Tag Archives: sensory overload

pokemon go safety tip

Autism Safety Tips for Playing Pokémon GO

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pokemon go safety tip

image courtesy of imgur.com

Sometimes, autistic people can be a bit rigid in their behaviors and averse to new experiences. My daughter, especially, who has a high level of social anxiety, has a really hard time with any type of change or new experience. My son is more open to new opportunities, but due to being more susceptible to sensory overload our options outside the home are more limited.

Regardless of the specific reasons, the result remains the same: they are less adventurous or open to starting conversations. According to this article, Pokémon GO seems to be successfully encouraging some individuals with ASD to explore the world a bit — and, just as importantly, to engage in conversation with other Pokémon fans in the process. I say individuals because we all know it’s not just kids playing this new viral sensation ;)

On the flip side, an EMT, I’ve already witnessed some nightmare calls as a result of this game. I’ve responded to a couple of motor vehicle accidents, a pedestrian vs. auto, and an assault (mugging) – all directly related to someone playing Pokémon GO and NOT PAYING ATTENTION.

That’s why I was thrilled to discover a Pokémon GO Safety Checklist from Safe Kids DeKalb County whilst I was scrolling through my Nextdoor news feed. Here are the key takeaways from these safety tips:

Be aware of your surroundings and watch where you are going. Make sure you pay attention to where you are walking. I never advocate constantly staring down at your phone regardless. It is a great way to announce to predators that you are an easy target. Get into the habit of frequently looking up while you are on the phone. Situational awareness!!

Make sure somebody knows where you are going. Evidently the nature of Pokémon GO is that Pidgeys, Zubats and Weedles (oh my!) keep popping up on the map, a little farther away each time. That means you or your child could see another Pokémon just a little farther off and venture away into unsafe territory. Wandering is already an issue for so many autism families.

If you play at night, only walk in well-lit areas. Pokémon pop up everywhere, at all hours. It’s fine to find Pokémon in the park or on the street, but stay off other people’s property and vacant, boarded up buildings and homes. Don’t venture into sketchy areas because you are tempted by a rare Dratini sighting!

Do not drive a vehicle, ride a bicycle, or skateboard while playing. You should always hunt Pokémon on foot. It’s illegal to text and drive, so PLEASE don’t try to catch these invisible creatures while doing any of the above activities.

By the way, many of the calls we have seen have involved adults playing the game, not just kids. These tips are for everyone!

SIDE NOTE: The creator of Pokémon is autistic! My son proudly did a class presentation on Satoshi Tajiri in 2nd grade as soon as he found out they shared autism in common.

You can download the Safe Kids Dekalb County Pokémon GO Safety tips here!

autism criminal justice

Autism and the Criminal Justice System

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autism criminal justiceDuring the introduction of my Autism Training for Emergency Responders class I talk about how special needs individuals are seven times more likely to interact with first responders, usually due to wandering, comorbid medical conditions and severely escalated behaviors that may mimic mental illness, drug abuse or just plain non-compliance.

What happens when someone with autism enters the criminal justice system? There are currently no statistics going beyond interactions in the field, but it certainly does provide a challenge and opportunity for myriad complications.

Problems with sensory overload, poor understanding of sarcasm, idioms and exaggeration as well as non-verbal communication such as facial expressions and body language can foster inappropriate responses that lead to trouble for the autistic individual. Add to the mix their trusting vulnerability and inability to deal with changes in routine or structure and people with autism often get into trouble without even knowing they committed an offense.

I’m not saying that someone with Asperger’s or autism will NEVER intentionally break the law, but so often these situations get easily misconstrued. The individual may have technically committed an offense, though the criminal behavior might have been an act of impulsivity, with no intent to do harm.

My son will repeatedly make a threatening or, at the very least, rude remark to me and then is shocked when I get upset with him. He has learned to apologize when I tell him he was hurtful or inappropriate, yet he has no idea WHY he’s apologizing because in his mind, he simply made a truthful or logical statement. Or he was repeating something he heard but has no idea what it actually means.

These kinds of “processing differences” could lead to him getting in trouble with the law down the road. The Asperger/Autism Network cites examples of unintentional offenses such as:

  • Making threatening statements
  • Inappropriate sexual advances
  • Being an accomplice to a crime due to the influence of false friends
  • Making physical outbursts in a public place or within the community

Criminal justice professionals may observe a high-functioning autistic person as appearing “normal” then diagnose their seemingly odd behaviors – such as lack of eye contact, changing the subject and blunt honesty – as disrespectful, evasive and belligerent. Sometimes someone with autism uses loud vocal tones, repetitive motions and laughter as a way to cope with both the anxiety of the situation and the overwhelming sensory environment, which is often misread as guilty and remorseless behavior.

The following strategies will help prepare you for successful interaction and communicating:

  • Approach the person a quiet, non-threatening manner
  • Allow more time for processing questions and delayed responses
  • Do not interpret limited eye contact as deceit or evidence of guilt
  • Avoid phrases that have more than one meaning or may cause confusion when taken literally, such as “Are you pulling my leg?” or “What’s up your sleeve?”
  • You may need to repeat or rephrase your question
  • Stick to narrative style questions rather than “yes” or “no” type questions – they are more reliable
  • Be prepared to write down or draw out the question for visual processors
  • Be patient – avoid becoming emotionally aroused and upset
  • Be aware of sensory processing issues: keep lighting low, limit distracting images, eliminate the presence of non-essential personnel, avoid using perfume or aftershave if possible, and avoid touching the person unless absolutely necessary
  • Seek assistance from objective professionals that are familiar with autism

Most police departments have a Crisis Intervention Team, which staffs a psych nurse and an officer trained in psychiatric crisis management. They have many tools available to them that other officers may not. If you suspect autism, seek assistance from department assets such as a mobile crisis team or unit early on in the legal intervention, as they can help identify if the person may require special assistance from psychiatric professionals.

SOA Ep3

Spirit of Autism Web TV Episode 3 – Sensory Processing Issues

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On the last episode of Spirit of Autism TV, I had planned on presenting a fantastic interview with Elisa from Adventure to Fitness, but the technology gods were not shining down upon me favorably that week :) Look for that coming in October – you’re going to love it!

My good friend and teaching partner Austin agreed to come in and save my bacon at the last minute and we talked about just how much sensory processing issues affect people with Autism in their day to day lives, and provided some great tips for coping! Tune in to the replay below:

What are some of your favorite ways to help your child deal with sensory overwhelm? Share by commenting below!

Bad Behavior or Shedding Old Skin?

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Have you experienced some exciting, big changes in your child with Autism after an intensive therapy program? Did you find that shortly after you noticed great progress you were also witnessing some less than desirable behaviors?

When you start to “retrain” the brain, It’s like peeling layers of an onion and getting your child closer to their true self. Being previously veiled by sensory overload and expending most of their energy simply trying to navigate through day-to-day experiences, your child is most likely now starting to take interest in people rather than objects, become curious, and feel many emotions for the first time. Do they know how to deal with these emotions? Probably not!

You may start to see some challenging (and downright ugly) behaviors and automatically assume your child is regressing or your therapy is ineffective.

Remember that it’s like starting over in many ways. They are experiencing the world around them with new senses. While in survival mode, your child was incapable of learning some of the tools necessary for coping with everyday situations. After substantial progress is made in the way they process sensory input, they are now open to understand and practice these skills for the first time. But it does take patience.

Maybe they just found their voice and are starting to express extreme likes and dislikes, or preferences for people and activities. Maybe they are so curious they are asking incessant questions about every sentence that comes out of your mouth. Perhaps they are touching things more, or having a new kind of tantrum when they don’t get their way. Take a step back and remember this is all new.

Last night my son was in his room and I started hearing unearthly screams from behind the closed door, each swelling louder than the last, with increasing frustration. He was trying to make something work that wasn’t cooperating. My first instinct as a mother was to run in and comfort him and perhaps even correct the problem; I hated hearing him so upset! There was also a part of me that was flinching with each piercing scream, and I admittedly had control the urge to yell even louder to get him to stop.

Either action would have been a true disservice to him. What I needed to do was sit with him and explain what happens when we let ourselves get that frustrated with things. I needed to teach him a manageable protocol for dealing with those feelings, before they get to the point where he’s breaking items because he can’t get it them function correctly.

I made it clear that it was always okay for him to feel whatever he was feeling, but that there were other things he could do to deal with those feelings. We talked about how to handle it when something isn’t working – not continuing to do the same thing repeatedly (only harder), but to stop, take five deep breaths and either ask for help or start asking questions. What am I not seeing? Is there another way to do this? If it can’t be done, can I be okay with that? Can mom help? Should I call for her?

Social stories and visual cues are great tools – it’s a good time to revisit some past attempts that may or may not have been successful for you before. My son and I started employing American Sign Language and certain codes from the police and fire scanner to alert each other that it’s time to use one of our new behaviors. As often as possible, I lead him to try and work out the progression on his own instead of solely giving him exact instructions.

It’s a new and exciting time when this kind of progress is made. It’s also easy to have expectations about coping skills and behaviors you assume should come with that progress. It’s my experience that I can always use a “refresher course” on the very things I’m teaching my son for the first time.

How about you? What are some behaviors you’ve mistaken for regression? What are some ways you worked through them with your child? I’d love to hear your stories, so please comment below or post them on my Facebook page so we can help each other!