autism and anxiety
DESCRIPTION
Autism and Anxiety. High levels of anxiety – as norm Increased anxiety states for specific reasons Global levels of high anxiety due to environmental factors Possible as high as 90% of individuals have a recognisable anxiety disorder. Secondary Psychiatric Disorders. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Autism and AnxietyAutism and Anxiety
High levels of anxiety – as normHigh levels of anxiety – as norm Increased anxiety states for specific Increased anxiety states for specific
reasonsreasons Global levels of high anxiety due to Global levels of high anxiety due to
environmental factorsenvironmental factors Possible as high as 90% of Possible as high as 90% of
individuals have a recognisable individuals have a recognisable anxiety disorderanxiety disorder
Secondary Psychiatric Secondary Psychiatric DisordersDisorders
Not a primary mental illnessNot a primary mental illness Result of environmental factors Result of environmental factors High level in people with Autism High level in people with Autism
compared to peer groupscompared to peer groups Better support should lead to a Better support should lead to a
better prognosis and reduction in better prognosis and reduction in secondary conditionssecondary conditions
Specific Reasons for Specific Reasons for AnxietyAnxiety As a result of specific neurological As a result of specific neurological
differences in Autism:differences in Autism:– learning processeslearning processes– communicationcommunication– social interactionsocial interaction– Theory of MindTheory of Mind– Executive FunctioningExecutive Functioning– emotional recognitionemotional recognition– Sensory processingSensory processing– Central CoherenceCentral Coherence– obsessionsobsessions
Direct learning vs Indirect learning
Examples of indirect learning / development:
Theory of Mind
Social skills
Social cues
Non verbal communication
Learning ProcessesLearning Processes
◈Accurate interpretation
◈Metaphor / sarcasm / irony
◈Need for accuracy / lack of tautology
◈Echolalia / palilalia / delayed echolalia
◈Delayed processing
◈Meaning transferability
◈Expressive vs receptive skills
Verbal CommunicationVerbal Communication
◈Prosody
◈Facial expression
◈Body posture
◈Inference
◈Contextual information
Non Verbal CommunicationNon Verbal Communication
◈Recognising the ‘unwritten rules’
◈Assessing situations
◈Reacting appropriately to the PNT social circumstance
◈Adapting social skills to the PNT situation
Social SkillsSocial Skills
◈Conversational turn taking
◈Following the leads of others
◈Understanding ‘friendships’
◈Group settings
◈Sharing
◈Participating in game scenarios
Social CuesSocial Cues
◈Alexithymia
◈Mentalising abilities
◈Empathy
◈Trust
◈Appearance of rudeness
Theory of MindTheory of Mind
◈Planning
◈Impulse control
◈Sequencing
◈Scripting
Executive FunctioningExecutive Functioning
◈ Identifying the pattern or underlying rules
◈ Attention to detail
◈ Knowing what is relevant and redundant
◈ Recognising the 'big picture'
Central CoherenceCentral Coherence
OBSESSIONSOBSESSIONS
Can be socially inappropriate
Need boundaries around obsessive behaviour
Must recognise that obsessive behaviours can be used as coping mechanisms
Obsessions may be misinterpreted
Sensory Sensory DifferencesDifferences
◈ Neuro-physiological differences in Neuro-physiological differences in
filtering processesfiltering processes
◈ Can have major impact on Can have major impact on
behaviourbehaviour
◈ Environmental aspects can Environmental aspects can
influenceinfluence
Global ReasonsGlobal Reasons
Resistance to ChangeResistance to Change Environmental factorsEnvironmental factors TrustTrust Sense of self/diagnosisSense of self/diagnosis PhysicalPhysical
Hypothesis - resistance to change
Individuals with Autism have Individuals with Autism have significantly lower ‘stability rates’ in significantly lower ‘stability rates’ in
their day to day lives than the their day to day lives than the neurotypicalneurotypical
This may lead, in part, to an explanation of
‘resistance to change’
Dependent on:
Communication
Understanding other people
Social awareness
Predictability
Fulfilled expectations
Shared sensory environment
StabilityStability
Autism and Resistance to Change
1
2
Neurotypical 24 Hour Period
Stable
Unstable
BullyingBullying
Individuals with Autism are highly Individuals with Autism are highly vulnerable:vulnerable:– don't 'fit in'don't 'fit in'– will not necessarily follow traditional will not necessarily follow traditional
social convention (fashion, etc.)social convention (fashion, etc.)– problems with adhering to social rules problems with adhering to social rules
within society (classroom, playtime, within society (classroom, playtime, employment, social arenas, etc.)employment, social arenas, etc.)
– communication problemscommunication problems– poor PNT ToMpoor PNT ToM
EDUCATIONEDUCATION
PROBLEMS INCLUDEPROBLEMS INCLUDE Cognition can hide core defects Peer group Lack of understanding from staff Transference of problems (home to school/work/service
and vice-versa) Academia takes preference over social and emotional
development. Can lead to... Isolation Poor self-esteem Poor motivation Depression Unrealised potential
Ethics, Morality, and Ethics, Morality, and NormalisationNormalisation
It is essential that individuals with Autism are treated with
respect for their way of thinking and behaving, and that ‘normal’
value bases are not enforced upon them