Stepping Out has been successfully managing Autistic clients for years, and have developed extensive strategies surrounding the care & support of Autistic service users. Our managers & staff have also been trained in the light of Autism.
We have compiled some key features that make up just part of the Stepping Out collective Autism care & support strategy. Below is an expert from a standard Stepping Out Weekly Activity Plan for an Autistic client.
It has been clearly set out, and illustrated so that the service user can easily understand their schedule, and voice their opinions over it.
Stepping Out Autism Weekly Activity Plan
Communication:
When working with clients whom are diagnosed with Autism it is important you use clear, precise methods to communicate, we suggest using the following generalised method:
People with autism have difficulties with both verbal and non-verbal language. Many have a very literal understanding of language, and think people always mean exactly what they say. They can find it difficult to use or understand:
- Facial expressions or tone of voice
- Jokes and sarcasm
- Common phrases and sayings; an example might be the phrase ‘It’s cool’, which people often say when they think that something is good. Those with Autism may only understand the phrase literally i.e. “it’s cool outside,” instead of, “it’s cool wearing those trainers.”
Some people with autism may not speak, or have fairly limited speech. They will generally understand what other people say to them, but may prefer to use alternative means of communication themselves, such as sign language or visual symbols/picture cards.
Stepping Out provides its staff members with various picture cards and personalised documents to aid communicate with clients diagnosed with autism, these documents can be found in A4 size laminated formats, computer based formats and larger A3 sized work sheets. Support workers should always speak in a clear, consistent way and give people with autism time to process what has been said to them.
Clients with Autism generally also have difficulty with social interaction they may often have difficulty recognising or understanding other people’s emotions and feelings, and expressing their own, which can make it more difficult for them to fit in socially. They may:
- Be socially awkward possibly out in the community, for example they may stand too close to another person, or start an inappropriate subject of conversation that may offend others.
- May be fidgety, noisy and act strangely towards and around others, this may be due to sensory overload, their anxieties etc.
- Appear to be insensitive because they have not recognised how someone else is feeling.
- Prefer to spend time alone rather than seeking out the company of other people
Clients with autism may also have difficulties with social imagination. They may have trouble working out what other people know or what other people are thinking.
Autistic clients have trouble understanding and predicting other people’s behaviour, make sense of abstract ideas, and to imagine situations outside our immediate daily routine. Difficulties with social imagination mean that people with autism find it hard to:
- Understand and interpret other people’s thoughts, feelings and actions.
- Predict what will happen next, or what could happen next.
- Understand the concept of danger, for example that running on to a busy road is extremely dangerous.
- Cope in new or unfamiliar situations.
Routines & Planning:
Clients with autism function best when they have set routines, weekly plans and set goals. These plans, routines should be discussed with the client thoroughly ensuring they have maximum choice and involvement within their care and support package. Having routines reduces the client’s anxieties and may help reduce incidents around this.
Promoting Choice:
Providing a client whether autistic or not with choice is paramount at Stepping Out. We must ensure our clients are provided with and are explained all options available, from differing foods, forms of exercise to community based activities and types of employment or education. Our staff members must employ active listening and effective communication methods. Stepping Out provides its support workers with a vast array of personalised and autism specific decision making, monitoring and recording tools that can be used jointly with our clients to ensure they have as much input in to their care as possible.
The above approaches are just a few examples of the stringent measure Stepping Out take on a daily basis, when faced with an Autistic service user.
To find out more about our autism care & support services, please feel free to contact us.
