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Autism is a neurological difference that many people are born with, it affects how people communicate and interact with the world. It is a spectrum condition that affects people in different ways.
Asperger syndrome, was previously known as a type of autism on the autism spectrum. Today we do not categorise autism in the same way and the word aspergers is no longer favoured. However, many autistic individuals have a formal diagnosis of aspergers and still associate with this condition.
Like all people, autistic individuals have their own strengths and weaknesses. People with Autism can have many talents and a unique outlook. Autism / aspergers impacts the way that individuals view the world, interact with and communicate with others.
“If you’ve met one person with autism, You’ve met one person with autism”
Dr. Stephen Shore.
Every single person who is autistic has a unique set of characteristics. Although there are similarities, each person’s experience is different.
People with autism can have difficulty with social communication and social interactions. This heavily impacts on the person’s ability to communicate their emotions and thoughts to others.
It also impacts on the individual’s ability to read and understand other people’s emotions and intentions. This can make the world a very confusing place for someone on the autism spectrum.
Social communication is how we interact with others. This includes both verbal and non-verbal language. Tone of voice, body language, hand gestures and facial expressions are all difficult for someone with autism to decode and understand.
It may be more difficult to understand language that has more than one meaning. People often tend to use the same word for multiple reasons which can cause confusion. For example, the words deadly, sound and grand all have multiple meanings.
Someone with autism may find it difficult to have a conversation with others and may unintentionally over talk about their special interest. Despite others trying to change topic, or giving visual cues like checking their watch or looking away, the person will continue to talk.
Social interaction involves the ability to recognise and understand other people’s feelings and intentions. Additionally, the ability to express your own emotions is also included under social interaction.
A child with autism won’t be able to pick up those unwritten rules of social interaction like neurotypical children. For instance, a child may blurt out an inappropriate statement to a stranger.
A teenager may have difficulty with the difference between public and private conversations and may discuss something personal to strangers.
Aspire Productions documentary about Asperger syndrome has a character called Gary. Gary struggles with social communication and social interaction. Watch this short clip to see the world from his perspective.
There are a lot of things which can be done to support someone with autism who has communication difficulties.
Some people with autism may struggle with processing information. Some people may begin to repeat themselves if they do not get a response. However, it is important to be patient.
It can sometimes be the environment which is causing the person to take longer to respond. The environment may have too much sensory stimulation. This makes it more difficult to tune out unnecessary information and tune in to what you are saying.
Use specific words and talk slowly and clearly.
If the person seems anxious, try to avoid using too many gestures, facial expressions or eye contact. This will prevent an overload of the senses.
Count to ten before you continue to talk. This gives the person with autism time to process the information already given.
Use the person’s name to get their attention.
The person may be more interested in their special interest. Talk to them about this, and then once you have their attention, steer the conversation in the way you wanted to.
The person may be overwhelmed. If they seem anxious, give them space and try again in a while.
Many people with autism struggle with sensory issues. These vary from person to person and can have a significant impact on a person’s day to day life. For instance, attending school, using public transport and partaking in enjoyable activities, these simple activities can be far more difficult for someone with sensory issues.
The sensory system includes; touch, taste, smell, sound, sight, proprioception and the vestibular system. Sensory issues are caused by the disorganised way the brain processes information from the senses. If there is a sensory issue, the sensory system is either over-sensitive or under-sensitive. However, this can be different for each sense. For example, someone can be under-sensitive to touch, but over-sensitive to sound.
Over-sensitive means that senses are heightened. For example, a person may hear noises from far away or lights may be seen much brighter.
Under-sensitive means that the senses are under developed and a person receives less stimuli. For example, a person may not notice extreme odours, or have a very high pain threshold.
Fluorescent lights can seem overly bright to someone who is over-sensitive.
Lights in bedroom or on street can make it more difficult to sleep.
Under-sensitivity can cause poor depth perception resulting in clumsiness.
Over-sensitive: Don’t use fluorescent lights, use blackout blinds or curtains in bedrooms, wear sunglasses.
Under-sensitive: Make a high walled desk in school work or home for studying or working to reduce visual distractions.
Loud and sudden noises can become very distressing to a person who is over-sensitive.
Over-sensitivity can make it difficult to filter out background noise.
If someone is under-sensitive to sound they may only hear in one ear. they may also enjoy loud noises and loud environments.
Over-sensitive: use earplugs or noise cancelling headphones, practice fire drills and smoke alarms, closing doors and windows to limit outdoor noise.
Under-sensitive: use visual supports to support verbal information.
Over-sensitivity: To touch can result in not enjoying hugs, shaking hands or being in close proximity to people. For instance on public transport.
The feel of certain fabrics against skin can cause huge levels of discomfort for some over-sensitive people.
Under-sensitive: People enjoy weighted blankets and can have a high pain threshold.
Over-sensitive: Removing tags from clothing, investing in sensory supports for brushing hair and teeth, slowly introduce new textures in objects and foods.
Under-sensitive: Use weighted blankets to provide stimulation.
The texture of certain foods may cause discomfort to someone who is over-sensitive. For instance, only smooth foods like mashed potato or yogurt is eaten.
A person who is under-sensitive may prefer very spicy foods or may eat non edible objects. This is called Pica.
Over-sensitive: Slowly introduce different food textures, ensure there are no nutritional deficits due to restricted diet.
Under-sensitive: Try to make sure food is not served too hot as an under-sensitive person may not notice and burn themselves.
People who are under-sensitive may not notice extreme smells, like bad body odour or the smell of rubbish.
Oversensitive people often get overwhelmed by smells, like shampoos, perfumes and food.
Over-sensitive: Try to make the environment as fragrance free as possible. Use low fragrance detergent, shampoo and cleaning products.
Under-sensitive: Establish a personal hygiene routine, a routine for getting rid of rubbish and cleaning room/home.
Under-sensitive can result in a need for sensory input, like rocking, jumping, or spinning.
Over-sensitive people can have difficulty in sport and can experience travel sickness.
Over-sensitive: Breaking tasks activities into smaller steps and using visual cues can make them more manageable.
Under-sensitive: Encourage activities that activate the vestibular system, like jumping and walking.
Under-sensitive people may stand too close to people or objects and often have difficulty navigating through rooms.
Over-sensitive people may have difficulty with tying shoe laces and doing up buttons.
Over-sensitive: Fine motor skills activities can help like making pasta necklaces or learning how to crochet.
Under-sensitive: Establish a rule for personal space, use weighted blankets to help ground the person.
This is a video created by Aspire Productions documenting the experience of asperger syndrome and sensory sensitivity. Watch the short clip to see the world from her perspective.
Many people with autism /asperger syndrome have a special interest. These vary from person to person and are unique to each individual on the spectrum. These tend to start from a young age and can change over time.
Provide a time to relax and destress.
Makes initiating conversations easier.
Can provide structure and predictability to the person’s day.
Friendships can develop through a shared interest.
Special interest can also be a great way for someone with autism to study in the area they are interested in and gain employment in this field.
While special interests are important to people with autism, they can sometimes cause friction in households or between peers and colleagues.
Understand why your family member enjoys focusing on their special interest Could the increased amount of time spent on the special interest be due to anxiety or boredom?
Increase structure into the day. This can reduce anxiety and boredom levels, which may reduce the negative impact of the special interest.
Help reduce anxiety. This can be with mental health professionals, or home supports like mindfulness and meditation.
Set boundaries. It can be important to set limits on special interests. This can gradually happen over a number of weeks or months.
Ben’s special interest is history and he loves talking about the new books he is reading and new facts he has learned. However, Ben is unable to concentrate in school or communicate with his peers because he only wants to talk about history. After addressing his anxiety levels and need for structure, Bens parents set boundaries on how often Ben can talk about history. For example;
1. Ben is allowed to talk about history as he usually does, but is introduced to the idea of this time being limited to allow him to make friends and enjoy other activities.
2. Create a plan with Ben, with visual supports if he would prefer, so that he can see the changes that will happen each week.
3. Decide with Ben if he would prefer to talk about history in smaller chunks throughout the day, or larger chunks but less often.
4. Week 1, Ben is now allowed to talk about history every hour, for 15 minutes.
5. For week 2, Ben is now allowed to talk about history for ten minutes every hour.
6. For week 3, Ben is now able to talk about history for 10 minutes every 1.5 hours.
7. In the fourth week, Ben will now talk about history for 10 minutes every 2 hours.
This process will provide Ben with the skills to be able to concentrate in school, and socialise with his peers and focus his attention to other important aspects of his life. Please remember that it is really important to not prevent someone from spending time on their special interest. This is something which is very important for people with autism and should never be eliminated from their lives.
Some people with autism may struggle with setting aside the special interest to complete tasks during the day. This is when a special interest becomes an obsession and is heavily motivated by anxiety. This can have an impact on the persons health and wellbeing. If any of the following issues arise, it may help to seek support from a mental health professional:
The person is not enjoying the special interests but are unable to stop.
There is a significant impact on other people, like family members and carers.
It is preventing them from concentrating in school, college or work.
Forming or maintaining friendships being negatively impacted.
Routine and structure can be very soothing to autistic people. When the world is confusing it can be helpful to have some sense of predictability. The need for routine and structure can increase during times of high stress.
Eating the exact same food each day
Walking the exact same route to work
Having a specific routine for when you come home from school
Only wearing specific clothing
Moving house
Changing schools
The change in routine during summer holidays
Physical changes to an environment, such as a new layout in your house or office
Find out about changes in advance. For example, if you know that there will be timetable changes in school, get in touch with the school to find out the exact changes.
Prepare for changes. If you are coming up to the summer holidays or easter break and you know there will be a change in routine, discuss the upcoming change in routine well in advance.
Use visual supports. These can be pictures of a new teacher, or a timetable of the new routine for summer holidays.
Be prepared for anxiety to increase. Change in routine and structure will increase stress levels. Have a plan in place for when this happens. It can be helpful to create a sensory box to help. This can include anything the person likes which relaxes them. IT can include a favourite book, fidget toys and art supplies.
Aspire Productions documentary about asperger syndrome has a character called Billy. Billy has a very similar routine in place most days and struggles if this changes. Watch the short clip to see the world from his perspective
Repetitive behaviours are not unique to the autism community. Examples of repetitive behaviours include: feet tapping, cracking knuckles and listening to the same song on repeat.
Repetitive behaviours can be repetitive motions, repetition of words (echolalia), vocalizations and repetitive movement of objects. These behaviours are also known as stimming and self-stimulating behaviours. While most people can control when they exhibit repetitive behaviours, they are often involuntary for people with autism.
Repetitive behaviours vary from person to person. Each individual with autism has a unique self-stimulating behaviour. These behaviours can be consistent throughout a person’s life, but can often change over time. For example, one person may flap their hands as a child, use a fidget toy as a teenager and paint as an adult. Here are some other common repetitive behaviours for different senses;
Visual: finger flicking
Auditory: making vocal sounds
Tactile: hair twirling
Taste: licking objects
Smell: smelling objects
Vestibular: rocking front to back
Proprioception: jumping
Many autistic people will stim to reduce the level of sensory input experienced. It is also a way to reduce the likelihood of experiencing a meltdown or shutdown.
Some individuals may seek sensory stimulation. For example, jumping on a trampoline or lifting something heavy this is a way to regulate emotional and behavioural responses to sensory stimulation.
Many self-regulatory behaviours are used to reduce stress and anxiety. Focusing your attention on stimming rather than what is causing anxiety can be calming for many people.
Stimming is not always about avoiding a meltdown. Many people with autism will exhibit repetitive behaviours when they are excited or happy like echolalia or jumping up and down.
Yes. It is very important for people with autism to be able to use repetitive behaviours. These behaviours are a way to regulate emotions and behaviour. If these are stopped, it would cause a great deal of distress to the person.
However, there are some repetitive behaviours which may put someone with autism at risk. These include head banging, hair pulling and self-harming.
It is important to keep someone safe if exhibiting self-harming behaviours. For example, providing alternatives or increasing structure could help reduce self-harming behaviours.
Head banging could be replaced using a swing. This will provide a similar sensory experience.
A sensory bag, of carrots or chewing gum could be a safe alternative to nail and finger biting.
This may help reduce anxiety and increase the predictability of the day which may reduce self-harming behaviours.
If the behaviour is driven by anxiety, seeing a mental health professional would be beneficial.
Executive functioning is a set of cognitive skills that include working memory, self-control and flexible thinking processes.
Executive functioning controls a wide variety of skills. Therefore, it is hugely important for living and learning. It is difficult to fully understand executive functioning without listing the different areas of difficulty.
The ability to control escalating emotions in order to complete a task and keeping emotions to an appropriate level. Having emotional control can keep disruptive emotions in check and prevent negative emotions from ruining your day.
Inhibition is the ability to complete a task in sequence and stay focused. This also includes problem solving, staying on topic and avoiding going off on tangents.
This involves several other executive functioning skills. Getting started on a task requires planning, prioritisation time management, organisation, impulse control, attention, and working memory. The biggest issue is often getting started and what to do next.
The ability to carry out more than one cognitive process at a time. For example, being able to perform a task while talking.
The ability to plan and organise time, information and procedures efficiently. For instance, carrying out instructions accurately and completing tasks on time.
Self-monitoring is a way to monitor actions, behaviours and thoughts. For example, staying on topic when talking, answering questions accurately and noticing changes of topics in groups. Additionally, noticing when you have made a mistake and being relatively accurate in your judgment of your own and others’ behaviour is also considered within self-monitoring.
This is the ability to shift attention if something changes. Additionally, being able to change how something is being done when asked and being able to see multiple possible solutions to a problem are examples of this behaviour.
The ability to hold onto information in order to process it. This can include; the ability to identify the main point, take all information into account, tell a cohesive story in a logical sequence, reading comprehension, and following instructions.
Anxiety is how your body and mind react to stressful, dangerous and unfamiliar situations. Anxiety is not always considered a bad thing as it helps us stay away from danger and makes us more alert. However, it becomes a bigger issue when it impacts on your ability to live life as full as you would like. Furthermore, when anxiety impacts on your day to day life, it can lead to an anxiety disorder.
Racing heart beat
Sweating more than normal
Trembling
Rapid breathing, which is often shallow
Tense muscles
Headaches
Feeling of panic and panic attacks
Dry mouth and/or difficulty swallowing
Nightmares
Difficulty getting to and staying asleep
Poor concentration
Upset tummy
Other health issue or illness flaring up, like asthma or dermatitis.
No interest in sex or low libido
Feeling irritable
Always being in a bad mood
Avoiding situations or experiences that can trigger anxious feelings
Difficulty controlling worry
Feeling of impending doom, danger or panic
Needing constant reassurance
Being a perfectionist
Focusing on what can go wrong in any situation and being pessimistic
Anxiety can be caused by a number of factors and differ for each individual. However, common causes include trauma, illness and work.
Research has shown that if you have a close family member with anxiety you may be at a higher risk of developing anxiety. However, this is not specific to genetics and is about learned behaviours.
Difficulties which occur during childhood, adolescence and adulthood can trigger anxiety. For example, experiencing neglect as a child, bullying or losing a family member are all examples of possible anxiety triggers.
Work
Work or being out of work can cause anxiety. For instance, financial worries, work place bullying or a lack of a work-life balance can all trigger or exacerbate anxiety.
Having a serious, long term or life threatening illness can cause or increase anxiety. Mental health conditions like depression can also increase anxiety levels.
Alcohol and drugs can increase anxiety levels. Both the misuse and withdrawal of drugs and alcohol can trigger and worsen anxiety.
Many people experience anxiety. However, there are many symptoms that can tell you that anxiety is becoming difficult to handle and support may be needed:
Feelings of anxiety are very strong and last a long time
Worries and fears are out of proportion with the situation
Worries are hard to control
Symptoms are experienced regularly
Enjoying life becomes challenging
Engaging in activities you like becomes difficult
Depression can be described as a low mood which lasts for a long time and affects everyday life. At its lowest form, depression can make everything which you are doing more difficult and seem less worth while. However, in its most extreme, depression can be life threatening.
There are many symptoms of depression which vary from person to person. Although it is unlikely to experience all symptoms of depression, it is important to be aware them. Below are the psychological, social and physical symptoms of depression.
Feeling down, upset or tearful
Restlessness, irritability and feeling agitated
Feeling empty or numb
No self-confidence or self esteem
Despair and the feeling of hopelessness
Suicidal thoughts an or suicidal ideation
Concentration difficulties
Difficulty remembering things
Avoiding social interaction or events which are usually enjoyed
Difficulty at work, at home and or with family life
Neglecting hobbies and interests
Difficulty sleeping, sleeping too much or feeling tired all of the time
Weight gain due to over eating
Weight loss due to under eating from of lack of appetite
Aches and pains without any physical cause
Low sex drive or libido
Changes to menstrual cycle
Difficulty speaking or thinking clearly
Self-harming or suicidal behaviour
Depression can be caused by a number of factors including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, and stressful life events. It’s believed that several of these forces interact to bring on depression.
If there is a family history of depression, there may be a greater chance of developing depression.
Postnatal depression affects women after childbirth. This can be due to physical and hormonal changes in the body and the stress of the experience. Additionally, the added stress and responsibility of caring for a new born can increase stress levels and result in postnatal depression.
A traumatic or stressful life event can cause depression. This can include a bereavement, job loss, divorce or financial worries.
Having a life threatening or a long term illness can be a risk factor for depression. This can include stroke, cancer or other ongoing health issues.
Having a lack of connection with friends and family can leave a person feeling lonely. As a result of feeling lonely and isolated, there is an increased risk of developing depression.
Certain people may be at a higher risk of depression due to their personality. An individual’s personality is a mix of genetic make-up and life experiences. Some people with anxiety or low self-esteem may be at a great risk of depression along with those who are overly self-critical.
Drugs and alcohol are often used as coping mechanisms for people. Although they can make you feel better, these feelings are often temporary, with low moods being experienced after use. Consequently, alcohol and drugs can increase a person’s risk of developing depression. They can also exacerbate depressive symptoms in individual’s with depression.
Selfcare is the deliberate way in which we take the time to take care of our mental, emotional and physical health. Selfcare is completely individual and changes with each person. One person’s needs differ from another’s, selfcare is completely individual to you.
Selfcare reduces stress, improves emotional stability and promotes good sleep patterns.
It supports us during times of loss and change.
It helps us to heal and recover from challenging times.
It prevents burnout, which leads to a feeling of both physical and emotional exhaustion.
Feeling like you are being selfish by taking time for yourself.
Not setting out a specific time or day for your selfcare routine.
Believing that others needs are more important than yours.
Not developing a routine around your selfcare can sometimes mean it gets moved or forgotten about.
Sleep is extremely important to your overall health and well-being. Think about your night time routine and how you could change it to encourage a better night’s sleep.
Maintain a routine, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
Caffeine will keep you awake so should be avoided a few hours before you go to bed.
Avoid eating before going to bed.
Create an environment which promotes a good sleep, a dark room that is quiet and slightly cool.
Avoiding screens an hour before you go to bed.
Healthy eating is a great way to practice more selfcare. Eating more fruit and vegetables in your diet will increase your vitamin and mineral intake and reduce your sugar and starchy snack intake.
Cooking can be very therapeutic and not only increases your interest in food, and independent living skills, but can also provides you with the opportunity to practice some selfcare. Listen to your favourite music or a podcast while cooking and it can make the experience all that more enjoyable.
Cooking also provides the opportunity to spend some time with friends or family.
Exercise improves your mood, reduces your anxiety and stress levels and improves your physical health. The HSE recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week. This could be walking at a brisk pace, gardening, swimming or cycling.
Sometimes saying no to those around us can protect us from burning out. If you are stressed or anxious, it is important to take time out to recover and recuperate. Some people may feel obligated to say yes to every invitation but protecting yourself is also very important.
Saying no sometimes is a good way to introduce more selfcare.
Do something new and out of your normal schedule. Going on an adventure, big or small, can be a great way to reconnect with yourself and practice selfcare. Try sightseeing, the cinema, camping, or something which you wouldn’t get time to do normally.
Nature is a great stress reliever. Fatigue, stress and anxiety can be reduced by going outside. It can also help improve your sleep.
Being around animals and pets can be very beneficial. They can help reduce anxiety and stress levels. If you do not have your own pets, maybe volunteering in an animal sanctuary is something which could interest you and they are always looking for volunteers to help.
Take some time away from your tv and phone to read. Maybe you have a long bus journey, bring a book and read during your commute.
Getting organised means that you will be able to practice selfcare.
Make a new routine for yourself, set aside a time in your day for selfcare and stick to it.
Bringing your dog on a walk after dinner, having your lunch in the garden, or listening to your favourite podcast in the morning are all examples of small pockets of selfcare you can fit in to your day.
Make a selfcare plan for 2 weeks and see how you feel afterwards.
Introducing something new can take a while to become part of your normal routine. After the 2 weeks you can reassess what you would like to focus on, for example, more time outside or more time with friends.
People engage with mental health professionals for a wide variety of reasons. You could be becoming overwhelmed with stress at work, or having difficulty in your relationships with friends or family. If you feel troubled, grieved or unable to make decisions, a mental health professional can help. If you have experienced a critical event, like a death, accident, change of job or have been the victim of a crime it may be time to seek help and support.
Things should improve when you link in with a therapist. Recovery is sometimes like a rollercoaster. You can experience moments of feeling down or moments when you feel a lot better. In general, you should feel a change and notice a change within the first 10 sessions with a therapist. If you do not feel things are progressing in the way you feel they should, discuss this with your therapist and they can then try something different to help you. Communicating your worries is important and allows the therapist to understand how you are progressing through your sessions.
Therapists, when they first meet you, will go over a contract with you and ask you for emergency contact information and details of your GP. This information is confidential but would be used in the instance where the therapist feels that you are a risk to yourself or to others. The therapist may then tell you about themselves and their background. They will then ask you to discuss why you have decided to link in with the service. It is important to build a relationship with your therapist, this allows for you to feel comfortable enough to discuss personal feelings.
There is no definitive answer to this question and it will most certainly depend on the reasons for attending a counsellor. Some people can attend counselling for years due to a significant trauma or ongoing difficulties, but some people may only need to attend for a few months before feeling secure and safe enough, with the guidance of a counsellor to take a break or ceasing sessions. A counsellor will not continue seeing you for appointments if they feel that they are no longer necessary and will develop a plan to slowly ease you from sessions over the course of a few weeks or months.
UDL is a set of principles that gives all students equal opportunities to learn. To cater to students different learning styles, UDL provides flexibility in its teaching methods and assessment process. The three core principles educators should follow are; multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation and multiple means of expression.
Engagement: Giving students multiples ways to engage with material.
Representation: Presenting information in multiple ways for students of all learning styles.
Expression: Allowing students to express what they have learned in different ways.
Clearly laid out course goals for the class and term.
Course objectives clearly laid out.
Clear assignment details and deadlines to help students plan their time.
Providing an outline of the days class at the start of class.
Summarising key points at the end of class.
Accommodations can support all students in the classroom, not just those who require additional support. If planning a course, consider the following;
What is the purpose of the course?
What methods of instruction are absolutely necessary and why?
Are the methods for assessing student outcomes absolutely necessary? Why?
What outcomes are required of all students? Why are they essential?
The acceptable levels of performance on student outcome measures. What are they?
The transition between school and college can be difficult to navigate, this may cause increased stress and or anxiety. Here are a few differences between secondary school and further education.
You no longer have to call your teachers ‘sir’ or ‘miss’. Lecturers, and tutors usually go on a first name basis.
You will probably be allowed to bring a laptop into your class to take notes.
There will most likely be boys and girls in your class.
You don’t have to wear a uniform anymore. Unless specific for your course (Nursing, Culinary Arts etc).
You may be allowed bring your tea or coffee into class with you.
There are no set seats in college, unless assigned by your lecturer or tutor.
Your timetable may not be completely full, you may have 2 or 3 hour gaps in your day which you will need to fill.
You will be expected to do a lot of independent learning outside of your classroom hours.
You will have different modules during your time in college. Some courses change these with each semester (before Christmas and after Christmas), others will be changed every year so you have the same modules for the full college year.
You don’t have to ask to go to the bathroom. In college you are in charge of your own bodily functions.
There will be multiple places to get food and drinks on the campus, there will be a canteen and a coffee shop or café etc.
You can bring your own lunch to college and eat it in the canteen. This is a great way of saving money and not having to worry about long queues in the college canteen.
Smoking is permitted in designated areas on the college grounds.
There may be a bar or pub on the campus.
There are clubs and societies that you can join, from extreme frisbee, to rugby, computers and dance. Each college has their own unique set of ‘clubs and socs’.
You can drive to college and park on the college grounds.
You will have access to the disability support service in your college for supports.
You may have had an SNA in school, you will not have an SNA in college.
Disability support services differ within each college. Applying for college through the DARE scheme will link you in with the disability services automatically. Alternatively, call in to the disability service office and make an appointment to discuss your needs.
Here are examples of the kinds of supports available in further education.
Academic support is not specific to students with disabilities. It is a great resource for anyone having difficulty studying and structuring essays. This service can also support with;
Creating a study timetable
Referencing styles
How to read academic journals
Using technology to improve your writing style
Exam support will depend on your diagnosis and if you require supports. Nevertheless, it is important to discuss what supports are available to you with the disability service. Supports available include;
The use of a scribe
Having a separate room
Extra time, for example, 10 minutes extra per hour
The use of a computer
Occupational therapy support helps students to manage their time and coursework along with identifying positive social experiences to try. Additionally, it can support students with;
Developing a selfcare routine
Independent living skills
Communication skills
Identifying social opportunities
Assistive technology makes completing tasks easier. These supports can help with a variety of issues such as;
Apps to improve grammar
Tools to help take notes
Speech to text technology
Apps to support productivity levels
There are a number of financial supports in place for students in further education. For example, these supports can support students with buying of books, equipment, and the costs of attending college. However, please note that none of these are specific to students with a disability.
Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) offers financial support for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The Back to Education Allowance Scheme provides financial assistance to those in receipt of certain social welfare payments who are returning to full time education.
Springboard offers free further education courses for those in and out of employment.
The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE)
Finding your way around college campus and buildings can be very daunting and can take some time to get used to. Getting familiar with the campus can ease your stress levels and make you less anxious. Some of this can even be done ahead of time, before starting college.
Find out where the closest bathrooms are for each of your classes and lectures.
Find where the ATM is on campus. This is important if you need to have cash for use in the library, canteen or shop.
See what food is available in the different dining options on campus, how much it costs and times that food is served. It is also good to find out how you manage with any sensory difficulties in different cafes and canteens.
Find the different class rooms and lecture halls that you will be in.
See how long it takes you to get from class to class. Sometimes classes are in different buildings in different parts of the campus. This planning ahead will reduce your stress as you will know how long it takes to travel between classes.
Find the route you take from the bus to your building and note how long it takes. A different route could be used each day depending on your timetable.
Find the disability support service on campus and make an appointment to find out the supports they can provide to you.
Check where the doctor, nurse and counselling services are.
Find out how to use the library and the areas where books you need for specific subjects are located.
Pack your bag the night before so you don’t forget anything important. Look at your timetable to ensure you bring the right books and notebooks.
Organise your outfit for the next day before you go to bed. Having clean clothes set out reduces your stress in the morning and means it takes you less time to get ready.
Make your lunch the night before. This can save you a lot of money, and reduces your time waiting in queues if you are in a rush.
Get up early to give yourself plenty of time to eat, shower, get dressed, do your hair etc.
Have breakfast in the morning. If you’re not a breakfast person, make sure you bring something for when you get hungry later on in the morning.
Check college emails for any changes in your timetable so you can plan for them.
If you bring a laptop to college, remember to take your charger with you.
Have your phone charged.
Remember your timetable. Keep a copy in your diary and another on your phone or laptop so you never go without it.
Bring sensory supports with you. These help during your commute and your time in college.
Give yourself plenty of time to get from your house to the bus stop and the bus to your classroom, especially during rush hour.
By keeping yourself organised while in further education you reduce the likelihood of sleeping in late, missing classes and falling behind on your work. It also helps to get into a consistent routine.
Securing a place in college through the CAO and using the DARE scheme (disability access route to education) means your son/daughter will be contacted by the college before the start of term.
If they did not apply through the DARE scheme, you will need to inform the college of their diagnosis.
A non-CAO third level institution will require you to check their website on how to register with the disability service.
If possible, you should attend your son/daughters first meeting with the disability service.
If you wish to be able to communicate directly with the disability service, bring a letter of consent with you to the first meeting. Remember this is a concession on the part of the college and if you abuse it, the impact will be felt by other families.
Disability service supports differ from college to college. However, the important thing is that you give them a good picture of your son/daughter.
Write down things they find problematic.
People with autism have difficulty with transitioning. However, difficulties negotiating the campus can case lateness, which has a greater impact on the individual. Supports can be implemented if lecturers are aware of this issue and it persists beyond the three week induction period.
Encourage your son/daughter to try all dining choices on campus. This will allow them to find the environment which suits them best.
Exposure to large, loud and overwhelming dining experiences may result in isolation at lunchtime. This will greatly restrict opportunities for social interaction.
College timetables are often fragmented resulting in gaps between lectures. If students need to stay on campus during these times, it needs to be well managed.
Making a ‘whole day timetable’ can be beneficial as lectures, studying and down time are all included.
Clubs and societies are a great way to meet new people and explore new interests. Keeping track of the social activity attendance will give you a window into their new life in addition to working as an early warning system for social pitfalls.
Extensions and accommodations need to be carefully explained and outcomes agreed in advance.
For example, if giving a three week extension on a 3,000 word essay: 1,000 words should be completed at the end of week one and it will be reviewed.
Students should introduce themselves to lecturers. Above all, it provides lecturers with information on supports needed by students.
Different services do not share information. For instance, if a student is attending counselling for anxiety, lecturers will not be informed unless the student requests it.
Communication is a two-way street. Therefore, communicating with the college if changes in your family circumstances is negatively impacting your son/daughter is very important.
This is a very easy way to organise school books, household bills or your desk in work.
For school, all english books, copies and workbooks can be kept in a red folder. The same system can be used for all subjects. For example, geography can be green and maths can be blue. This makes packing your bag and using your locker during school easier.
This method can be used to organise post by family member, or by level of importance. For instance, outstanding bills in a red folder, takeaway menus in a green folder.
For work, you can label tasks that need to be completed this week orange and things to be completed today black. This can be changed to suit you.
Lists can be very useful for anyone who needs to keep track of daily tasks. They also benefit anyone who is a bit forgetful. Lists can be made on phones or in a notepad.
Using a list will help you remember what food you need to buy when you go shopping.
A ‘morning list’ or ‘bedtime list’ can be helpful for anyone who is anxious or for those who like a structured routine. This can be helpful for children getting ready for school or adults getting ready for work.
Whether these are on your phone, or on your wall, calendars are a great way of staying organised. They allow you to see appointments, birthdays and holidays in advance. As a result, they can help reduce anxiety and allow for more time to plan for events and changes in routine.
A child can use this to keep track of different activities going on throughout the week, like sports club or when they will have a babysitter.
An adult can use a calendar to keep on top of daily tasks like bin collection, paying bills, and reminders to lodge money into savings.
Good personal hygiene is hugely important ,some autistic people may struggle with this. Poor hygiene can negatively impact your social life, employment prospects and can lead to social isolation. To better understand the difficulties of maintaining good personal hygiene, it is important to discuss the barriers and potential solutions.
Sensory difficulties may impact on the ability to maintain personal hygiene levels. Examples of these are; the feeling of a toothbrush, the sensation of water on the skin, the smell of products or using a hairbrush. However, these issues are individual to each person.
Transitioning from one task to the next without reminders or prompts may also be difficult. Because of this, simple tasks like moving from washing your hair to washing your body can be difficult.
Timing can also be an issue. For example, common timing issues can include not knowing the length of time you need to brush your teeth, not knowing how much time has passed and how to know when you have been in the shower for an appropriate amount of time.
Create a personal hygiene routine for yourself or family member that can be followed at specific times. These specific times can be; after waking up, before and after eating, before going to asleep, after using the bathroom.
Visual supports can be there to guide you or your family member to the next task. This can be in the form of pictures or words in the bathroom and bedroom. For example, a checklist of tasks for brushing your teeth at the bathroom sink can help with staying on track.
Modelling allows for the person with autism to see how they are expected to do a task before doing it themselves. This allows for the task involved to be broken into smaller steps. For example, if the person has never shaven their legs or their face before, this is something which can be shown by a parent, or sibling.
Checklists provide a greater level of privacy and independence as it allows for tasks to be completed without additional support. These lists can be either a list of the separate tasks involved within each task (floss teeth, brush teeth, rinse with mouthwash) or a whole process (brushing teeth routine). Checklists can also be adapted to meet different needs and levels of support and can be changed as support required decreases.
Hygiene kits allow for a greater level of independence. Each ‘Hygiene Kit’ can be made for a specific task and stored in the room where they will be used. For better organisation they can also be colour coded and labelled.
Tooth brushing kit: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, timer and checklist all inside.
Shower kit: shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and a loofa/face cloth.
Shaving kit: manual razor, electric razor, shaving foam, post shave balm for the face and a face cloth.
Feminine hygiene kit: tampons, sanitary pads, liners, pain killers and a hot water bottle.
General kit: cold sore cream, bonjela, plasters, nail clippers and paracetamol.
Keeping track of what you are spending money on and reduces the fear of overspending.
It helps to avoid going overdrawn on your bank account by spending money that you don’t have.
It can help to identify whether you can afford to buy something that you would like.
It support you in managing debt by planning repayments that you can afford.
It allows you to put money into your savings.
MABS (Money Advice Budgeting Service) provide free online budgeting tools for weekly or monthly budgets. For instance, it categorizes your expenditure into different areas like groceries, medical and travel.
Your local bank branch will be able to provide this service. You can make an appointment to sit down with someone to help you better understand your income and expenses.
A family member can help identify areas of saving or cutting costs. For example, changing grocery shops can save you money on your weekly shop.
Being in receipt of Disability Allowance provides you with free travel on all forms of public transport, other than the night link and express services with a travel pass.
Alternatively, you can use a Leap Card. Leap card fares are cheaper than cash fairs. The app allows you to track your spending and top up using a phone.
An emergency fund is helpful for when you are low in money or stuck in a situation you would like to get out of. For example, you might need to get a taxi if you are feeling anxious.
Having €20 in your wallet or purse to use is a simple emergency fund option.
Many people decide to set aside some of their wages or allowances received into a savings account.
Savings can be with a bank, credit union, post office or revolut account.
Direct debits automatically take money out of your account. You can save as little as €20 a month.
Keeping your money safe
Allowing you to pay bills through direct debit (rent, phone bill, electricity)
Using online banking
Disability allowance and wages are paid into your bank account so that you are not carrying large sums of money, leaving you vulnerable to robbery
Debit cards are used to pay for most things these days and can also use it to withdraw money from your account using an ATM
A savings account can be set up along with your current account
Local bank branches will have a budgeting service
It is important to have a back-up plan in case you lose your card or it gets stolen. Talk to a family member, friend or support staff you are linked in with about how to make a plan that works for you. This plan could be as easy as;
Call a family member to let them know what has happened and so you can talk to someone when you are upset or anxious.
Ring the bank to cancel your stolen card or order a new card if you need it.
Have some cash in your purse/wallet for expenses until your new card arrives.
Pick a place which you would like to travel to. This can be a nearby town, college, school, or somewhere that interests you, like a museum or the zoo.
If the route is long, it might be worth starting off by doing part of the route rather than the full route. Splitting the route in to segments may reduce your anxiety.
Use google maps, or similar, to see what forms of transport are available to you. Your route may have multiple kinds of public transport options and will give you a breakdown of estimated journey times.
Having a family member or friend accompany you when you are learning a new route is hugely beneficial, they can be there to help if you are feeling anxious, or if you would like to go back home.
If you are practicing your route, starting off at an off-peak time may be less stressful.
If you are practicing a route to get you at your destination at a particular time, for example, college, it is important to eventually trial this route at the specific time so that you have a clear idea of the length of time needed for your journey.
Although a lot of forms of public transport have real time alerts for the next stop, it is important to identify landmarks along your route. These can be schools, churches, parks etc. This can be done during your practice travelling sessions with your family member.
Many forms of public transport have apps which give an estimated time of arrival at stops. Dublin Bus, Luas, Irish Rail and Bus Eireann all have real time information available.
Timetables are also available that break down your chosen route and its different stops, along with estimated journey times. It is important to allow for extra time around these, as they do not take into consideration road works or high levels of traffic.
A disability travel pass can be used on all forms of public transport (which does not include taxis or buses run by private companies).
If you do not have one, payment for public transport depends on the service.
Irish rail allows you to purchase tickets at a ticket machine which accepts cards and cash.
Bus Eireann allows payment in cash on board the bus.
Dublin bus only accepts coins or a leap card which can be topped up using the app, in local shops and at Luas stations.
The Luas allows you to purchase tickets at each stop using cash or cards using the ticket machine, but leap cards can also be used and validated at the tag on stations before getting on to the Luas, just remember to tag off when you get off the bus or luas or train!
Other options to transport include walking, cycling with your own bike or using a city bike service (dubinbikes or bikeshare in Galway, Cork and Limerick) which are between 10-25 euro for a year’s membership with unlimited use.
It is important to have a back-up plan in case something happens that changes your plans.
(You might get the wrong bus, get the right bus but in the wrong direction, miss your stop or the bus/luas/train might be too full for you to get on to it).
These things happen but it is important for you to make a plan so that if they do, you don’t get too stressed or anxious.
Make a plan for in case you become anxious during your journey. Share and discuss this plan with someone close to you so that they can reply to a text or call you if you get in touch while travelling.
Sometimes when using public transport, someone may strike up a conversation but typically people do not like to talk to strangers while on public transport and keep to themselves.
People often like to sit in a particular seat when using public transport. We often gravitate towards this seat. Sometimes the seat will be free and sometimes it wont. If it is not free, pick an empty seat.
However, if the bus is mostly empty but someone is sitting beside your favourite seat, it may make them uncomfortable if you sit beside them.
If you have sensory difficulties, make yourself a sensory kit to bring with you while you travel. This can include your headphones so you can listen to music or a podcast, a book, a fidget, sunglasses, a hat etc.
This sensory kit may help you feel less anxious and will dilute some of the senses which are causing stress.
Research sensory friendly shopping times in your local shop, if available. Check what time and day of the week that these are on. Alternatively you can consider visiting your local shops at an off-peak time.
Plan your meals so that you don’t buy too little or too much food. Deciding what meals you will be having in the week will also help you plan ahead and will help complete your shopping list.
Have a list in your kitchen which you can add to throughout the week for food and household supplies that you need to buy. This can then be used as part of our shopping list. Depending on what works better for you, have a written list and bring a pen to the shops with you to tick the items off your list, or make a list on your phone, or a shopping list app.
If you have sensory difficulties while shopping, bring your headphones and listen to some music while going around the shop. If the bright lights bother you, bring sunglasses with you. It is often quite cold in supermarkets, wear something comfortable to keep you warm if you are sensitive to temperatures.
Visit the shop with a friend or family member and take pictures of the layout of the shop so that you are less apprehensive when you go by yourself and you will have a better idea of where certain items are located.
The important things to remember: Phone, Keys, Wallet/Purse
Your shopping list, on paper
Shopping bags
Bring a €1 or € 2 coin with you for a trolley, some shops take different coins, or get a keyring for shopping trolleys
Sensory supports: Headphones and playlist, sunglasses, gloves, fidgets etc
Using a shopping trolley in the supermarket is often less stressful than a basket as it means you do not need to pack your bags at the checkout and can place all groceries back in the trolley and pack your bags at the bag packing area afterwards, at your own pace. You can decide what best works for you.
When choosing meat and dairy products, make sure you look at the use by date and try to get the date farthest away.
Frozen vegetables are really handy to have, as they don’t spoil like fresh vegetables. Buying frozen vegetables like corn, peas, peppers, spinach and broccoli are handy to keep in your freezer to use for dinners.
When at the cash desk/till, unload your groceries onto the belt. Try to pack similar foods together, cleaning supplies together, meats together, frozen foods together, and don’t squish bread or eggs at the bottom of your bags. You can pay with your bank card, phone (if you have it registered to your bank card) or with cash.
There are self-service checkouts available in some supermarkets and these allow for you to go at your own pace. These are only for customers with baskets and not for those with trolleys.
Unpack your shopping and place them in the fridge and presses. Make sure you put anything frozen away first.
Relax after completing your grocery shop. Do something nice for yourself, even if it is just to sit with a cup of tea to help you decompress.
Don’t use food after their use by date.
If you have forgotten something on your list, its ok, it happens to everyone. Put the forgotten items on your new shopping list and get it in next grocery shop. If the item is needed that day, you could pop in to your local shop.
Autism is diagnosed at all ages. It is typically assessed from the age of seven. However, diagnosis after this age is very common. Due to greater levels of understanding and awareness of autism within communities and professionals, many people are getting diagnosed later on in life.
Gaining a better understanding of yourself and the supports to put in place to assist in areas of difficulty.
Joining the autism community and meeting others with similar difficulties, common interests, and shared experiences.
Accessing autism specific supports and services to help with anxiety, social skills and relationships.
There are two assessment routes available; the public or private route.
Public assessments are arranged through your GP or Local Health Centre. A referral will be made to the local Disability or Mental Health Team who then arranges a consultation.
Referral to a multi-disciplinary team who will complete a comprehensive assessment. These teams include; psychology, speech and language and occupational therapy.
Priority access to services available through your local team. However, these can be quite limited.
Some schools require a report generated by a public team and may be unable to apply for resources for students without it.
Long waiting times, some over 18 months.
There may be limited support available after a diagnosis.
A private assessment is an alternative to the long waiting times of the public system. Assessments can be made by the person themselves and no referral is needed.
Considerably shorter waiting times.
High costs for both adults and children.
Some schools no longer accept private assessments to access supports in school.
This is a monthly payment, it is for those caring for a child with a disability. The care provided by the individual must assist the child to carry out daily life and activities.
To qualify, the child must
Have a disability that lasts at least 12 months
Be under the age of 16
Meet the medical criteria (see below)
Be residing in the State
The child must have a disability that requires care significantly above the care of a child of the same age who does not have a disability. This may not be based on the type of impairment or disease but the resulting challenges that imply that the child needs extra care and attention.
The Medical Examiner of the Department will take the following into account while reviewing the case:
The history of the case
Medical reports provided
The account of the parent/carer in relation to the extra care and attention that the child requires
If refused on your first application, you can request a review from a different Medical Examiner in the Department of Social Protection.
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/30fac9-domiciliary-care-allowance/
A payment made to individuals caring for a person who needs support due to illness, old age or disability. In addition to the payment, there are free household benefits and a free travel pass included in this payment. To qualify for this payment, both the person providing care, and the person receiving care must meet certain criteria.
Live with the individual or be in a position to provide full time care and attention to the person (who does not normally reside in an institution/residential care)
Reside in the State
Be over the age of 18
Not be engaged in employment, training or education for more than 15 hours per week
If engaged in these activities for less than 15 hours per week, adequate care for the individual must be arranged
Be over the age of 16 and in need of significant care and attention beyond that of a person of the same age
Be under the age of 16 and in receipt of domiciliary care allowance
In need of constant care and supervision to avoid danger to themselves and to allow them to carry out daily activities and basic functions
www.gov.ie/en/service/2432ba-carers-allowance/
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/carers/carers_allowance.html
Carers Support Grant is an annual allowance paid to carer’s. This payment can be used to fund respite care, but this is the decision of the carer. It can be paid to carer’s who are not in receipt of the Carer’s Allowance.
Over 16 and residing in Ireland
Caring for the person full time and for longer than a 6 month period
www.gov.ie/en/service/16220307-carers-support-grant/
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/carers/respite_care_grant.html
This is a weekly social welfare payment to people who have a disability. Although everyone with autism is able to apply for this allowance, not everyone will be deemed eligible.
Be aged between 16 and 66
Have a disability, mental health issue or disease that is likely to last more than a year and significantly impair your ability to work in a position that would be otherwise suitable for a person of the same age and qualifications
Satisfy a medical assessment. Your doctor will complete a medical assessment form and a decision will be reached by the medical assessment team in the Department.
Satisfy a means test and habitual residence conditions. Your total means must fall below a certain level. An example of primary items that count as means are: cash income, savings, investments and maintenance paid to you.
Autism is a neurological difference that many people are born with, it affects how people communicate and interact with the world. It is a spectrum condition that affects people in different ways.
Asperger syndrome, was previously known as a type of autism on the autism spectrum. Today we do not categorise autism in the same way and the word aspergers is no longer favoured. However, many autistic individuals have a formal diagnosis of aspergers and still associate with this condition.
Like all people, autistic individuals have their own strengths and weaknesses. People with Autism can have many talents and a unique outlook. Autism / aspergers impacts the way that individuals view the world, interact with and communicate with others.
“If you’ve met one person with autism, You’ve met one person with autism”
Dr. Stephen Shore.
Every single person who is autistic has a unique set of characteristics. Although there are similarities, each person’s experience is different.
People with autism can have difficulty with social communication and social interactions. This heavily impacts on the person’s ability to communicate their emotions and thoughts to others.
It also impacts on the individual’s ability to read and understand other people’s emotions and intentions. This can make the world a very confusing place for someone on the autism spectrum.
Social communication is how we interact with others. This includes both verbal and non-verbal language. Tone of voice, body language, hand gestures and facial expressions are all difficult for someone with autism to decode and understand.
It may be more difficult to understand language that has more than one meaning. People often tend to use the same word for multiple reasons which can cause confusion. For example, the words deadly, sound and grand all have multiple meanings.
Someone with autism may find it difficult to have a conversation with others and may unintentionally over talk about their special interest. Despite others trying to change topic, or giving visual cues like checking their watch or looking away, the person will continue to talk.
Social interaction involves the ability to recognise and understand other people’s feelings and intentions. Additionally, the ability to express your own emotions is also included under social interaction.
A child with autism won’t be able to pick up those unwritten rules of social interaction like neurotypical children. For instance, a child may blurt out an inappropriate statement to a stranger.
A teenager may have difficulty with the difference between public and private conversations and may discuss something personal to strangers.
Aspire Productions documentary about Asperger syndrome has a character called Gary. Gary struggles with social communication and social interaction. Watch this short clip to see the world from his perspective.
There are a lot of things which can be done to support someone with autism who has communication difficulties.
Some people with autism may struggle with processing information. Some people may begin to repeat themselves if they do not get a response. However, it is important to be patient.
It can sometimes be the environment which is causing the person to take longer to respond. The environment may have too much sensory stimulation. This makes it more difficult to tune out unnecessary information and tune in to what you are saying.
Use specific words and talk slowly and clearly.
If the person seems anxious, try to avoid using too many gestures, facial expressions or eye contact. This will prevent an overload of the senses.
Count to ten before you continue to talk. This gives the person with autism time to process the information already given.
Use the person’s name to get their attention.
The person may be more interested in their special interest. Talk to them about this, and then once you have their attention, steer the conversation in the way you wanted to.
The person may be overwhelmed. If they seem anxious, give them space and try again in a while.
Many people with autism struggle with sensory issues. These vary from person to person and can have a significant impact on a person’s day to day life. For instance, attending school, using public transport and partaking in enjoyable activities, these simple activities can be far more difficult for someone with sensory issues.
The sensory system includes; touch, taste, smell, sound, sight, proprioception and the vestibular system. Sensory issues are caused by the disorganised way the brain processes information from the senses. If there is a sensory issue, the sensory system is either over-sensitive or under-sensitive. However, this can be different for each sense. For example, someone can be under-sensitive to touch, but over-sensitive to sound.
Over-sensitive means that senses are heightened. For example, a person may hear noises from far away or lights may be seen much brighter.
Under-sensitive means that the senses are under developed and a person receives less stimuli. For example, a person may not notice extreme odours, or have a very high pain threshold.
Fluorescent lights can seem overly bright to someone who is over-sensitive.
Lights in bedroom or on street can make it more difficult to sleep.
Under-sensitivity can cause poor depth perception resulting in clumsiness.
Over-sensitive: Don’t use fluorescent lights, use blackout blinds or curtains in bedrooms, wear sunglasses.
Under-sensitive: Make a high walled desk in school work or home for studying or working to reduce visual distractions.
Loud and sudden noises can become very distressing to a person who is over-sensitive.
Over-sensitivity can make it difficult to filter out background noise.
If someone is under-sensitive to sound they may only hear in one ear. they may also enjoy loud noises and loud environments.
Over-sensitive: use earplugs or noise cancelling headphones, practice fire drills and smoke alarms, closing doors and windows to limit outdoor noise.
Under-sensitive: use visual supports to support verbal information.
Over-sensitivity: To touch can result in not enjoying hugs, shaking hands or being in close proximity to people. For instance on public transport.
The feel of certain fabrics against skin can cause huge levels of discomfort for some over-sensitive people.
Under-sensitive: People enjoy weighted blankets and can have a high pain threshold.
Over-sensitive: Removing tags from clothing, investing in sensory supports for brushing hair and teeth, slowly introduce new textures in objects and foods.
Under-sensitive: Use weighted blankets to provide stimulation.
The texture of certain foods may cause discomfort to someone who is over-sensitive. For instance, only smooth foods like mashed potato or yogurt is eaten.
A person who is under-sensitive may prefer very spicy foods or may eat non edible objects. This is called Pica.
Over-sensitive: Slowly introduce different food textures, ensure there are no nutritional deficits due to restricted diet.
Under-sensitive: Try to make sure food is not served too hot as an under-sensitive person may not notice and burn themselves.
People who are under-sensitive may not notice extreme smells, like bad body odour or the smell of rubbish.
Oversensitive people often get overwhelmed by smells, like shampoos, perfumes and food.
Over-sensitive: Try to make the environment as fragrance free as possible. Use low fragrance detergent, shampoo and cleaning products.
Under-sensitive: Establish a personal hygiene routine, a routine for getting rid of rubbish and cleaning room/home.
Under-sensitive can result in a need for sensory input, like rocking, jumping, or spinning.
Over-sensitive people can have difficulty in sport and can experience travel sickness.
Over-sensitive: Breaking tasks activities into smaller steps and using visual cues can make them more manageable.
Under-sensitive: Encourage activities that activate the vestibular system, like jumping and walking.
Under-sensitive people may stand too close to people or objects and often have difficulty navigating through rooms.
Over-sensitive people may have difficulty with tying shoe laces and doing up buttons.
Over-sensitive: Fine motor skills activities can help like making pasta necklaces or learning how to crochet.
Under-sensitive: Establish a rule for personal space, use weighted blankets to help ground the person.
This is a video created by Aspire Productions documenting the experience of asperger syndrome and sensory sensitivity. Watch the short clip to see the world from her perspective.
Many people with autism /asperger syndrome have a special interest. These vary from person to person and are unique to each individual on the spectrum. These tend to start from a young age and can change over time.
Provide a time to relax and destress.
Makes initiating conversations easier.
Can provide structure and predictability to the person’s day.
Friendships can develop through a shared interest.
Special interest can also be a great way for someone with autism to study in the area they are interested in and gain employment in this field.
While special interests are important to people with autism, they can sometimes cause friction in households or between peers and colleagues.
Understand why your family member enjoys focusing on their special interest Could the increased amount of time spent on the special interest be due to anxiety or boredom?
Increase structure into the day. This can reduce anxiety and boredom levels, which may reduce the negative impact of the special interest.
Help reduce anxiety. This can be with mental health professionals, or home supports like mindfulness and meditation.
Set boundaries. It can be important to set limits on special interests. This can gradually happen over a number of weeks or months.
Ben’s special interest is history and he loves talking about the new books he is reading and new facts he has learned. However, Ben is unable to concentrate in school or communicate with his peers because he only wants to talk about history. After addressing his anxiety levels and need for structure, Bens parents set boundaries on how often Ben can talk about history. For example;
1. Ben is allowed to talk about history as he usually does, but is introduced to the idea of this time being limited to allow him to make friends and enjoy other activities.
2. Create a plan with Ben, with visual supports if he would prefer, so that he can see the changes that will happen each week.
3. Decide with Ben if he would prefer to talk about history in smaller chunks throughout the day, or larger chunks but less often.
4. Week 1, Ben is now allowed to talk about history every hour, for 15 minutes.
5. For week 2, Ben is now allowed to talk about history for ten minutes every hour.
6. For week 3, Ben is now able to talk about history for 10 minutes every 1.5 hours.
7. In the fourth week, Ben will now talk about history for 10 minutes every 2 hours.
This process will provide Ben with the skills to be able to concentrate in school, and socialise with his peers and focus his attention to other important aspects of his life. Please remember that it is really important to not prevent someone from spending time on their special interest. This is something which is very important for people with autism and should never be eliminated from their lives.
Some people with autism may struggle with setting aside the special interest to complete tasks during the day. This is when a special interest becomes an obsession and is heavily motivated by anxiety. This can have an impact on the persons health and wellbeing. If any of the following issues arise, it may help to seek support from a mental health professional:
The person is not enjoying the special interests but are unable to stop.
There is a significant impact on other people, like family members and carers.
It is preventing them from concentrating in school, college or work.
Forming or maintaining friendships being negatively impacted.
Routine and structure can be very soothing to autistic people. When the world is confusing it can be helpful to have some sense of predictability. The need for routine and structure can increase during times of high stress.
Eating the exact same food each day
Walking the exact same route to work
Having a specific routine for when you come home from school
Only wearing specific clothing
Moving house
Changing schools
The change in routine during summer holidays
Physical changes to an environment, such as a new layout in your house or office
Find out about changes in advance. For example, if you know that there will be timetable changes in school, get in touch with the school to find out the exact changes.
Prepare for changes. If you are coming up to the summer holidays or easter break and you know there will be a change in routine, discuss the upcoming change in routine well in advance.
Use visual supports. These can be pictures of a new teacher, or a timetable of the new routine for summer holidays.
Be prepared for anxiety to increase. Change in routine and structure will increase stress levels. Have a plan in place for when this happens. It can be helpful to create a sensory box to help. This can include anything the person likes which relaxes them. IT can include a favourite book, fidget toys and art supplies.
Aspire Productions documentary about asperger syndrome has a character called Billy. Billy has a very similar routine in place most days and struggles if this changes. Watch the short clip to see the world from his perspective
Repetitive behaviours are not unique to the autism community. Examples of repetitive behaviours include: feet tapping, cracking knuckles and listening to the same song on repeat.
Repetitive behaviours can be repetitive motions, repetition of words (echolalia), vocalizations and repetitive movement of objects. These behaviours are also known as stimming and self-stimulating behaviours. While most people can control when they exhibit repetitive behaviours, they are often involuntary for people with autism.
Repetitive behaviours vary from person to person. Each individual with autism has a unique self-stimulating behaviour. These behaviours can be consistent throughout a person’s life, but can often change over time. For example, one person may flap their hands as a child, use a fidget toy as a teenager and paint as an adult. Here are some other common repetitive behaviours for different senses;
Visual: finger flicking
Auditory: making vocal sounds
Tactile: hair twirling
Taste: licking objects
Smell: smelling objects
Vestibular: rocking front to back
Proprioception: jumping
Many autistic people will stim to reduce the level of sensory input experienced. It is also a way to reduce the likelihood of experiencing a meltdown or shutdown.
Some individuals may seek sensory stimulation. For example, jumping on a trampoline or lifting something heavy this is a way to regulate emotional and behavioural responses to sensory stimulation.
Many self-regulatory behaviours are used to reduce stress and anxiety. Focusing your attention on stimming rather than what is causing anxiety can be calming for many people.
Stimming is not always about avoiding a meltdown. Many people with autism will exhibit repetitive behaviours when they are excited or happy like echolalia or jumping up and down.
Yes. It is very important for people with autism to be able to use repetitive behaviours. These behaviours are a way to regulate emotions and behaviour. If these are stopped, it would cause a great deal of distress to the person.
However, there are some repetitive behaviours which may put someone with autism at risk. These include head banging, hair pulling and self-harming.
It is important to keep someone safe if exhibiting self-harming behaviours. For example, providing alternatives or increasing structure could help reduce self-harming behaviours.
Head banging could be replaced using a swing. This will provide a similar sensory experience.
A sensory bag, of carrots or chewing gum could be a safe alternative to nail and finger biting.
This may help reduce anxiety and increase the predictability of the day which may reduce self-harming behaviours.
If the behaviour is driven by anxiety, seeing a mental health professional would be beneficial.
Executive functioning is a set of cognitive skills that include working memory, self-control and flexible thinking processes.
Executive functioning controls a wide variety of skills. Therefore, it is hugely important for living and learning. It is difficult to fully understand executive functioning without listing the different areas of difficulty.
The ability to control escalating emotions in order to complete a task and keeping emotions to an appropriate level. Having emotional control can keep disruptive emotions in check and prevent negative emotions from ruining your day.
Inhibition is the ability to complete a task in sequence and stay focused. This also includes problem solving, staying on topic and avoiding going off on tangents.
This involves several other executive functioning skills. Getting started on a task requires planning, prioritisation time management, organisation, impulse control, attention, and working memory. The biggest issue is often getting started and what to do next.
The ability to carry out more than one cognitive process at a time. For example, being able to perform a task while talking.
The ability to plan and organise time, information and procedures efficiently. For instance, carrying out instructions accurately and completing tasks on time.
Self-monitoring is a way to monitor actions, behaviours and thoughts. For example, staying on topic when talking, answering questions accurately and noticing changes of topics in groups. Additionally, noticing when you have made a mistake and being relatively accurate in your judgment of your own and others’ behaviour is also considered within self-monitoring.
This is the ability to shift attention if something changes. Additionally, being able to change how something is being done when asked and being able to see multiple possible solutions to a problem are examples of this behaviour.
The ability to hold onto information in order to process it. This can include; the ability to identify the main point, take all information into account, tell a cohesive story in a logical sequence, reading comprehension, and following instructions.
Anxiety is how your body and mind react to stressful, dangerous and unfamiliar situations. Anxiety is not always considered a bad thing as it helps us stay away from danger and makes us more alert. However, it becomes a bigger issue when it impacts on your ability to live life as full as you would like. Furthermore, when anxiety impacts on your day to day life, it can lead to an anxiety disorder.
Racing heart beat
Sweating more than normal
Trembling
Rapid breathing, which is often shallow
Tense muscles
Headaches
Feeling of panic and panic attacks
Dry mouth and/or difficulty swallowing
Nightmares
Difficulty getting to and staying asleep
Poor concentration
Upset tummy
Other health issue or illness flaring up, like asthma or dermatitis.
No interest in sex or low libido
Feeling irritable
Always being in a bad mood
Avoiding situations or experiences that can trigger anxious feelings
Difficulty controlling worry
Feeling of impending doom, danger or panic
Needing constant reassurance
Being a perfectionist
Focusing on what can go wrong in any situation and being pessimistic
Anxiety can be caused by a number of factors and differ for each individual. However, common causes include trauma, illness and work.
Research has shown that if you have a close family member with anxiety you may be at a higher risk of developing anxiety. However, this is not specific to genetics and is about learned behaviours.
Difficulties which occur during childhood, adolescence and adulthood can trigger anxiety. For example, experiencing neglect as a child, bullying or losing a family member are all examples of possible anxiety triggers.
Work
Work or being out of work can cause anxiety. For instance, financial worries, work place bullying or a lack of a work-life balance can all trigger or exacerbate anxiety.
Having a serious, long term or life threatening illness can cause or increase anxiety. Mental health conditions like depression can also increase anxiety levels.
Alcohol and drugs can increase anxiety levels. Both the misuse and withdrawal of drugs and alcohol can trigger and worsen anxiety.
Many people experience anxiety. However, there are many symptoms that can tell you that anxiety is becoming difficult to handle and support may be needed:
Feelings of anxiety are very strong and last a long time
Worries and fears are out of proportion with the situation
Worries are hard to control
Symptoms are experienced regularly
Enjoying life becomes challenging
Engaging in activities you like becomes difficult
Depression can be described as a low mood which lasts for a long time and affects everyday life. At its lowest form, depression can make everything which you are doing more difficult and seem less worth while. However, in its most extreme, depression can be life threatening.
There are many symptoms of depression which vary from person to person. Although it is unlikely to experience all symptoms of depression, it is important to be aware them. Below are the psychological, social and physical symptoms of depression.
Feeling down, upset or tearful
Restlessness, irritability and feeling agitated
Feeling empty or numb
No self-confidence or self esteem
Despair and the feeling of hopelessness
Suicidal thoughts an or suicidal ideation
Concentration difficulties
Difficulty remembering things
Avoiding social interaction or events which are usually enjoyed
Difficulty at work, at home and or with family life
Neglecting hobbies and interests
Difficulty sleeping, sleeping too much or feeling tired all of the time
Weight gain due to over eating
Weight loss due to under eating from of lack of appetite
Aches and pains without any physical cause
Low sex drive or libido
Changes to menstrual cycle
Difficulty speaking or thinking clearly
Self-harming or suicidal behaviour
Depression can be caused by a number of factors including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, and stressful life events. It’s believed that several of these forces interact to bring on depression.
If there is a family history of depression, there may be a greater chance of developing depression.
Postnatal depression affects women after childbirth. This can be due to physical and hormonal changes in the body and the stress of the experience. Additionally, the added stress and responsibility of caring for a new born can increase stress levels and result in postnatal depression.
A traumatic or stressful life event can cause depression. This can include a bereavement, job loss, divorce or financial worries.
Having a life threatening or a long term illness can be a risk factor for depression. This can include stroke, cancer or other ongoing health issues.
Having a lack of connection with friends and family can leave a person feeling lonely. As a result of feeling lonely and isolated, there is an increased risk of developing depression.
Certain people may be at a higher risk of depression due to their personality. An individual’s personality is a mix of genetic make-up and life experiences. Some people with anxiety or low self-esteem may be at a great risk of depression along with those who are overly self-critical.
Drugs and alcohol are often used as coping mechanisms for people. Although they can make you feel better, these feelings are often temporary, with low moods being experienced after use. Consequently, alcohol and drugs can increase a person’s risk of developing depression. They can also exacerbate depressive symptoms in individual’s with depression.
Selfcare is the deliberate way in which we take the time to take care of our mental, emotional and physical health. Selfcare is completely individual and changes with each person. One person’s needs differ from another’s, selfcare is completely individual to you.
Selfcare reduces stress, improves emotional stability and promotes good sleep patterns.
It supports us during times of loss and change.
It helps us to heal and recover from challenging times.
It prevents burnout, which leads to a feeling of both physical and emotional exhaustion.
Feeling like you are being selfish by taking time for yourself.
Not setting out a specific time or day for your selfcare routine.
Believing that others needs are more important than yours.
Not developing a routine around your selfcare can sometimes mean it gets moved or forgotten about.
Sleep is extremely important to your overall health and well-being. Think about your night time routine and how you could change it to encourage a better night’s sleep.
Maintain a routine, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
Caffeine will keep you awake so should be avoided a few hours before you go to bed.
Avoid eating before going to bed.
Create an environment which promotes a good sleep, a dark room that is quiet and slightly cool.
Avoiding screens an hour before you go to bed.
Healthy eating is a great way to practice more selfcare. Eating more fruit and vegetables in your diet will increase your vitamin and mineral intake and reduce your sugar and starchy snack intake.
Cooking can be very therapeutic and not only increases your interest in food, and independent living skills, but can also provides you with the opportunity to practice some selfcare. Listen to your favourite music or a podcast while cooking and it can make the experience all that more enjoyable.
Cooking also provides the opportunity to spend some time with friends or family.
Exercise improves your mood, reduces your anxiety and stress levels and improves your physical health. The HSE recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week. This could be walking at a brisk pace, gardening, swimming or cycling.
Sometimes saying no to those around us can protect us from burning out. If you are stressed or anxious, it is important to take time out to recover and recuperate. Some people may feel obligated to say yes to every invitation but protecting yourself is also very important.
Saying no sometimes is a good way to introduce more selfcare.
Do something new and out of your normal schedule. Going on an adventure, big or small, can be a great way to reconnect with yourself and practice selfcare. Try sightseeing, the cinema, camping, or something which you wouldn’t get time to do normally.
Nature is a great stress reliever. Fatigue, stress and anxiety can be reduced by going outside. It can also help improve your sleep.
Being around animals and pets can be very beneficial. They can help reduce anxiety and stress levels. If you do not have your own pets, maybe volunteering in an animal sanctuary is something which could interest you and they are always looking for volunteers to help.
Take some time away from your tv and phone to read. Maybe you have a long bus journey, bring a book and read during your commute.
Getting organised means that you will be able to practice selfcare.
Make a new routine for yourself, set aside a time in your day for selfcare and stick to it.
Bringing your dog on a walk after dinner, having your lunch in the garden, or listening to your favourite podcast in the morning are all examples of small pockets of selfcare you can fit in to your day.
Make a selfcare plan for 2 weeks and see how you feel afterwards.
Introducing something new can take a while to become part of your normal routine. After the 2 weeks you can reassess what you would like to focus on, for example, more time outside or more time with friends.
People engage with mental health professionals for a wide variety of reasons. You could be becoming overwhelmed with stress at work, or having difficulty in your relationships with friends or family. If you feel troubled, grieved or unable to make decisions, a mental health professional can help. If you have experienced a critical event, like a death, accident, change of job or have been the victim of a crime it may be time to seek help and support.
Things should improve when you link in with a therapist. Recovery is sometimes like a rollercoaster. You can experience moments of feeling down or moments when you feel a lot better. In general, you should feel a change and notice a change within the first 10 sessions with a therapist. If you do not feel things are progressing in the way you feel they should, discuss this with your therapist and they can then try something different to help you. Communicating your worries is important and allows the therapist to understand how you are progressing through your sessions.
Therapists, when they first meet you, will go over a contract with you and ask you for emergency contact information and details of your GP. This information is confidential but would be used in the instance where the therapist feels that you are a risk to yourself or to others. The therapist may then tell you about themselves and their background. They will then ask you to discuss why you have decided to link in with the service. It is important to build a relationship with your therapist, this allows for you to feel comfortable enough to discuss personal feelings.
There is no definitive answer to this question and it will most certainly depend on the reasons for attending a counsellor. Some people can attend counselling for years due to a significant trauma or ongoing difficulties, but some people may only need to attend for a few months before feeling secure and safe enough, with the guidance of a counsellor to take a break or ceasing sessions. A counsellor will not continue seeing you for appointments if they feel that they are no longer necessary and will develop a plan to slowly ease you from sessions over the course of a few weeks or months.
UDL is a set of principles that gives all students equal opportunities to learn. To cater to students different learning styles, UDL provides flexibility in its teaching methods and assessment process. The three core principles educators should follow are; multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation and multiple means of expression.
Engagement: Giving students multiples ways to engage with material.
Representation: Presenting information in multiple ways for students of all learning styles.
Expression: Allowing students to express what they have learned in different ways.
Clearly laid out course goals for the class and term.
Course objectives clearly laid out.
Clear assignment details and deadlines to help students plan their time.
Providing an outline of the days class at the start of class.
Summarising key points at the end of class.
Accommodations can support all students in the classroom, not just those who require additional support. If planning a course, consider the following;
What is the purpose of the course?
What methods of instruction are absolutely necessary and why?
Are the methods for assessing student outcomes absolutely necessary? Why?
What outcomes are required of all students? Why are they essential?
The acceptable levels of performance on student outcome measures. What are they?
The transition between school and college can be difficult to navigate, this may cause increased stress and or anxiety. Here are a few differences between secondary school and further education.
You no longer have to call your teachers ‘sir’ or ‘miss’. Lecturers, and tutors usually go on a first name basis.
You will probably be allowed to bring a laptop into your class to take notes.
There will most likely be boys and girls in your class.
You don’t have to wear a uniform anymore. Unless specific for your course (Nursing, Culinary Arts etc).
You may be allowed bring your tea or coffee into class with you.
There are no set seats in college, unless assigned by your lecturer or tutor.
Your timetable may not be completely full, you may have 2 or 3 hour gaps in your day which you will need to fill.
You will be expected to do a lot of independent learning outside of your classroom hours.
You will have different modules during your time in college. Some courses change these with each semester (before Christmas and after Christmas), others will be changed every year so you have the same modules for the full college year.
You don’t have to ask to go to the bathroom. In college you are in charge of your own bodily functions.
There will be multiple places to get food and drinks on the campus, there will be a canteen and a coffee shop or café etc.
You can bring your own lunch to college and eat it in the canteen. This is a great way of saving money and not having to worry about long queues in the college canteen.
Smoking is permitted in designated areas on the college grounds.
There may be a bar or pub on the campus.
There are clubs and societies that you can join, from extreme frisbee, to rugby, computers and dance. Each college has their own unique set of ‘clubs and socs’.
You can drive to college and park on the college grounds.
You will have access to the disability support service in your college for supports.
You may have had an SNA in school, you will not have an SNA in college.
Disability support services differ within each college. Applying for college through the DARE scheme will link you in with the disability services automatically. Alternatively, call in to the disability service office and make an appointment to discuss your needs.
Here are examples of the kinds of supports available in further education.
Academic support is not specific to students with disabilities. It is a great resource for anyone having difficulty studying and structuring essays. This service can also support with;
Creating a study timetable
Referencing styles
How to read academic journals
Using technology to improve your writing style
Exam support will depend on your diagnosis and if you require supports. Nevertheless, it is important to discuss what supports are available to you with the disability service. Supports available include;
The use of a scribe
Having a separate room
Extra time, for example, 10 minutes extra per hour
The use of a computer
Occupational therapy support helps students to manage their time and coursework along with identifying positive social experiences to try. Additionally, it can support students with;
Developing a selfcare routine
Independent living skills
Communication skills
Identifying social opportunities
Assistive technology makes completing tasks easier. These supports can help with a variety of issues such as;
Apps to improve grammar
Tools to help take notes
Speech to text technology
Apps to support productivity levels
There are a number of financial supports in place for students in further education. For example, these supports can support students with buying of books, equipment, and the costs of attending college. However, please note that none of these are specific to students with a disability.
Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) offers financial support for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The Back to Education Allowance Scheme provides financial assistance to those in receipt of certain social welfare payments who are returning to full time education.
Springboard offers free further education courses for those in and out of employment.
The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE)
Finding your way around college campus and buildings can be very daunting and can take some time to get used to. Getting familiar with the campus can ease your stress levels and make you less anxious. Some of this can even be done ahead of time, before starting college.
Find out where the closest bathrooms are for each of your classes and lectures.
Find where the ATM is on campus. This is important if you need to have cash for use in the library, canteen or shop.
See what food is available in the different dining options on campus, how much it costs and times that food is served. It is also good to find out how you manage with any sensory difficulties in different cafes and canteens.
Find the different class rooms and lecture halls that you will be in.
See how long it takes you to get from class to class. Sometimes classes are in different buildings in different parts of the campus. This planning ahead will reduce your stress as you will know how long it takes to travel between classes.
Find the route you take from the bus to your building and note how long it takes. A different route could be used each day depending on your timetable.
Find the disability support service on campus and make an appointment to find out the supports they can provide to you.
Check where the doctor, nurse and counselling services are.
Find out how to use the library and the areas where books you need for specific subjects are located.
Pack your bag the night before so you don’t forget anything important. Look at your timetable to ensure you bring the right books and notebooks.
Organise your outfit for the next day before you go to bed. Having clean clothes set out reduces your stress in the morning and means it takes you less time to get ready.
Make your lunch the night before. This can save you a lot of money, and reduces your time waiting in queues if you are in a rush.
Get up early to give yourself plenty of time to eat, shower, get dressed, do your hair etc.
Have breakfast in the morning. If you’re not a breakfast person, make sure you bring something for when you get hungry later on in the morning.
Check college emails for any changes in your timetable so you can plan for them.
If you bring a laptop to college, remember to take your charger with you.
Have your phone charged.
Remember your timetable. Keep a copy in your diary and another on your phone or laptop so you never go without it.
Bring sensory supports with you. These help during your commute and your time in college.
Give yourself plenty of time to get from your house to the bus stop and the bus to your classroom, especially during rush hour.
By keeping yourself organised while in further education you reduce the likelihood of sleeping in late, missing classes and falling behind on your work. It also helps to get into a consistent routine.
Securing a place in college through the CAO and using the DARE scheme (disability access route to education) means your son/daughter will be contacted by the college before the start of term.
If they did not apply through the DARE scheme, you will need to inform the college of their diagnosis.
A non-CAO third level institution will require you to check their website on how to register with the disability service.
If possible, you should attend your son/daughters first meeting with the disability service.
If you wish to be able to communicate directly with the disability service, bring a letter of consent with you to the first meeting. Remember this is a concession on the part of the college and if you abuse it, the impact will be felt by other families.
Disability service supports differ from college to college. However, the important thing is that you give them a good picture of your son/daughter.
Write down things they find problematic.
People with autism have difficulty with transitioning. However, difficulties negotiating the campus can case lateness, which has a greater impact on the individual. Supports can be implemented if lecturers are aware of this issue and it persists beyond the three week induction period.
Encourage your son/daughter to try all dining choices on campus. This will allow them to find the environment which suits them best.
Exposure to large, loud and overwhelming dining experiences may result in isolation at lunchtime. This will greatly restrict opportunities for social interaction.
College timetables are often fragmented resulting in gaps between lectures. If students need to stay on campus during these times, it needs to be well managed.
Making a ‘whole day timetable’ can be beneficial as lectures, studying and down time are all included.
Clubs and societies are a great way to meet new people and explore new interests. Keeping track of the social activity attendance will give you a window into their new life in addition to working as an early warning system for social pitfalls.
Extensions and accommodations need to be carefully explained and outcomes agreed in advance.
For example, if giving a three week extension on a 3,000 word essay: 1,000 words should be completed at the end of week one and it will be reviewed.
Students should introduce themselves to lecturers. Above all, it provides lecturers with information on supports needed by students.
Different services do not share information. For instance, if a student is attending counselling for anxiety, lecturers will not be informed unless the student requests it.
Communication is a two-way street. Therefore, communicating with the college if changes in your family circumstances is negatively impacting your son/daughter is very important.
This is a very easy way to organise school books, household bills or your desk in work.
For school, all english books, copies and workbooks can be kept in a red folder. The same system can be used for all subjects. For example, geography can be green and maths can be blue. This makes packing your bag and using your locker during school easier.
This method can be used to organise post by family member, or by level of importance. For instance, outstanding bills in a red folder, takeaway menus in a green folder.
For work, you can label tasks that need to be completed this week orange and things to be completed today black. This can be changed to suit you.
Lists can be very useful for anyone who needs to keep track of daily tasks. They also benefit anyone who is a bit forgetful. Lists can be made on phones or in a notepad.
Using a list will help you remember what food you need to buy when you go shopping.
A ‘morning list’ or ‘bedtime list’ can be helpful for anyone who is anxious or for those who like a structured routine. This can be helpful for children getting ready for school or adults getting ready for work.
Whether these are on your phone, or on your wall, calendars are a great way of staying organised. They allow you to see appointments, birthdays and holidays in advance. As a result, they can help reduce anxiety and allow for more time to plan for events and changes in routine.
A child can use this to keep track of different activities going on throughout the week, like sports club or when they will have a babysitter.
An adult can use a calendar to keep on top of daily tasks like bin collection, paying bills, and reminders to lodge money into savings.
Good personal hygiene is hugely important ,some autistic people may struggle with this. Poor hygiene can negatively impact your social life, employment prospects and can lead to social isolation. To better understand the difficulties of maintaining good personal hygiene, it is important to discuss the barriers and potential solutions.
Sensory difficulties may impact on the ability to maintain personal hygiene levels. Examples of these are; the feeling of a toothbrush, the sensation of water on the skin, the smell of products or using a hairbrush. However, these issues are individual to each person.
Transitioning from one task to the next without reminders or prompts may also be difficult. Because of this, simple tasks like moving from washing your hair to washing your body can be difficult.
Timing can also be an issue. For example, common timing issues can include not knowing the length of time you need to brush your teeth, not knowing how much time has passed and how to know when you have been in the shower for an appropriate amount of time.
Create a personal hygiene routine for yourself or family member that can be followed at specific times. These specific times can be; after waking up, before and after eating, before going to asleep, after using the bathroom.
Visual supports can be there to guide you or your family member to the next task. This can be in the form of pictures or words in the bathroom and bedroom. For example, a checklist of tasks for brushing your teeth at the bathroom sink can help with staying on track.
Modelling allows for the person with autism to see how they are expected to do a task before doing it themselves. This allows for the task involved to be broken into smaller steps. For example, if the person has never shaven their legs or their face before, this is something which can be shown by a parent, or sibling.
Checklists provide a greater level of privacy and independence as it allows for tasks to be completed without additional support. These lists can be either a list of the separate tasks involved within each task (floss teeth, brush teeth, rinse with mouthwash) or a whole process (brushing teeth routine). Checklists can also be adapted to meet different needs and levels of support and can be changed as support required decreases.
Hygiene kits allow for a greater level of independence. Each ‘Hygiene Kit’ can be made for a specific task and stored in the room where they will be used. For better organisation they can also be colour coded and labelled.
Tooth brushing kit: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, timer and checklist all inside.
Shower kit: shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and a loofa/face cloth.
Shaving kit: manual razor, electric razor, shaving foam, post shave balm for the face and a face cloth.
Feminine hygiene kit: tampons, sanitary pads, liners, pain killers and a hot water bottle.
General kit: cold sore cream, bonjela, plasters, nail clippers and paracetamol.
Keeping track of what you are spending money on and reduces the fear of overspending.
It helps to avoid going overdrawn on your bank account by spending money that you don’t have.
It can help to identify whether you can afford to buy something that you would like.
It support you in managing debt by planning repayments that you can afford.
It allows you to put money into your savings.
MABS (Money Advice Budgeting Service) provide free online budgeting tools for weekly or monthly budgets. For instance, it categorizes your expenditure into different areas like groceries, medical and travel.
Your local bank branch will be able to provide this service. You can make an appointment to sit down with someone to help you better understand your income and expenses.
A family member can help identify areas of saving or cutting costs. For example, changing grocery shops can save you money on your weekly shop.
Being in receipt of Disability Allowance provides you with free travel on all forms of public transport, other than the night link and express services with a travel pass.
Alternatively, you can use a Leap Card. Leap card fares are cheaper than cash fairs. The app allows you to track your spending and top up using a phone.
An emergency fund is helpful for when you are low in money or stuck in a situation you would like to get out of. For example, you might need to get a taxi if you are feeling anxious.
Having €20 in your wallet or purse to use is a simple emergency fund option.
Many people decide to set aside some of their wages or allowances received into a savings account.
Savings can be with a bank, credit union, post office or revolut account.
Direct debits automatically take money out of your account. You can save as little as €20 a month.
Keeping your money safe
Allowing you to pay bills through direct debit (rent, phone bill, electricity)
Using online banking
Disability allowance and wages are paid into your bank account so that you are not carrying large sums of money, leaving you vulnerable to robbery
Debit cards are used to pay for most things these days and can also use it to withdraw money from your account using an ATM
A savings account can be set up along with your current account
Local bank branches will have a budgeting service
It is important to have a back-up plan in case you lose your card or it gets stolen. Talk to a family member, friend or support staff you are linked in with about how to make a plan that works for you. This plan could be as easy as;
Call a family member to let them know what has happened and so you can talk to someone when you are upset or anxious.
Ring the bank to cancel your stolen card or order a new card if you need it.
Have some cash in your purse/wallet for expenses until your new card arrives.
Pick a place which you would like to travel to. This can be a nearby town, college, school, or somewhere that interests you, like a museum or the zoo.
If the route is long, it might be worth starting off by doing part of the route rather than the full route. Splitting the route in to segments may reduce your anxiety.
Use google maps, or similar, to see what forms of transport are available to you. Your route may have multiple kinds of public transport options and will give you a breakdown of estimated journey times.
Having a family member or friend accompany you when you are learning a new route is hugely beneficial, they can be there to help if you are feeling anxious, or if you would like to go back home.
If you are practicing your route, starting off at an off-peak time may be less stressful.
If you are practicing a route to get you at your destination at a particular time, for example, college, it is important to eventually trial this route at the specific time so that you have a clear idea of the length of time needed for your journey.
Although a lot of forms of public transport have real time alerts for the next stop, it is important to identify landmarks along your route. These can be schools, churches, parks etc. This can be done during your practice travelling sessions with your family member.
Many forms of public transport have apps which give an estimated time of arrival at stops. Dublin Bus, Luas, Irish Rail and Bus Eireann all have real time information available.
Timetables are also available that break down your chosen route and its different stops, along with estimated journey times. It is important to allow for extra time around these, as they do not take into consideration road works or high levels of traffic.
A disability travel pass can be used on all forms of public transport (which does not include taxis or buses run by private companies).
If you do not have one, payment for public transport depends on the service.
Irish rail allows you to purchase tickets at a ticket machine which accepts cards and cash.
Bus Eireann allows payment in cash on board the bus.
Dublin bus only accepts coins or a leap card which can be topped up using the app, in local shops and at Luas stations.
The Luas allows you to purchase tickets at each stop using cash or cards using the ticket machine, but leap cards can also be used and validated at the tag on stations before getting on to the Luas, just remember to tag off when you get off the bus or luas or train!
Other options to transport include walking, cycling with your own bike or using a city bike service (dubinbikes or bikeshare in Galway, Cork and Limerick) which are between 10-25 euro for a year’s membership with unlimited use.
It is important to have a back-up plan in case something happens that changes your plans.
(You might get the wrong bus, get the right bus but in the wrong direction, miss your stop or the bus/luas/train might be too full for you to get on to it).
These things happen but it is important for you to make a plan so that if they do, you don’t get too stressed or anxious.
Make a plan for in case you become anxious during your journey. Share and discuss this plan with someone close to you so that they can reply to a text or call you if you get in touch while travelling.
Sometimes when using public transport, someone may strike up a conversation but typically people do not like to talk to strangers while on public transport and keep to themselves.
People often like to sit in a particular seat when using public transport. We often gravitate towards this seat. Sometimes the seat will be free and sometimes it wont. If it is not free, pick an empty seat.
However, if the bus is mostly empty but someone is sitting beside your favourite seat, it may make them uncomfortable if you sit beside them.
If you have sensory difficulties, make yourself a sensory kit to bring with you while you travel. This can include your headphones so you can listen to music or a podcast, a book, a fidget, sunglasses, a hat etc.
This sensory kit may help you feel less anxious and will dilute some of the senses which are causing stress.
Research sensory friendly shopping times in your local shop, if available. Check what time and day of the week that these are on. Alternatively you can consider visiting your local shops at an off-peak time.
Plan your meals so that you don’t buy too little or too much food. Deciding what meals you will be having in the week will also help you plan ahead and will help complete your shopping list.
Have a list in your kitchen which you can add to throughout the week for food and household supplies that you need to buy. This can then be used as part of our shopping list. Depending on what works better for you, have a written list and bring a pen to the shops with you to tick the items off your list, or make a list on your phone, or a shopping list app.
If you have sensory difficulties while shopping, bring your headphones and listen to some music while going around the shop. If the bright lights bother you, bring sunglasses with you. It is often quite cold in supermarkets, wear something comfortable to keep you warm if you are sensitive to temperatures.
Visit the shop with a friend or family member and take pictures of the layout of the shop so that you are less apprehensive when you go by yourself and you will have a better idea of where certain items are located.
The important things to remember: Phone, Keys, Wallet/Purse
Your shopping list, on paper
Shopping bags
Bring a €1 or € 2 coin with you for a trolley, some shops take different coins, or get a keyring for shopping trolleys
Sensory supports: Headphones and playlist, sunglasses, gloves, fidgets etc
Using a shopping trolley in the supermarket is often less stressful than a basket as it means you do not need to pack your bags at the checkout and can place all groceries back in the trolley and pack your bags at the bag packing area afterwards, at your own pace. You can decide what best works for you.
When choosing meat and dairy products, make sure you look at the use by date and try to get the date farthest away.
Frozen vegetables are really handy to have, as they don’t spoil like fresh vegetables. Buying frozen vegetables like corn, peas, peppers, spinach and broccoli are handy to keep in your freezer to use for dinners.
When at the cash desk/till, unload your groceries onto the belt. Try to pack similar foods together, cleaning supplies together, meats together, frozen foods together, and don’t squish bread or eggs at the bottom of your bags. You can pay with your bank card, phone (if you have it registered to your bank card) or with cash.
There are self-service checkouts available in some supermarkets and these allow for you to go at your own pace. These are only for customers with baskets and not for those with trolleys.
Unpack your shopping and place them in the fridge and presses. Make sure you put anything frozen away first.
Relax after completing your grocery shop. Do something nice for yourself, even if it is just to sit with a cup of tea to help you decompress.
Don’t use food after their use by date.
If you have forgotten something on your list, its ok, it happens to everyone. Put the forgotten items on your new shopping list and get it in next grocery shop. If the item is needed that day, you could pop in to your local shop.
Autism is diagnosed at all ages. It is typically assessed from the age of seven. However, diagnosis after this age is very common. Due to greater levels of understanding and awareness of autism within communities and professionals, many people are getting diagnosed later on in life.
Gaining a better understanding of yourself and the supports to put in place to assist in areas of difficulty.
Joining the autism community and meeting others with similar difficulties, common interests, and shared experiences.
Accessing autism specific supports and services to help with anxiety, social skills and relationships.
There are two assessment routes available; the public or private route.
Public assessments are arranged through your GP or Local Health Centre. A referral will be made to the local Disability or Mental Health Team who then arranges a consultation.
Referral to a multi-disciplinary team who will complete a comprehensive assessment. These teams include; psychology, speech and language and occupational therapy.
Priority access to services available through your local team. However, these can be quite limited.
Some schools require a report generated by a public team and may be unable to apply for resources for students without it.
Long waiting times, some over 18 months.
There may be limited support available after a diagnosis.
A private assessment is an alternative to the long waiting times of the public system. Assessments can be made by the person themselves and no referral is needed.
Considerably shorter waiting times.
High costs for both adults and children.
Some schools no longer accept private assessments to access supports in school.
This is a monthly payment, it is for those caring for a child with a disability. The care provided by the individual must assist the child to carry out daily life and activities.
To qualify, the child must
Have a disability that lasts at least 12 months
Be under the age of 16
Meet the medical criteria (see below)
Be residing in the State
The child must have a disability that requires care significantly above the care of a child of the same age who does not have a disability. This may not be based on the type of impairment or disease but the resulting challenges that imply that the child needs extra care and attention.
The Medical Examiner of the Department will take the following into account while reviewing the case:
The history of the case
Medical reports provided
The account of the parent/carer in relation to the extra care and attention that the child requires
If refused on your first application, you can request a review from a different Medical Examiner in the Department of Social Protection.
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/30fac9-domiciliary-care-allowance/
A payment made to individuals caring for a person who needs support due to illness, old age or disability. In addition to the payment, there are free household benefits and a free travel pass included in this payment. To qualify for this payment, both the person providing care, and the person receiving care must meet certain criteria.
Live with the individual or be in a position to provide full time care and attention to the person (who does not normally reside in an institution/residential care)
Reside in the State
Be over the age of 18
Not be engaged in employment, training or education for more than 15 hours per week
If engaged in these activities for less than 15 hours per week, adequate care for the individual must be arranged
Be over the age of 16 and in need of significant care and attention beyond that of a person of the same age
Be under the age of 16 and in receipt of domiciliary care allowance
In need of constant care and supervision to avoid danger to themselves and to allow them to carry out daily activities and basic functions
www.gov.ie/en/service/2432ba-carers-allowance/
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/carers/carers_allowance.html
Carers Support Grant is an annual allowance paid to carer’s. This payment can be used to fund respite care, but this is the decision of the carer. It can be paid to carer’s who are not in receipt of the Carer’s Allowance.
Over 16 and residing in Ireland
Caring for the person full time and for longer than a 6 month period
www.gov.ie/en/service/16220307-carers-support-grant/
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/carers/respite_care_grant.html
This is a weekly social welfare payment to people who have a disability. Although everyone with autism is able to apply for this allowance, not everyone will be deemed eligible.
Be aged between 16 and 66
Have a disability, mental health issue or disease that is likely to last more than a year and significantly impair your ability to work in a position that would be otherwise suitable for a person of the same age and qualifications
Satisfy a medical assessment. Your doctor will complete a medical assessment form and a decision will be reached by the medical assessment team in the Department.
Satisfy a means test and habitual residence conditions. Your total means must fall below a certain level. An example of primary items that count as means are: cash income, savings, investments and maintenance paid to you.
Autism is a neurological difference that many people are born with, it affects how people communicate and interact with the world. It is a spectrum condition that affects people in different ways.
Asperger syndrome, was previously known as a type of autism on the autism spectrum. Today we do not categorise autism in the same way and the word aspergers is no longer favoured. However, many autistic individuals have a formal diagnosis of aspergers and still associate with this condition.
Like all people, autistic individuals have their own strengths and weaknesses. People with Autism can have many talents and a unique outlook. Autism / aspergers impacts the way that individuals view the world, interact with and communicate with others.
“If you’ve met one person with autism, You’ve met one person with autism”
Dr. Stephen Shore.
Every single person who is autistic has a unique set of characteristics. Although there are similarities, each person’s experience is different.
People with autism can have difficulty with social communication and social interactions. This heavily impacts on the person’s ability to communicate their emotions and thoughts to others.
It also impacts on the individual’s ability to read and understand other people’s emotions and intentions. This can make the world a very confusing place for someone on the autism spectrum.
Social communication is how we interact with others. This includes both verbal and non-verbal language. Tone of voice, body language, hand gestures and facial expressions are all difficult for someone with autism to decode and understand.
It may be more difficult to understand language that has more than one meaning. People often tend to use the same word for multiple reasons which can cause confusion. For example, the words deadly, sound and grand all have multiple meanings.
Someone with autism may find it difficult to have a conversation with others and may unintentionally over talk about their special interest. Despite others trying to change topic, or giving visual cues like checking their watch or looking away, the person will continue to talk.
Social interaction involves the ability to recognise and understand other people’s feelings and intentions. Additionally, the ability to express your own emotions is also included under social interaction.
A child with autism won’t be able to pick up those unwritten rules of social interaction like neurotypical children. For instance, a child may blurt out an inappropriate statement to a stranger.
A teenager may have difficulty with the difference between public and private conversations and may discuss something personal to strangers.
Aspire Productions documentary about Asperger syndrome has a character called Gary. Gary struggles with social communication and social interaction. Watch this short clip to see the world from his perspective.
There are a lot of things which can be done to support someone with autism who has communication difficulties.
Some people with autism may struggle with processing information. Some people may begin to repeat themselves if they do not get a response. However, it is important to be patient.
It can sometimes be the environment which is causing the person to take longer to respond. The environment may have too much sensory stimulation. This makes it more difficult to tune out unnecessary information and tune in to what you are saying.
Use specific words and talk slowly and clearly.
If the person seems anxious, try to avoid using too many gestures, facial expressions or eye contact. This will prevent an overload of the senses.
Count to ten before you continue to talk. This gives the person with autism time to process the information already given.
Use the person’s name to get their attention.
The person may be more interested in their special interest. Talk to them about this, and then once you have their attention, steer the conversation in the way you wanted to.
The person may be overwhelmed. If they seem anxious, give them space and try again in a while.
Many people with autism struggle with sensory issues. These vary from person to person and can have a significant impact on a person’s day to day life. For instance, attending school, using public transport and partaking in enjoyable activities, these simple activities can be far more difficult for someone with sensory issues.
The sensory system includes; touch, taste, smell, sound, sight, proprioception and the vestibular system. Sensory issues are caused by the disorganised way the brain processes information from the senses. If there is a sensory issue, the sensory system is either over-sensitive or under-sensitive. However, this can be different for each sense. For example, someone can be under-sensitive to touch, but over-sensitive to sound.
Over-sensitive means that senses are heightened. For example, a person may hear noises from far away or lights may be seen much brighter.
Under-sensitive means that the senses are under developed and a person receives less stimuli. For example, a person may not notice extreme odours, or have a very high pain threshold.
Fluorescent lights can seem overly bright to someone who is over-sensitive.
Lights in bedroom or on street can make it more difficult to sleep.
Under-sensitivity can cause poor depth perception resulting in clumsiness.
Over-sensitive: Don’t use fluorescent lights, use blackout blinds or curtains in bedrooms, wear sunglasses.
Under-sensitive: Make a high walled desk in school work or home for studying or working to reduce visual distractions.
Loud and sudden noises can become very distressing to a person who is over-sensitive.
Over-sensitivity can make it difficult to filter out background noise.
If someone is under-sensitive to sound they may only hear in one ear. they may also enjoy loud noises and loud environments.
Over-sensitive: use earplugs or noise cancelling headphones, practice fire drills and smoke alarms, closing doors and windows to limit outdoor noise.
Under-sensitive: use visual supports to support verbal information.
Over-sensitivity: To touch can result in not enjoying hugs, shaking hands or being in close proximity to people. For instance on public transport.
The feel of certain fabrics against skin can cause huge levels of discomfort for some over-sensitive people.
Under-sensitive: People enjoy weighted blankets and can have a high pain threshold.
Over-sensitive: Removing tags from clothing, investing in sensory supports for brushing hair and teeth, slowly introduce new textures in objects and foods.
Under-sensitive: Use weighted blankets to provide stimulation.
The texture of certain foods may cause discomfort to someone who is over-sensitive. For instance, only smooth foods like mashed potato or yogurt is eaten.
A person who is under-sensitive may prefer very spicy foods or may eat non edible objects. This is called Pica.
Over-sensitive: Slowly introduce different food textures, ensure there are no nutritional deficits due to restricted diet.
Under-sensitive: Try to make sure food is not served too hot as an under-sensitive person may not notice and burn themselves.
People who are under-sensitive may not notice extreme smells, like bad body odour or the smell of rubbish.
Oversensitive people often get overwhelmed by smells, like shampoos, perfumes and food.
Over-sensitive: Try to make the environment as fragrance free as possible. Use low fragrance detergent, shampoo and cleaning products.
Under-sensitive: Establish a personal hygiene routine, a routine for getting rid of rubbish and cleaning room/home.
Under-sensitive can result in a need for sensory input, like rocking, jumping, or spinning.
Over-sensitive people can have difficulty in sport and can experience travel sickness.
Over-sensitive: Breaking tasks activities into smaller steps and using visual cues can make them more manageable.
Under-sensitive: Encourage activities that activate the vestibular system, like jumping and walking.
Under-sensitive people may stand too close to people or objects and often have difficulty navigating through rooms.
Over-sensitive people may have difficulty with tying shoe laces and doing up buttons.
Over-sensitive: Fine motor skills activities can help like making pasta necklaces or learning how to crochet.
Under-sensitive: Establish a rule for personal space, use weighted blankets to help ground the person.
This is a video created by Aspire Productions documenting the experience of asperger syndrome and sensory sensitivity. Watch the short clip to see the world from her perspective.
Many people with autism /asperger syndrome have a special interest. These vary from person to person and are unique to each individual on the spectrum. These tend to start from a young age and can change over time.
Provide a time to relax and destress.
Makes initiating conversations easier.
Can provide structure and predictability to the person’s day.
Friendships can develop through a shared interest.
Special interest can also be a great way for someone with autism to study in the area they are interested in and gain employment in this field.
While special interests are important to people with autism, they can sometimes cause friction in households or between peers and colleagues.
Understand why your family member enjoys focusing on their special interest Could the increased amount of time spent on the special interest be due to anxiety or boredom?
Increase structure into the day. This can reduce anxiety and boredom levels, which may reduce the negative impact of the special interest.
Help reduce anxiety. This can be with mental health professionals, or home supports like mindfulness and meditation.
Set boundaries. It can be important to set limits on special interests. This can gradually happen over a number of weeks or months.
Ben’s special interest is history and he loves talking about the new books he is reading and new facts he has learned. However, Ben is unable to concentrate in school or communicate with his peers because he only wants to talk about history. After addressing his anxiety levels and need for structure, Bens parents set boundaries on how often Ben can talk about history. For example;
1. Ben is allowed to talk about history as he usually does, but is introduced to the idea of this time being limited to allow him to make friends and enjoy other activities.
2. Create a plan with Ben, with visual supports if he would prefer, so that he can see the changes that will happen each week.
3. Decide with Ben if he would prefer to talk about history in smaller chunks throughout the day, or larger chunks but less often.
4. Week 1, Ben is now allowed to talk about history every hour, for 15 minutes.
5. For week 2, Ben is now allowed to talk about history for ten minutes every hour.
6. For week 3, Ben is now able to talk about history for 10 minutes every 1.5 hours.
7. In the fourth week, Ben will now talk about history for 10 minutes every 2 hours.
This process will provide Ben with the skills to be able to concentrate in school, and socialise with his peers and focus his attention to other important aspects of his life. Please remember that it is really important to not prevent someone from spending time on their special interest. This is something which is very important for people with autism and should never be eliminated from their lives.
Some people with autism may struggle with setting aside the special interest to complete tasks during the day. This is when a special interest becomes an obsession and is heavily motivated by anxiety. This can have an impact on the persons health and wellbeing. If any of the following issues arise, it may help to seek support from a mental health professional:
The person is not enjoying the special interests but are unable to stop.
There is a significant impact on other people, like family members and carers.
It is preventing them from concentrating in school, college or work.
Forming or maintaining friendships being negatively impacted.
Routine and structure can be very soothing to autistic people. When the world is confusing it can be helpful to have some sense of predictability. The need for routine and structure can increase during times of high stress.
Eating the exact same food each day
Walking the exact same route to work
Having a specific routine for when you come home from school
Only wearing specific clothing
Moving house
Changing schools
The change in routine during summer holidays
Physical changes to an environment, such as a new layout in your house or office
Find out about changes in advance. For example, if you know that there will be timetable changes in school, get in touch with the school to find out the exact changes.
Prepare for changes. If you are coming up to the summer holidays or easter break and you know there will be a change in routine, discuss the upcoming change in routine well in advance.
Use visual supports. These can be pictures of a new teacher, or a timetable of the new routine for summer holidays.
Be prepared for anxiety to increase. Change in routine and structure will increase stress levels. Have a plan in place for when this happens. It can be helpful to create a sensory box to help. This can include anything the person likes which relaxes them. IT can include a favourite book, fidget toys and art supplies.
Aspire Productions documentary about asperger syndrome has a character called Billy. Billy has a very similar routine in place most days and struggles if this changes. Watch the short clip to see the world from his perspective
Repetitive behaviours are not unique to the autism community. Examples of repetitive behaviours include: feet tapping, cracking knuckles and listening to the same song on repeat.
Repetitive behaviours can be repetitive motions, repetition of words (echolalia), vocalizations and repetitive movement of objects. These behaviours are also known as stimming and self-stimulating behaviours. While most people can control when they exhibit repetitive behaviours, they are often involuntary for people with autism.
Repetitive behaviours vary from person to person. Each individual with autism has a unique self-stimulating behaviour. These behaviours can be consistent throughout a person’s life, but can often change over time. For example, one person may flap their hands as a child, use a fidget toy as a teenager and paint as an adult. Here are some other common repetitive behaviours for different senses;
Visual: finger flicking
Auditory: making vocal sounds
Tactile: hair twirling
Taste: licking objects
Smell: smelling objects
Vestibular: rocking front to back
Proprioception: jumping
Many autistic people will stim to reduce the level of sensory input experienced. It is also a way to reduce the likelihood of experiencing a meltdown or shutdown.
Some individuals may seek sensory stimulation. For example, jumping on a trampoline or lifting something heavy this is a way to regulate emotional and behavioural responses to sensory stimulation.
Many self-regulatory behaviours are used to reduce stress and anxiety. Focusing your attention on stimming rather than what is causing anxiety can be calming for many people.
Stimming is not always about avoiding a meltdown. Many people with autism will exhibit repetitive behaviours when they are excited or happy like echolalia or jumping up and down.
Yes. It is very important for people with autism to be able to use repetitive behaviours. These behaviours are a way to regulate emotions and behaviour. If these are stopped, it would cause a great deal of distress to the person.
However, there are some repetitive behaviours which may put someone with autism at risk. These include head banging, hair pulling and self-harming.
It is important to keep someone safe if exhibiting self-harming behaviours. For example, providing alternatives or increasing structure could help reduce self-harming behaviours.
Head banging could be replaced using a swing. This will provide a similar sensory experience.
A sensory bag, of carrots or chewing gum could be a safe alternative to nail and finger biting.
This may help reduce anxiety and increase the predictability of the day which may reduce self-harming behaviours.
If the behaviour is driven by anxiety, seeing a mental health professional would be beneficial.
Executive functioning is a set of cognitive skills that include working memory, self-control and flexible thinking processes.
Executive functioning controls a wide variety of skills. Therefore, it is hugely important for living and learning. It is difficult to fully understand executive functioning without listing the different areas of difficulty.
The ability to control escalating emotions in order to complete a task and keeping emotions to an appropriate level. Having emotional control can keep disruptive emotions in check and prevent negative emotions from ruining your day.
Inhibition is the ability to complete a task in sequence and stay focused. This also includes problem solving, staying on topic and avoiding going off on tangents.
This involves several other executive functioning skills. Getting started on a task requires planning, prioritisation time management, organisation, impulse control, attention, and working memory. The biggest issue is often getting started and what to do next.
The ability to carry out more than one cognitive process at a time. For example, being able to perform a task while talking.
The ability to plan and organise time, information and procedures efficiently. For instance, carrying out instructions accurately and completing tasks on time.
Self-monitoring is a way to monitor actions, behaviours and thoughts. For example, staying on topic when talking, answering questions accurately and noticing changes of topics in groups. Additionally, noticing when you have made a mistake and being relatively accurate in your judgment of your own and others’ behaviour is also considered within self-monitoring.
This is the ability to shift attention if something changes. Additionally, being able to change how something is being done when asked and being able to see multiple possible solutions to a problem are examples of this behaviour.
The ability to hold onto information in order to process it. This can include; the ability to identify the main point, take all information into account, tell a cohesive story in a logical sequence, reading comprehension, and following instructions.
Anxiety is how your body and mind react to stressful, dangerous and unfamiliar situations. Anxiety is not always considered a bad thing as it helps us stay away from danger and makes us more alert. However, it becomes a bigger issue when it impacts on your ability to live life as full as you would like. Furthermore, when anxiety impacts on your day to day life, it can lead to an anxiety disorder.
Racing heart beat
Sweating more than normal
Trembling
Rapid breathing, which is often shallow
Tense muscles
Headaches
Feeling of panic and panic attacks
Dry mouth and/or difficulty swallowing
Nightmares
Difficulty getting to and staying asleep
Poor concentration
Upset tummy
Other health issue or illness flaring up, like asthma or dermatitis.
No interest in sex or low libido
Feeling irritable
Always being in a bad mood
Avoiding situations or experiences that can trigger anxious feelings
Difficulty controlling worry
Feeling of impending doom, danger or panic
Needing constant reassurance
Being a perfectionist
Focusing on what can go wrong in any situation and being pessimistic
Anxiety can be caused by a number of factors and differ for each individual. However, common causes include trauma, illness and work.
Research has shown that if you have a close family member with anxiety you may be at a higher risk of developing anxiety. However, this is not specific to genetics and is about learned behaviours.
Difficulties which occur during childhood, adolescence and adulthood can trigger anxiety. For example, experiencing neglect as a child, bullying or losing a family member are all examples of possible anxiety triggers.
Work
Work or being out of work can cause anxiety. For instance, financial worries, work place bullying or a lack of a work-life balance can all trigger or exacerbate anxiety.
Having a serious, long term or life threatening illness can cause or increase anxiety. Mental health conditions like depression can also increase anxiety levels.
Alcohol and drugs can increase anxiety levels. Both the misuse and withdrawal of drugs and alcohol can trigger and worsen anxiety.
Many people experience anxiety. However, there are many symptoms that can tell you that anxiety is becoming difficult to handle and support may be needed:
Feelings of anxiety are very strong and last a long time
Worries and fears are out of proportion with the situation
Worries are hard to control
Symptoms are experienced regularly
Enjoying life becomes challenging
Engaging in activities you like becomes difficult
Depression can be described as a low mood which lasts for a long time and affects everyday life. At its lowest form, depression can make everything which you are doing more difficult and seem less worth while. However, in its most extreme, depression can be life threatening.
There are many symptoms of depression which vary from person to person. Although it is unlikely to experience all symptoms of depression, it is important to be aware them. Below are the psychological, social and physical symptoms of depression.
Feeling down, upset or tearful
Restlessness, irritability and feeling agitated
Feeling empty or numb
No self-confidence or self esteem
Despair and the feeling of hopelessness
Suicidal thoughts an or suicidal ideation
Concentration difficulties
Difficulty remembering things
Avoiding social interaction or events which are usually enjoyed
Difficulty at work, at home and or with family life
Neglecting hobbies and interests
Difficulty sleeping, sleeping too much or feeling tired all of the time
Weight gain due to over eating
Weight loss due to under eating from of lack of appetite
Aches and pains without any physical cause
Low sex drive or libido
Changes to menstrual cycle
Difficulty speaking or thinking clearly
Self-harming or suicidal behaviour
Depression can be caused by a number of factors including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, and stressful life events. It’s believed that several of these forces interact to bring on depression.
If there is a family history of depression, there may be a greater chance of developing depression.
Postnatal depression affects women after childbirth. This can be due to physical and hormonal changes in the body and the stress of the experience. Additionally, the added stress and responsibility of caring for a new born can increase stress levels and result in postnatal depression.
A traumatic or stressful life event can cause depression. This can include a bereavement, job loss, divorce or financial worries.
Having a life threatening or a long term illness can be a risk factor for depression. This can include stroke, cancer or other ongoing health issues.
Having a lack of connection with friends and family can leave a person feeling lonely. As a result of feeling lonely and isolated, there is an increased risk of developing depression.
Certain people may be at a higher risk of depression due to their personality. An individual’s personality is a mix of genetic make-up and life experiences. Some people with anxiety or low self-esteem may be at a great risk of depression along with those who are overly self-critical.
Drugs and alcohol are often used as coping mechanisms for people. Although they can make you feel better, these feelings are often temporary, with low moods being experienced after use. Consequently, alcohol and drugs can increase a person’s risk of developing depression. They can also exacerbate depressive symptoms in individual’s with depression.
Selfcare is the deliberate way in which we take the time to take care of our mental, emotional and physical health. Selfcare is completely individual and changes with each person. One person’s needs differ from another’s, selfcare is completely individual to you.
Selfcare reduces stress, improves emotional stability and promotes good sleep patterns.
It supports us during times of loss and change.
It helps us to heal and recover from challenging times.
It prevents burnout, which leads to a feeling of both physical and emotional exhaustion.
Feeling like you are being selfish by taking time for yourself.
Not setting out a specific time or day for your selfcare routine.
Believing that others needs are more important than yours.
Not developing a routine around your selfcare can sometimes mean it gets moved or forgotten about.
Sleep is extremely important to your overall health and well-being. Think about your night time routine and how you could change it to encourage a better night’s sleep.
Maintain a routine, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
Caffeine will keep you awake so should be avoided a few hours before you go to bed.
Avoid eating before going to bed.
Create an environment which promotes a good sleep, a dark room that is quiet and slightly cool.
Avoiding screens an hour before you go to bed.
Healthy eating is a great way to practice more selfcare. Eating more fruit and vegetables in your diet will increase your vitamin and mineral intake and reduce your sugar and starchy snack intake.
Cooking can be very therapeutic and not only increases your interest in food, and independent living skills, but can also provides you with the opportunity to practice some selfcare. Listen to your favourite music or a podcast while cooking and it can make the experience all that more enjoyable.
Cooking also provides the opportunity to spend some time with friends or family.
Exercise improves your mood, reduces your anxiety and stress levels and improves your physical health. The HSE recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week. This could be walking at a brisk pace, gardening, swimming or cycling.
Sometimes saying no to those around us can protect us from burning out. If you are stressed or anxious, it is important to take time out to recover and recuperate. Some people may feel obligated to say yes to every invitation but protecting yourself is also very important.
Saying no sometimes is a good way to introduce more selfcare.
Do something new and out of your normal schedule. Going on an adventure, big or small, can be a great way to reconnect with yourself and practice selfcare. Try sightseeing, the cinema, camping, or something which you wouldn’t get time to do normally.
Nature is a great stress reliever. Fatigue, stress and anxiety can be reduced by going outside. It can also help improve your sleep.
Being around animals and pets can be very beneficial. They can help reduce anxiety and stress levels. If you do not have your own pets, maybe volunteering in an animal sanctuary is something which could interest you and they are always looking for volunteers to help.
Take some time away from your tv and phone to read. Maybe you have a long bus journey, bring a book and read during your commute.
Getting organised means that you will be able to practice selfcare.
Make a new routine for yourself, set aside a time in your day for selfcare and stick to it.
Bringing your dog on a walk after dinner, having your lunch in the garden, or listening to your favourite podcast in the morning are all examples of small pockets of selfcare you can fit in to your day.
Make a selfcare plan for 2 weeks and see how you feel afterwards.
Introducing something new can take a while to become part of your normal routine. After the 2 weeks you can reassess what you would like to focus on, for example, more time outside or more time with friends.
People engage with mental health professionals for a wide variety of reasons. You could be becoming overwhelmed with stress at work, or having difficulty in your relationships with friends or family. If you feel troubled, grieved or unable to make decisions, a mental health professional can help. If you have experienced a critical event, like a death, accident, change of job or have been the victim of a crime it may be time to seek help and support.
Things should improve when you link in with a therapist. Recovery is sometimes like a rollercoaster. You can experience moments of feeling down or moments when you feel a lot better. In general, you should feel a change and notice a change within the first 10 sessions with a therapist. If you do not feel things are progressing in the way you feel they should, discuss this with your therapist and they can then try something different to help you. Communicating your worries is important and allows the therapist to understand how you are progressing through your sessions.
Therapists, when they first meet you, will go over a contract with you and ask you for emergency contact information and details of your GP. This information is confidential but would be used in the instance where the therapist feels that you are a risk to yourself or to others. The therapist may then tell you about themselves and their background. They will then ask you to discuss why you have decided to link in with the service. It is important to build a relationship with your therapist, this allows for you to feel comfortable enough to discuss personal feelings.
There is no definitive answer to this question and it will most certainly depend on the reasons for attending a counsellor. Some people can attend counselling for years due to a significant trauma or ongoing difficulties, but some people may only need to attend for a few months before feeling secure and safe enough, with the guidance of a counsellor to take a break or ceasing sessions. A counsellor will not continue seeing you for appointments if they feel that they are no longer necessary and will develop a plan to slowly ease you from sessions over the course of a few weeks or months.
UDL is a set of principles that gives all students equal opportunities to learn. To cater to students different learning styles, UDL provides flexibility in its teaching methods and assessment process. The three core principles educators should follow are; multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation and multiple means of expression.
Engagement: Giving students multiples ways to engage with material.
Representation: Presenting information in multiple ways for students of all learning styles.
Expression: Allowing students to express what they have learned in different ways.
Clearly laid out course goals for the class and term.
Course objectives clearly laid out.
Clear assignment details and deadlines to help students plan their time.
Providing an outline of the days class at the start of class.
Summarising key points at the end of class.
Accommodations can support all students in the classroom, not just those who require additional support. If planning a course, consider the following;
What is the purpose of the course?
What methods of instruction are absolutely necessary and why?
Are the methods for assessing student outcomes absolutely necessary? Why?
What outcomes are required of all students? Why are they essential?
The acceptable levels of performance on student outcome measures. What are they?
The transition between school and college can be difficult to navigate, this may cause increased stress and or anxiety. Here are a few differences between secondary school and further education.
You no longer have to call your teachers ‘sir’ or ‘miss’. Lecturers, and tutors usually go on a first name basis.
You will probably be allowed to bring a laptop into your class to take notes.
There will most likely be boys and girls in your class.
You don’t have to wear a uniform anymore. Unless specific for your course (Nursing, Culinary Arts etc).
You may be allowed bring your tea or coffee into class with you.
There are no set seats in college, unless assigned by your lecturer or tutor.
Your timetable may not be completely full, you may have 2 or 3 hour gaps in your day which you will need to fill.
You will be expected to do a lot of independent learning outside of your classroom hours.
You will have different modules during your time in college. Some courses change these with each semester (before Christmas and after Christmas), others will be changed every year so you have the same modules for the full college year.
You don’t have to ask to go to the bathroom. In college you are in charge of your own bodily functions.
There will be multiple places to get food and drinks on the campus, there will be a canteen and a coffee shop or café etc.
You can bring your own lunch to college and eat it in the canteen. This is a great way of saving money and not having to worry about long queues in the college canteen.
Smoking is permitted in designated areas on the college grounds.
There may be a bar or pub on the campus.
There are clubs and societies that you can join, from extreme frisbee, to rugby, computers and dance. Each college has their own unique set of ‘clubs and socs’.
You can drive to college and park on the college grounds.
You will have access to the disability support service in your college for supports.
You may have had an SNA in school, you will not have an SNA in college.
Disability support services differ within each college. Applying for college through the DARE scheme will link you in with the disability services automatically. Alternatively, call in to the disability service office and make an appointment to discuss your needs.
Here are examples of the kinds of supports available in further education.
Academic support is not specific to students with disabilities. It is a great resource for anyone having difficulty studying and structuring essays. This service can also support with;
Creating a study timetable
Referencing styles
How to read academic journals
Using technology to improve your writing style
Exam support will depend on your diagnosis and if you require supports. Nevertheless, it is important to discuss what supports are available to you with the disability service. Supports available include;
The use of a scribe
Having a separate room
Extra time, for example, 10 minutes extra per hour
The use of a computer
Occupational therapy support helps students to manage their time and coursework along with identifying positive social experiences to try. Additionally, it can support students with;
Developing a selfcare routine
Independent living skills
Communication skills
Identifying social opportunities
Assistive technology makes completing tasks easier. These supports can help with a variety of issues such as;
Apps to improve grammar
Tools to help take notes
Speech to text technology
Apps to support productivity levels
There are a number of financial supports in place for students in further education. For example, these supports can support students with buying of books, equipment, and the costs of attending college. However, please note that none of these are specific to students with a disability.
Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) offers financial support for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The Back to Education Allowance Scheme provides financial assistance to those in receipt of certain social welfare payments who are returning to full time education.
Springboard offers free further education courses for those in and out of employment.
The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE)
Finding your way around college campus and buildings can be very daunting and can take some time to get used to. Getting familiar with the campus can ease your stress levels and make you less anxious. Some of this can even be done ahead of time, before starting college.
Find out where the closest bathrooms are for each of your classes and lectures.
Find where the ATM is on campus. This is important if you need to have cash for use in the library, canteen or shop.
See what food is available in the different dining options on campus, how much it costs and times that food is served. It is also good to find out how you manage with any sensory difficulties in different cafes and canteens.
Find the different class rooms and lecture halls that you will be in.
See how long it takes you to get from class to class. Sometimes classes are in different buildings in different parts of the campus. This planning ahead will reduce your stress as you will know how long it takes to travel between classes.
Find the route you take from the bus to your building and note how long it takes. A different route could be used each day depending on your timetable.
Find the disability support service on campus and make an appointment to find out the supports they can provide to you.
Check where the doctor, nurse and counselling services are.
Find out how to use the library and the areas where books you need for specific subjects are located.
Pack your bag the night before so you don’t forget anything important. Look at your timetable to ensure you bring the right books and notebooks.
Organise your outfit for the next day before you go to bed. Having clean clothes set out reduces your stress in the morning and means it takes you less time to get ready.
Make your lunch the night before. This can save you a lot of money, and reduces your time waiting in queues if you are in a rush.
Get up early to give yourself plenty of time to eat, shower, get dressed, do your hair etc.
Have breakfast in the morning. If you’re not a breakfast person, make sure you bring something for when you get hungry later on in the morning.
Check college emails for any changes in your timetable so you can plan for them.
If you bring a laptop to college, remember to take your charger with you.
Have your phone charged.
Remember your timetable. Keep a copy in your diary and another on your phone or laptop so you never go without it.
Bring sensory supports with you. These help during your commute and your time in college.
Give yourself plenty of time to get from your house to the bus stop and the bus to your classroom, especially during rush hour.
By keeping yourself organised while in further education you reduce the likelihood of sleeping in late, missing classes and falling behind on your work. It also helps to get into a consistent routine.
Securing a place in college through the CAO and using the DARE scheme (disability access route to education) means your son/daughter will be contacted by the college before the start of term.
If they did not apply through the DARE scheme, you will need to inform the college of their diagnosis.
A non-CAO third level institution will require you to check their website on how to register with the disability service.
If possible, you should attend your son/daughters first meeting with the disability service.
If you wish to be able to communicate directly with the disability service, bring a letter of consent with you to the first meeting. Remember this is a concession on the part of the college and if you abuse it, the impact will be felt by other families.
Disability service supports differ from college to college. However, the important thing is that you give them a good picture of your son/daughter.
Write down things they find problematic.
People with autism have difficulty with transitioning. However, difficulties negotiating the campus can case lateness, which has a greater impact on the individual. Supports can be implemented if lecturers are aware of this issue and it persists beyond the three week induction period.
Encourage your son/daughter to try all dining choices on campus. This will allow them to find the environment which suits them best.
Exposure to large, loud and overwhelming dining experiences may result in isolation at lunchtime. This will greatly restrict opportunities for social interaction.
College timetables are often fragmented resulting in gaps between lectures. If students need to stay on campus during these times, it needs to be well managed.
Making a ‘whole day timetable’ can be beneficial as lectures, studying and down time are all included.
Clubs and societies are a great way to meet new people and explore new interests. Keeping track of the social activity attendance will give you a window into their new life in addition to working as an early warning system for social pitfalls.
Extensions and accommodations need to be carefully explained and outcomes agreed in advance.
For example, if giving a three week extension on a 3,000 word essay: 1,000 words should be completed at the end of week one and it will be reviewed.
Students should introduce themselves to lecturers. Above all, it provides lecturers with information on supports needed by students.
Different services do not share information. For instance, if a student is attending counselling for anxiety, lecturers will not be informed unless the student requests it.
Communication is a two-way street. Therefore, communicating with the college if changes in your family circumstances is negatively impacting your son/daughter is very important.
This is a very easy way to organise school books, household bills or your desk in work.
For school, all english books, copies and workbooks can be kept in a red folder. The same system can be used for all subjects. For example, geography can be green and maths can be blue. This makes packing your bag and using your locker during school easier.
This method can be used to organise post by family member, or by level of importance. For instance, outstanding bills in a red folder, takeaway menus in a green folder.
For work, you can label tasks that need to be completed this week orange and things to be completed today black. This can be changed to suit you.
Lists can be very useful for anyone who needs to keep track of daily tasks. They also benefit anyone who is a bit forgetful. Lists can be made on phones or in a notepad.
Using a list will help you remember what food you need to buy when you go shopping.
A ‘morning list’ or ‘bedtime list’ can be helpful for anyone who is anxious or for those who like a structured routine. This can be helpful for children getting ready for school or adults getting ready for work.
Whether these are on your phone, or on your wall, calendars are a great way of staying organised. They allow you to see appointments, birthdays and holidays in advance. As a result, they can help reduce anxiety and allow for more time to plan for events and changes in routine.
A child can use this to keep track of different activities going on throughout the week, like sports club or when they will have a babysitter.
An adult can use a calendar to keep on top of daily tasks like bin collection, paying bills, and reminders to lodge money into savings.
Good personal hygiene is hugely important ,some autistic people may struggle with this. Poor hygiene can negatively impact your social life, employment prospects and can lead to social isolation. To better understand the difficulties of maintaining good personal hygiene, it is important to discuss the barriers and potential solutions.
Sensory difficulties may impact on the ability to maintain personal hygiene levels. Examples of these are; the feeling of a toothbrush, the sensation of water on the skin, the smell of products or using a hairbrush. However, these issues are individual to each person.
Transitioning from one task to the next without reminders or prompts may also be difficult. Because of this, simple tasks like moving from washing your hair to washing your body can be difficult.
Timing can also be an issue. For example, common timing issues can include not knowing the length of time you need to brush your teeth, not knowing how much time has passed and how to know when you have been in the shower for an appropriate amount of time.
Create a personal hygiene routine for yourself or family member that can be followed at specific times. These specific times can be; after waking up, before and after eating, before going to asleep, after using the bathroom.
Visual supports can be there to guide you or your family member to the next task. This can be in the form of pictures or words in the bathroom and bedroom. For example, a checklist of tasks for brushing your teeth at the bathroom sink can help with staying on track.
Modelling allows for the person with autism to see how they are expected to do a task before doing it themselves. This allows for the task involved to be broken into smaller steps. For example, if the person has never shaven their legs or their face before, this is something which can be shown by a parent, or sibling.
Checklists provide a greater level of privacy and independence as it allows for tasks to be completed without additional support. These lists can be either a list of the separate tasks involved within each task (floss teeth, brush teeth, rinse with mouthwash) or a whole process (brushing teeth routine). Checklists can also be adapted to meet different needs and levels of support and can be changed as support required decreases.
Hygiene kits allow for a greater level of independence. Each ‘Hygiene Kit’ can be made for a specific task and stored in the room where they will be used. For better organisation they can also be colour coded and labelled.
Tooth brushing kit: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, timer and checklist all inside.
Shower kit: shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and a loofa/face cloth.
Shaving kit: manual razor, electric razor, shaving foam, post shave balm for the face and a face cloth.
Feminine hygiene kit: tampons, sanitary pads, liners, pain killers and a hot water bottle.
General kit: cold sore cream, bonjela, plasters, nail clippers and paracetamol.
Keeping track of what you are spending money on and reduces the fear of overspending.
It helps to avoid going overdrawn on your bank account by spending money that you don’t have.
It can help to identify whether you can afford to buy something that you would like.
It support you in managing debt by planning repayments that you can afford.
It allows you to put money into your savings.
MABS (Money Advice Budgeting Service) provide free online budgeting tools for weekly or monthly budgets. For instance, it categorizes your expenditure into different areas like groceries, medical and travel.
Your local bank branch will be able to provide this service. You can make an appointment to sit down with someone to help you better understand your income and expenses.
A family member can help identify areas of saving or cutting costs. For example, changing grocery shops can save you money on your weekly shop.
Being in receipt of Disability Allowance provides you with free travel on all forms of public transport, other than the night link and express services with a travel pass.
Alternatively, you can use a Leap Card. Leap card fares are cheaper than cash fairs. The app allows you to track your spending and top up using a phone.
An emergency fund is helpful for when you are low in money or stuck in a situation you would like to get out of. For example, you might need to get a taxi if you are feeling anxious.
Having €20 in your wallet or purse to use is a simple emergency fund option.
Many people decide to set aside some of their wages or allowances received into a savings account.
Savings can be with a bank, credit union, post office or revolut account.
Direct debits automatically take money out of your account. You can save as little as €20 a month.
Keeping your money safe
Allowing you to pay bills through direct debit (rent, phone bill, electricity)
Using online banking
Disability allowance and wages are paid into your bank account so that you are not carrying large sums of money, leaving you vulnerable to robbery
Debit cards are used to pay for most things these days and can also use it to withdraw money from your account using an ATM
A savings account can be set up along with your current account
Local bank branches will have a budgeting service
It is important to have a back-up plan in case you lose your card or it gets stolen. Talk to a family member, friend or support staff you are linked in with about how to make a plan that works for you. This plan could be as easy as;
Call a family member to let them know what has happened and so you can talk to someone when you are upset or anxious.
Ring the bank to cancel your stolen card or order a new card if you need it.
Have some cash in your purse/wallet for expenses until your new card arrives.
Pick a place which you would like to travel to. This can be a nearby town, college, school, or somewhere that interests you, like a museum or the zoo.
If the route is long, it might be worth starting off by doing part of the route rather than the full route. Splitting the route in to segments may reduce your anxiety.
Use google maps, or similar, to see what forms of transport are available to you. Your route may have multiple kinds of public transport options and will give you a breakdown of estimated journey times.
Having a family member or friend accompany you when you are learning a new route is hugely beneficial, they can be there to help if you are feeling anxious, or if you would like to go back home.
If you are practicing your route, starting off at an off-peak time may be less stressful.
If you are practicing a route to get you at your destination at a particular time, for example, college, it is important to eventually trial this route at the specific time so that you have a clear idea of the length of time needed for your journey.
Although a lot of forms of public transport have real time alerts for the next stop, it is important to identify landmarks along your route. These can be schools, churches, parks etc. This can be done during your practice travelling sessions with your family member.
Many forms of public transport have apps which give an estimated time of arrival at stops. Dublin Bus, Luas, Irish Rail and Bus Eireann all have real time information available.
Timetables are also available that break down your chosen route and its different stops, along with estimated journey times. It is important to allow for extra time around these, as they do not take into consideration road works or high levels of traffic.
A disability travel pass can be used on all forms of public transport (which does not include taxis or buses run by private companies).
If you do not have one, payment for public transport depends on the service.
Irish rail allows you to purchase tickets at a ticket machine which accepts cards and cash.
Bus Eireann allows payment in cash on board the bus.
Dublin bus only accepts coins or a leap card which can be topped up using the app, in local shops and at Luas stations.
The Luas allows you to purchase tickets at each stop using cash or cards using the ticket machine, but leap cards can also be used and validated at the tag on stations before getting on to the Luas, just remember to tag off when you get off the bus or luas or train!
Other options to transport include walking, cycling with your own bike or using a city bike service (dubinbikes or bikeshare in Galway, Cork and Limerick) which are between 10-25 euro for a year’s membership with unlimited use.
It is important to have a back-up plan in case something happens that changes your plans.
(You might get the wrong bus, get the right bus but in the wrong direction, miss your stop or the bus/luas/train might be too full for you to get on to it).
These things happen but it is important for you to make a plan so that if they do, you don’t get too stressed or anxious.
Make a plan for in case you become anxious during your journey. Share and discuss this plan with someone close to you so that they can reply to a text or call you if you get in touch while travelling.
Sometimes when using public transport, someone may strike up a conversation but typically people do not like to talk to strangers while on public transport and keep to themselves.
People often like to sit in a particular seat when using public transport. We often gravitate towards this seat. Sometimes the seat will be free and sometimes it wont. If it is not free, pick an empty seat.
However, if the bus is mostly empty but someone is sitting beside your favourite seat, it may make them uncomfortable if you sit beside them.
If you have sensory difficulties, make yourself a sensory kit to bring with you while you travel. This can include your headphones so you can listen to music or a podcast, a book, a fidget, sunglasses, a hat etc.
This sensory kit may help you feel less anxious and will dilute some of the senses which are causing stress.
Research sensory friendly shopping times in your local shop, if available. Check what time and day of the week that these are on. Alternatively you can consider visiting your local shops at an off-peak time.
Plan your meals so that you don’t buy too little or too much food. Deciding what meals you will be having in the week will also help you plan ahead and will help complete your shopping list.
Have a list in your kitchen which you can add to throughout the week for food and household supplies that you need to buy. This can then be used as part of our shopping list. Depending on what works better for you, have a written list and bring a pen to the shops with you to tick the items off your list, or make a list on your phone, or a shopping list app.
If you have sensory difficulties while shopping, bring your headphones and listen to some music while going around the shop. If the bright lights bother you, bring sunglasses with you. It is often quite cold in supermarkets, wear something comfortable to keep you warm if you are sensitive to temperatures.
Visit the shop with a friend or family member and take pictures of the layout of the shop so that you are less apprehensive when you go by yourself and you will have a better idea of where certain items are located.
The important things to remember: Phone, Keys, Wallet/Purse
Your shopping list, on paper
Shopping bags
Bring a €1 or € 2 coin with you for a trolley, some shops take different coins, or get a keyring for shopping trolleys
Sensory supports: Headphones and playlist, sunglasses, gloves, fidgets etc
Using a shopping trolley in the supermarket is often less stressful than a basket as it means you do not need to pack your bags at the checkout and can place all groceries back in the trolley and pack your bags at the bag packing area afterwards, at your own pace. You can decide what best works for you.
When choosing meat and dairy products, make sure you look at the use by date and try to get the date farthest away.
Frozen vegetables are really handy to have, as they don’t spoil like fresh vegetables. Buying frozen vegetables like corn, peas, peppers, spinach and broccoli are handy to keep in your freezer to use for dinners.
When at the cash desk/till, unload your groceries onto the belt. Try to pack similar foods together, cleaning supplies together, meats together, frozen foods together, and don’t squish bread or eggs at the bottom of your bags. You can pay with your bank card, phone (if you have it registered to your bank card) or with cash.
There are self-service checkouts available in some supermarkets and these allow for you to go at your own pace. These are only for customers with baskets and not for those with trolleys.
Unpack your shopping and place them in the fridge and presses. Make sure you put anything frozen away first.
Relax after completing your grocery shop. Do something nice for yourself, even if it is just to sit with a cup of tea to help you decompress.
Don’t use food after their use by date.
If you have forgotten something on your list, its ok, it happens to everyone. Put the forgotten items on your new shopping list and get it in next grocery shop. If the item is needed that day, you could pop in to your local shop.
Autism is diagnosed at all ages. It is typically assessed from the age of seven. However, diagnosis after this age is very common. Due to greater levels of understanding and awareness of autism within communities and professionals, many people are getting diagnosed later on in life.
Gaining a better understanding of yourself and the supports to put in place to assist in areas of difficulty.
Joining the autism community and meeting others with similar difficulties, common interests, and shared experiences.
Accessing autism specific supports and services to help with anxiety, social skills and relationships.
There are two assessment routes available; the public or private route.
Public assessments are arranged through your GP or Local Health Centre. A referral will be made to the local Disability or Mental Health Team who then arranges a consultation.
Referral to a multi-disciplinary team who will complete a comprehensive assessment. These teams include; psychology, speech and language and occupational therapy.
Priority access to services available through your local team. However, these can be quite limited.
Some schools require a report generated by a public team and may be unable to apply for resources for students without it.
Long waiting times, some over 18 months.
There may be limited support available after a diagnosis.
A private assessment is an alternative to the long waiting times of the public system. Assessments can be made by the person themselves and no referral is needed.
Considerably shorter waiting times.
High costs for both adults and children.
Some schools no longer accept private assessments to access supports in school.
This is a monthly payment, it is for those caring for a child with a disability. The care provided by the individual must assist the child to carry out daily life and activities.
To qualify, the child must
Have a disability that lasts at least 12 months
Be under the age of 16
Meet the medical criteria (see below)
Be residing in the State
The child must have a disability that requires care significantly above the care of a child of the same age who does not have a disability. This may not be based on the type of impairment or disease but the resulting challenges that imply that the child needs extra care and attention.
The Medical Examiner of the Department will take the following into account while reviewing the case:
The history of the case
Medical reports provided
The account of the parent/carer in relation to the extra care and attention that the child requires
If refused on your first application, you can request a review from a different Medical Examiner in the Department of Social Protection.
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/30fac9-domiciliary-care-allowance/
A payment made to individuals caring for a person who needs support due to illness, old age or disability. In addition to the payment, there are free household benefits and a free travel pass included in this payment. To qualify for this payment, both the person providing care, and the person receiving care must meet certain criteria.
Live with the individual or be in a position to provide full time care and attention to the person (who does not normally reside in an institution/residential care)
Reside in the State
Be over the age of 18
Not be engaged in employment, training or education for more than 15 hours per week
If engaged in these activities for less than 15 hours per week, adequate care for the individual must be arranged
Be over the age of 16 and in need of significant care and attention beyond that of a person of the same age
Be under the age of 16 and in receipt of domiciliary care allowance
In need of constant care and supervision to avoid danger to themselves and to allow them to carry out daily activities and basic functions
www.gov.ie/en/service/2432ba-carers-allowance/
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/carers/carers_allowance.html
Carers Support Grant is an annual allowance paid to carer’s. This payment can be used to fund respite care, but this is the decision of the carer. It can be paid to carer’s who are not in receipt of the Carer’s Allowance.
Over 16 and residing in Ireland
Caring for the person full time and for longer than a 6 month period
www.gov.ie/en/service/16220307-carers-support-grant/
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/carers/respite_care_grant.html
This is a weekly social welfare payment to people who have a disability. Although everyone with autism is able to apply for this allowance, not everyone will be deemed eligible.
Be aged between 16 and 66
Have a disability, mental health issue or disease that is likely to last more than a year and significantly impair your ability to work in a position that would be otherwise suitable for a person of the same age and qualifications
Satisfy a medical assessment. Your doctor will complete a medical assessment form and a decision will be reached by the medical assessment team in the Department.
Satisfy a means test and habitual residence conditions. Your total means must fall below a certain level. An example of primary items that count as means are: cash income, savings, investments and maintenance paid to you.
Address
30 Ballinteer Park, Ballinteer, Dublin 16, D16F651
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