pdf

Kids with Asperger’s are often highly verbal. That makes it hard to keep in mind that good verbal skills are not the same as good language skills. Language encompasses both the expressive and receptive acts; kids with Asperger’s are often good at expressing themselves, particularly on topics that interest them. But they have weak auditory processing skills. Because they speak so well, we tend to talk at them, assuming that they will understand language just as well as they use it. This rarely is so and that is why the use of visuals is so important to convey messages.

When kids who don’t have autism are upset, we try to talk to them to calm them. Often it works. But with autistic students, those very same words may escalate the situation. It’s not that you’re saying anything wrong; it’s that they have a hard time making sense of your words, causing even more anxiety.

Reducing his current anxiety is likely your primary concern right now. What sensory input has a calming effect for him? Do weights work? Pressure? Vestibular stimulation? Proprioceptive?
There are a couple ways of trying to help. One is through a sensory diet where at regular intervals throughout the day you give him short periods of the type of stimulation his body craves to feel calmer.

The other approach is to provide the needed stimulation at times when you think he may become upset. For example, if his hearing sensitivity is increased in noisy, crowded situations, have him wear a weighted vest when he goes to the mall with you.
Here are some common things that you could try:

•   Swinging
•   Using a rocking chair
•   Playing on a teeter totter
•   Jumping on a trampoline or rebounder (mini-trampoline)
•   Sitting on a therapy ball
•   Rolling a therapy ball over his body
•   Sitting in a bean bag chair
•   Being sandwiched in between two large cushions (or under your couch cushions)
•   Laying under heavy blankets
•   Wearing a weighted vest
•   Wearing a pressure vest (sometimes called bear hug vests – often made of neoprene)
•   Wearing ankle weights
•   Placing a weighted pillow on his lap
•   Playing with fidget toys (scraps of fabric or ribbon, squeeze balls, etc.)
•   Doing push-ups against a wall
•   Carrying or lifting something heavy

These are only general suggestions since I don’t know your student. If you would like to tell me more about this child, I may be able to tailor suggestions to your situation.

Sharon A. Mitchell, B.A., B.Ed., M.A., PhD candidate
www.autismsite.ca