Autism, Stimming and the RPM letter board

When the Letter Board is Used for Stimming

Stimming, for Aiden, is like having a best friend. It helps calm him down when he's anxious, giving him something to do when he's bored. I've noticed he uses the letter board to do stimming is well.  Always on the lookout to gather information to help him, I decided to ask on and about it with the letter board.

ML: “Aiden, I've noticed that sometimes when we are working on spelling with the letter board, your fingers move over the board before pointing out the letter you wants. What's happening when you do that?  How does it feel when your fingers move across the letter board?”

Aiden: “Sometimes I get caught up in the shapes of the letters in the textures. I like moving my fingers over the letter board.”

ML: “What helps bring you back to focus on spelling the word?”

Aiden: “When you ask me a question like, ‘is that letter ‘A or B’, or when you say, “focus Aiden, what's the next letter?’”

I then thank him for sharing with me, letting him know it's easier for me to understand what he needs when he shares information with me. I tell him, “It helps my brain to become smarter so I can become better at helping you learn. This way, we are helping each other to become smarter.”

Changing up my pace and vocal variety also helps keep his interest from stimming.  What works for you?

Autism, RPM and Handwriting

Aiden and I were beginning our day together when I spoke. “Your mom tells me you hate writing sentences. Tell me about it.” I handed him the letter board and he spelled, “its hard work.”  I answered by stating, “Do you want to know why I have you write sentences?” He nodded a yes.

“Soma wants you to write sentences because it helps your brain work better and makes it easier for you to remember things we go over with your studies.” I then write down some of the reasons why hand writing is important:

1.      It can have a calming effect as it keeps your mind focused on doing something rather than feeling anxious.

2.      It balances the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

3.      It strengthens your cognitive, thinking skills.

4.      It inspires creativity.

5.      It improves memory.

6.      It uses more part of your brain, like a muscle to make it stronger.

After that, he was quiet and calm, doing his academic work with me.

Autism, RPM, Communicating Feelings

In order to have a sense of how Aiden is feelings, I usually begin our day with checking in to see how he’s feeling emotionally and where his anxiety level is when presented a number line from 1-10.  He’s given a laminated card with colors on one side and numbers on the back.

The colors are:

·         Black—melt down time

·         Red—I’m angry and mad

·         Yellow—I’m a bet frustrated

·         Green—I’m happy

·         White—I don’t know how I’m feeling

I place the card in front of him and he chooses which color he’s feeling in that moment.

I flip the card over to show the number line. It gives him a chance to show me how anxious he feels. He often chooses 5.  After that, I present the number board and ask him to tell me how anxious he’s feeling right now.  After he chooses a number, I ask, “What would make you feel less anxious?”  Then, I show him the letter board and have him either spell a word or a sentence. If he wants to go to the gym to walk, I tell him that’s a great idea.  “Let’s do some work first and then we can go for a car ride to the gym.” If he’s in a fairly good mood, we’ll begin our RPM lesson.

            I often check in with his feelings and anxiety a couple of more times during the day to see if there are any changes.  If his mood fluctuates, showing anger and/or anxiety, I back off and give him more space.  Even when he’s walking around the house or in the garage, we can discuss a history or science lesson. As long as he’s answering my questions, I know he’s listening and processing. 

Autism, Distractions and RPM (Rapid Prompting Method)

            Last week I arrived at Aiden’s house to find him agitated.  Him and his body was tense, he was making noises and muttering instead of using his words, and he was walking briskly around the garage space with a frown on his face. I reached for the feelings chart and placed it in front of him.

            ML:      Aiden, look at the feelings chart so you can show me how you're                            feeling. What  color are you right now?

            A:         He sits down on a large exercise ball and hits my legs. My dad!                              I'm standing more in front of him and behind him. I move my                                body behind him, pointing to the color chart. He points to the red                          letting me know he's mad. When I turn it over to the anxiety                                  number line, I asked him what level is his anxiety from 1 to 10.                              He points to the number 10.

            ML:      Holding the letter board in front of him, I asked him, “What is it                            that's making you feel mad and anxious today?”

            A:         He spells the sentence, “I want to go for a walk.”

            ML:      I write this sentence down on a sheet of paper and then hand it to                          him to write it down as well using my words as a model. When                              he’s done, I ask, “If you do go for a walk, will your mad and                                  anxious feelings go away or become smaller?”

            A:         He softly replies, “Yes.”

            ML:      As I placed the letter board in front of him, I respond with,                                    “Great! What do you need to do before you can take a walk?”

            A:         He spells out the sentence, “I have to do my work.”

            ML:      “And why do we do the work?”

            A:         He answers on the letter board, “So I can learn new things and                              help my brain gets smarter.”

            ML:      “That's a great answer! Let’s go upstairs to your desk and do you                           work for 45 minutes and them will go for your walk.”

            A:         He looks more relaxed as he gets up to walk to his room.

Autism: Why Eye Contact is Difficult

Autism is known as a complex developmental disability. It usually presents itself during the first three years of a person's life. The condition is the result of a neurological disorder that has an effect on normal brain function, affecting development of the person's communication and social interaction skills.

Autism is a wide- spectrum disorder. This means that no two people with autism will have exactly the same symptoms. As well as experiencing very varying combinations of symptoms, some people will have mild symptoms while others will have severe ones.

We know from research  there are abnormalities in both the structure and function of the brains of individuals with autism. We know that children with ASD often inspect objects and people in an unusual way with their peripheral vision. It seems that there are neurological reasons for lack of eye contact and individuals with autism.

During the past few years there have been a number of adults having autism who have begun writing about their experiences whether it be through a keyboard or a letter board. When a person uses a letter board, they write each word letter by letter spelling it out. Through these writings we have learned to better understand the world through the eyes and mind of an autistic individual.

Historically, when autistic children enter the school system, they are subjected to Adaptive Behavioral Analysis (ABA); a system that requires them to repeat the same task over and over and over again. Is assumed that these children are developmentally disabled and cognitively impaired so they don't understand what's going on. That couldn't be further from the truth.

A 13-year-old Japanese boy with autism wrote and published a book in 2007 that was translated in 2013. The title of the book is ,The reason I jump: the inner voice of a 13-year-old boy with autism.  In his book, Naoki Higashida, wrote one letter at a time using a letter board. In it he answers simple questions that people asked about autism.  When he was asked, “Why don't you make eye contact when you're talking?” He said he resented all the times he was told to look people in the eye for him he couldn't do it; it made him too uncomfortable. He shared that he was actually looking at the other person's voice. Voices may not be visible things, but were trying to listen to the other person with all of our sense organs. What bothered him for a long time is the idea people have that keeping eye contact while people are talking to us means we’re having communication. This is so not true!

 Ido Kadar published the book, Ido in autism land: climbing out of autism silent prison when he was 15 years old. Like Naoki, he wrote the entire 166 page book using a letter board, one letter at a time.  When he was 12, he wrote the following, “Eye contact is hard because the light reflecting off the eyes is not calming. It's hard to explain because I'm not aware that I don't look at people until someone tells me to look at them. It's a strange habit. I can listen better if I don't look at the person. I can look, but it's not pleasant. ABA had me look in people's eyes with the timer. It was so tortuous; I did it, but with terrible anxiety.

RPM: Following the Leader; how it works with autism

I just read the most amazing blog article written by a professional explaining the dance of doing RPM with our students.  The author's name remains anonymous.
If you're a parent seeking help for your child having ASD, the description will answer some of your questions pertaining to Rapid Prompting Method (RPM)

RPM: Following the Leader

Autism, Aggressive Behaviors, Becoming a Detective

Aggressive Behaviors; Becoming a Detective

Working with Aiden has helped me become a better detective at figuring out what his behaviors are telling me about how he feels in a given moment. I know, in my head, when he grabs aggressively or hits me, to silently turn away and give him space.  If I’m physically close to him, I become an easier target for him to use to vent his feelings of anger, frustration and/or anxiety.  During these times, I may forget and respond with words, such as, “where are your hands supposed to be”?

While he’s calming down, I’m reviewing the last interactions in my mind, looking for the triggers of his aggressiveness.  How could I have behaved differently? What was his behavior telling me?

·        His anxiety and frustration were higher, noted by his facial expressions. I could have changed the subject and done something more spontaneous and playful with him through song or rhyming words.

·        I could have checked for this feelings and anxiety level before beginning the lesson.

·        I need to remember to stand behind me to the side to protect myself more efficiently when he’s upset.

·        Whenever he’s upset, remember to back away silently for a few seconds. Then, I can ask him if going to his quiet place would help him calm down.  If he says yes, then he’s back in the thinking part of his brain.  I give him that time and space. He’s getting better at calming himself down when he’s alone.

·        If he grabs me, I usually freeze, turning away from him slightly. After a few moments of my silence, he usually lets go and we move forward.

I gladly welcome any comments about what I could have done differently or any other ideas on how to help Aiden feel less anxious in the future.

Asking the Same Thing Repeatedly

When Aiden and I spend time together, he will often ask for something using one word, such as, "snack?" or "Milk?" or "Goldfish?"  In the beginning of our relationship, I would patiently explain he couldn't have goldfish because we didn't have any in the house.  He would continue to ask. As we verbally danced back and forth, the only outcome one of frustration; for both of us.

Soma reminded me to answer him differently; breaking up the pattern of this dance we did together. Perhaps he wanted to egg me into an argument. I can easily avoid it when I respond more positively.  I'm reading the book. Consistent Positive Direction, written by Bert Freeman. He teaches us to focus on what you want to have happen instead of what you want to avoid.  It's been so helpful for me when interacting with Aiden (and everyone else in my life).

Instead of saying:

"No, we don't have any Goldfish for your snack right now."

I could respond with:

"That's a great idea Aiden! Why don't you ask your mom when she gets home later today?  We're going to do 15 more minutes of work before having a snack. Then, we can see what's in the kitchen.  How many more minutes do we have to work?"

"Aiden, we have 15 more minutes of work before snack time.  What do you have to do before having your snack?" He usually responds with the word, "work."  I then answer with, "great job listening Aiden. Let's focus on our next lesson."

Autistic Students Sharing Insights and Feelings using RPM

            Have you ever found yourself doing an activity over time and then, one day, a light bulb goes on inside your head? “I just thought of a better way to do it!” It’s such a simple thing. Why didn’t I think of it before?  This is exactly how I felt when I realized I didn’t have to focus solely on academic activities with Aiden.  I could use his Spelling words and sentences on the letter board and keyboard to have a dialogue with him about his feelings and insights. If I needed an academic reason, the sentences would give him a chance to practice his spelling and creating paragraphs.

            If I knew more about his feelings of anxiety and anger, it would help me become more sensitive to how I could help him. He could probably tell me exactly what he needs from me; especially when he’s upset.

            Soma wants him to write at least three sentences daily.  We begin our RPM session with him either choosing what he wants to write about or answering questions.  One of these sessions revealed the following:

ML:      Aiden and I had reviewed his social story about personal space and 

             muscle memory. I     then said, “Tell me something about either personal 

             space or muscle memory.

A.         Muscle memory is what I do when I feel anxious.

ML:      “What happens?”

A:         My hands grab other people’s clothes.

ML:      “How do you think people feel when you grab their clothes?”

A:         They do not like it because it makes them feel uncomfortable.

ML:      “What should we do when you grab our clothes?”

A:         You should remind me to take my hands off your clothes.

ML:      “Aiden, when I’ve asked you to let go of my clothes, you still hold onto

             them. What else can I do?”

A:         You can take my hands away.

ML:      “Thank you for sharing with me.”

Muscle Memory or Personal Space?

         

            When Aiden and I use RPM for teaching a subject, he often reaches out and grabs the hem of the smock I wear while working with him. Sometimes, it’s a gentle motion; other times, it’s more aggressive. He and I began talking about it one day after I had a conversation with Soma about it.  She explained his frequent grabbing is like a muscle memory; something he does out of habit.  In order to change it, I have to help him develop a new muscle memory, replacing the old one.

            We also did a social story about personal space; what is it and why is it important to respect someone’s personal space.  He’s usually content to stay in his own space unless I move closer to him.  If we’re together, not doing an RPM lesson and he grabs me, I may ask, “Is this a muscle memory or personal space?” He usually answers with one or the other.  If it’s ‘personal space’, I ask him, “Where do your hands belong?”  If his anxiety level is low, he may answer with, “In my lap.”  My response might be, “thank you for using your words to tell me. Show me.”  At that point, he’ll remove his hand.

            When we’re doing a lesson, I’m standing behind him. When he reaches out to grab me, I’ll ask what it is, ‘personal space’ or ‘muscle memory?’  When he answers, “muscle memory,” I may start singing a song about muscle memory and clapping my hands or snapping my fingers.

“Can you clap your hands as well, Aiden?”  If he does, we’ll have some fun enjoying the silliness of the moment. If he doesn’t, I stop and continue with the lesson.

            What have you found works for helping someone develop a new muscle memory for grabbing?  I’d love to get your feedback and comments.

Practicing Consistent Positive Direction with Autism

Practicing Consistent Positive Direction

J. Bert Freeman's book, Taking Charge of Your Positive Direction, has given me great insights into communicating with Aiden in more positive ways. Basically, instead of saying something like, “No, don't do that,” I focus on what I want him to do; where I want him to go.  Here are some examples:

Instead of saying:	A Consistent Positive Direction statement:
“Aiden, don't grab my shirt.”	“Aiden, where do your hands belong?” “Is this a muscle memory or a personal space issue?”
“No, we don't have goldfish to eat.”	“That's a great question! Let's ask your mother when she gets home.” “As soon as we finish your lesson, we can go to the kitchen and see what's available for you to eat.” If he persists on the goldfish; Aiden, “What do we have to do before we can eat?” “Would you like to have a tic- tac right now?”
When Aiden begins to walk purposefully toward me, I say,” Don't come any closer.”	“Remember my personal space.” “Do you need to have any pressure on your hands or arms right now?”
“You didn't take your plate to the sink,” or “You forgot to take your plate to the sink.”	“Aiden, where does your plate need to go?” “What we do with our plate when we’re through eating?”
“You're hitting me makes me uncomfortable.”	“Thank you for letting me know you're feeling anxious and uncomfortable.  Let's see if we can figure out how to make you feel less anxious.”  “Let me help you find some other things you can do with your hands when you're feeling anxious.”

This approach to communication has improved my relationship with Aiden. If you can think of other statements you know would work, I’d love for you to share them with me.

Using RPM is an Adventure in Innovation

            Although using Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) teaching strategies follow specific guidelines, there’s always room for creativity and quick thinking.  Soma is a master at this. Watch any of her videos and you see how she takes whatever a student says or does and turns it into a learning experience.

            I feel honored and blessed to be able to work with Aiden. He’s a wonderful teacher for me; always letting me know when something works and when I “bombed.”  As we work through a lesson, there’s a part of me, the objective observer, silently noting the interaction between the two of us.  When he becomes upset and walks away, using the word, “NO!” emphatically, I have to ask myself what just happened:

1.      What triggered his wanting to stop?

2.      What can I do to use his walking away as a distraction to get him back to his table to do more work?

a.  “Aiden, thank you for letting me know you don’t want to continue the work we were

     doing?” Writing down on two pieces of paper, I ask, “Was it too easy and boring, or

     was it too hard for you?” 

b. Regardless of the answer, I have to re-adjust my approach.

c.  I might engage him in doing some physical mirroring activities with my hands and

    arms, giving him a chance to move away from the academic work.

d. Then, I either give him 2 choices of what to study next or ask him what should we

     look at next?

3.      I could use his walking as an opportunity to get the yard stick out and have him measure his steps from the doorway to the stairs, from the stirs to the bedroom, from the bedroom door to his desk.  If he gets to the desk, it’s easier to get him to sit down for the next lesson.

This is only one example of how I deal with his not wanting to do work. I’m sure you’ve run into similar situations. What do you do?

Neurodiversity: What Does it Mean?

  

In my studies regarding autism I've come across certain terms that were new to me.  In his blog, Neurocosmopolitanism , Nick Walker clearly explains the terminology associated with neural diversity. I plan to share some of them with you in this article. For further reference, you can follow the link I provide later to read next entire article published September 27, 2014.

Neurodiversity means the differences of human brains and minds; especially in neurocognitive functioning within our human species. According to Walker, it is a biological fact, not a perspective approach belief political position or a paradigm.

The Neurodiversity paradigm is a particular viewpoint on neurodiversity, having the following basic principles:

1.      neural diversity is a natural and valuable form of human differences

2.      there is no validity in thinking there is only one” normal” or “healthy” type of brain or mind.

3.      The social dynamics involved with neural diversity are similar to those involved with other forms of human diversity such is ethnicity, gender or culture.

Neurodivergent , also referred to as ND, means having a brain that functions in ways that differ significantly from the dominant societal standards of “normal."  Autism and dyslexia are examples of innate forms of neurodivergence, while changes in brain functioning caused by trauma, long-term meditation practice, or heavy usage of psychedelic drugs exemplify forms of neurodivergence created through experience. These two terms came from Kassianne Sibley, a multiply neurodivergent neurodiversity activist.

Neural typical, usually abbreviated as NT, refers to someone who falls within normal neurocognitive functioning. It can be used as an adjective or noun. Neural typical is the opposite of neural divergent. I like Nick Walker’s statement, 

            “narrow typical is the opposite of neural deferred, not the opposite of autistic.

            Autism is only one of many forms of neural divergence, so there are many, many

            people who are neither neurotypical nor autistic.”

To read about these terms in more detail visit Nick’s article  

neurodiversity-some-basic-terms-definitions

At what age can you begin using RPM with a child?

Soma®RPM is an educational process that can continue throughout one's life. Unlike some autism programs, Soma®RPM can begin at any stage of life and continue regardless of chronological age.  According to Soma in her book, Understanding Autism through Rapid Prompting Method, this form of teaching is, “tailored to each student's open learning channels. It empowers the learner with the best possible means to express his or her thoughts, understanding, learning and reasoning.”

The assumption is all students can learn regardless of their disability. Soma writes,

            “teaching a student with autism about history or current events leads to a greater understanding of what he or she hears and others conversations or on the

            television and  radio. This results in a greater understanding of the course of

            human events, which makes the world more interesting place in the individual

            a more well-rounded, interesting person. I maintained a greater understanding

            also leads to a diminishment of excitable behaviors, because the frustration of

            being understood estimated and misunderstood is reduced.”

When I first began working with my adolescent male student having autism, his academic work showed him working at third-grade level. After working with him using the Soma® RPM method, he's now working from eight grade texts. I'm curious to see how he responds when I began presenting him with high school level work.  For those of you using RPM, how has it worked for you?  How is your life different? I look forward to hearing from you.

Introduction to this blog

          When I was about 7 years old, I visited a corn maze with my family. It was a new experience for me. I remember walking through the maze, not exactly sure how to reach the center, and yet excited about doing so. As tutor, I have found myself moving through a similar maze with my experiences in Autism land. 

            Did you ever find yourself in a place where you felt like you were moving through a sea of confusion and bafflement; you weren't exactly sure which direction to move in next? I had such opportunities while working in the field of autism. Just as you would use a flashlight in the maze at night, I found a way to light up my way through the perplexing world of autism through the use of Rapid Prompting Method (RPM), developed by Austin-based educator Soma Mukhopadhyay. Attending her 4 day work camp, completing the RPM Introductory Course and participating with Soma during Skype consultations has given me innumerable insights into how I can serve my students better.

            As I navigate my journey through Autism with this blog, I am grateful to know you may find me as a resource. I’m looking forward to sharing information with you about latest research findings, especially about the brain and how it impacts behavior. As I use stories and share information about my experiences as a tutor using RPM, I would welcome your questions as well as your sharing your own experiences.

            How would you like to view 2-3 minute videos to speak to your day? That is one more thing you’ll eventually see on this blog.

            Through Mindfulness meditation, Compassionate Communication and Consistent Positive regard, I have found there are ways we can work with adults and children having Autism to reduce their ever present feelings of anxiety.  When we reduce a person’s level of anxiety, he or she becomes more open to learning.

            Through this labyrinth of autism, you will learn about my successes, learning opportunities and insights.  I plan to share them with you in bite size pieces through blog entries and videos. I look forward to creating relationships and sharing information on this blog to help parents, professionals and they important students themselves.

            Use my contact button to send questions, suggestions or inquiries for my speaking to your groups.