Tag Archives: mental health and autism

Autistically Thriving!

September 30, 2019Activism/Advocacy, Autism, Autistic Neurologyautism acceptance, conversation, mental health and autism, neurodiversity, neurology, reading comprehension, self-determinationadmin

Finally, after almost two years since it’s beginning, my newest book is in the printing process! A lot (besides working as usual) has happened during these two years – David (my oldest) and Heather welcomed Niko into the world (my first grandchild), Paul (middle child) and Laura moved across the country, and Daniel (youngest child) finished grad school. Also, during this time I went to Hawaii and a few months later had an unexpected surgery with a three month recovery. Entwined into all of life was the labor of this book!

Autistically Thriving
Reading Comprehension, Conversational Engagement,
and Living a Self-Determined Life
Based on Autistic Neurology

During this book writing process I’ve hardly written a blog at all. I hope to get back to blog writing in the near future. For now I will hopefully entice you with the Introduction of this new book:

AUTISTICALLY THRIVING INTRODUCTION

Most anything about autism and learning typically start out with the deficits of autism responsible for the problem experienced by the autistic. Then, it is followed up with ideas on how to address the deficits so as to impact the problem. If I were to start this book that way I would next talk about the diagnostic criteria. Here is what the DSM-5 says:

ASD Diagnostic Criteria

Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts (current or history)

1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity…
2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors…
3. Deficits in developing, maintaining and understanding relationhips…

Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities…motor movement, sensory, sameness, routine, fixated interests in objects or topics

– Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5^thed., 2013

In case you don’t know how the DSM diagnosing works I can fill you in. We have our normal everyday people on the face of the earth. They make up most of the population. Because this group makes up the majority we have decided their behaviors are typical and we label them normal. Then, everyone else is measured according to how far away from normal they land. And if they land far enough away from normal in enough areas they get a diagnostic label.

By design, DSM labels are framed in deficit terms. And in terms of diagnostics this deficit language is helpful. However, it isn’t very often helpful when we take this deficit-based language out of the diagnostic arena and use it to describe who and what autistic people are in this world.

We are ever so much more than the sum total of our diagnostic deficits. So, let’s begin with autistic people – who are they? how do they think? what are their strengths? their skills? their way of understanding the world? How do they understand other people?

All of my life, until very recently, I have only known what I am not. It is because autism is largely measured by absence of neurotypicality. My hope for the future is that autistics coming up behind me will grow up with a more positive sense of self – learning who they are in this world rather than who they are not.

In that spirit I write from a perspective shift. A self-determined life is empowered through comprehension of the context in which we live. Let’s start with autistic people and comprehension – reading comprehension and life comprehension. How does it work? How do we empower autistics, based on their neurology, to comprehend what they read and to better understand the foreign land in which they find themselves living? (Endow, 2019, pp. xiii-xv)

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AUTISTICALLY THRIVING BACK COVER TESTIMONIALS

Autistically Thriving is a groundbreaking book that shows people on the spectrum how to leverage the natural strengths of their neurology to navigate the world effectively and live up to their fullest potential. Wise, compassionate, engagingly written, and deeply knowing about the distinctive cognitive styles of autistic minds, Endow’s book makes the lessons of the author’s bold, creatively atypical life available to the next generation of neurodivergent innovators.
– Steve Silberman, Author ofNeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity

*****
Judy Endow has been my best teacher and friend for several years. My education continues with her book Autistically Thriving. This groundbreaking book helps everyone understand the autistic neurology. This is the first step in supporting autistic people to excel. If you read one book on ASD this year, this should be it!
– Brenda Smith Myles, PhD, Speaker and Author, Excelling With autism: Obtaining Critical Mass Using Deliberate Practice

*****
Judy Endow has again created another thought-provoking yet practical resource for supporting those on the autism spectrum. It is not only filled with deep insights and rich examples, but it is honestly one of the best books I have ever read on how to support students who have unique ways of engaging in lessons, understanding material, and interacting with others.

Judy Endow simply sees things that others miss. Drawing on her experiences as a social worker, education consultant, and individual with autism, she provides the “why” of learning challenges along with the “how” of responding to them. This is, of course, a book about teaching and you will learn a lot about literacy instruction, social needs, and advocacy, but Autistically Thriving will also inspire you to think differently and truly appreciate the uniqueness and beauty neurodiverse learners bring to a classroom.
– Paula Kluth, Ph.D., Author of You’re Going to Love This Kid: Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom

*****
The book is one of the best books on autism where information and art meet to include each other from the beginning until the end. The layout of chapters, subheadings and vivid explanations can captivate the attention of any one who wants information about an autistic person’s sensory struggles, coping mechanisms of the mind and growing a philosophy out of odds. I would recommend this book to parents and providers who want to involve themselves in the life of an autistic person.
– Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay, Author of How Can I Talk if my Lips Don’t Move and Plankton Dreams – What I learned in Special Ed

*****
In Autistically ThrivingJudy Endow acts as a translator. She takes the autistic experience and puts it into words. These are the words that most of us in the neuromajority need to more fully comprehend the neurological processing of autistic people. This comprehension will lead the way to a future full of more respectful, collaborative, and effective support systems for autistics. These systems, in turn, will allow more people with autism not to just “get by”, but to truly THRIVE.
– Sharon Hammer, LPC, Co-Author of Lights, Camera, Autism Series

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BOOKS BY JUDY ENDOW

Endow, J. (2019).  Autistically Thriving: Reading Comprehension, Conversational Engagement, and Living a Self-Determined Life Based on Autistic Neurology. Lancaster, PA: Judy Endow.

Endow, J. (2012). Learning the Hidden Curriculum: The Odyssey of One Autistic Adult. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2006).  Making Lemonade: Hints for Autism’s Helpers. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2013).  Painted Words: Aspects of Autism Translated. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2009).  Paper Words: Discovering and Living With My Autism. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2009).  Outsmarting Explosive Behavior: A Visual System of Support and Intervention for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2010).  Practical Solutions for Stabilizing Students With Classic Autism to Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Myles, B. S., Endow, J., & Mayfield, M. (2013).  The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Mental Health Therapy and the Autistic Client: When Clinicians Don’t See the Autism (Can’t See the Forest for the Trees)

August 8, 2017Autism and Mental Healthautism, mental health and autismadmin

Today, autistic people, just like the population at large, find their way to therapy when symptoms of depression, anxiety, OCD and other diagnoses become problematic to them in their daily lives.

As clinicians we need to understand the autistic operating system – in other words, to see the autism – if we are to be helpful to our autistic clients. When we do not have a strong grasp on this the results are that our clients are not served well. Clinicians without a good understanding of autism generally make one of two mistakes. Last blog discussed the phenomenon “It’s All the Autism” which means once the autism has been diagnosed every symptom from that point forward is attributed to the autism. Today we will discuss the other mistake frequently made by clinicians when they do not recognize the autism.

Can’t See the Forest for the Trees

Over time these clients tend to wind up with multiple psychiatric diagnoses for which none of the typical treatments have been effective in lessening symptoms. These clients’ individual symptoms are sometimes collectively better known as autism, but because one cluster of symptoms at a time presents each cluster winds up meeting the diagnostic criteria for something other than autism. Over time the client collects many diagnoses. However, regardless of how many labels are added, the client tends not to make much overall progress. Effective treatment for individual symptoms cannot be rendered because we have failed to see the autism. Autism means there is a different operating system and that the treatment of troubling symptoms must be delivered in a manner compatible with the autistic operating system.

Example: Ricardo is a 14 year old who’s parents sought out therapy for him because even though he had been near the top of his class academically during middle school, he was now failing some of his classes in high school. Additionally, he had gotten in trouble several times for shoving students. He didn’t have much to say except he was sorry and would try harder to do better.

Ricardo had received an array of services over time. When he was 5-7 years old he received Occupational Therapy for Sensory Processing Disorder. Ricardo did well academically until Fifth Grade when he began having difficulties with angry behavior. He was diagnosed with Intermittent Explosive Disorder and attended both individual therapy and an anger management group. In Sixth Grade he was diagnosed with both depression and anxiety and prescribed medication. Some days it seemed to be helpful, but other days it seemed the medication wasn’t doing anything to make Ricardo’s life better.

During the weeks in therapy several things were discovered. Ricardo was receiving poor grades due to incomplete assignments. It was learned that he had in fact done the science and history assignments, but had neglected to turn them in. He complained that he put everything in his locker, but then couldn’t find what he needed for his various classes. When his mom went to investigate she found most of the missing science and history assignments in his locker along with partially eaten lunches, some missing sweatshirts and a general mess.

Ricardo had difficulty with algebra. He said he couldn’t concentrate because the smell was so bad in that room. It was discovered the boy who sat behind him had stinky feet. Additionally, the boys had just come from gym class and they did not always take showers so the room smelled like a locker room three times a week. While these things were not noticed by most students Ricardo was totally distracted by it. He often missed the assignment when the teacher announced it. When he did hear the assignment he got it done during the classroom work time, turned it in and always got an A grade. He just had so many missing assignments that his overall class grade was a D. When asked what he did during the classroom work time when he was not working on the assignment he said he was just doing the usual – trying to put up with the smell of the room. It did not occur to him that even though the other students were doing the assignment that it meant he should be working on this same assignment.

Ricardo displayed aggression towards fellow students at school. It turned out that much of this aggression was in response to not understanding a social situation and/or in response to anxiety. Typically Ricardo would shove another student in the hallway. Sometimes it looked random in that there was no conversation immediately prior to the shoving. When asked about these incidents Ricardo could only say he didn’t know why he was shoving others, he knew it was wrong and would stop doing it. Then, he would shove someone again. Using cartooning, the shoving was drawn and then, once Ricardo saw it he could contribute more. Eventually it came to light that the shoving was tied to times where Ricardo misread social cues and had thought the student had somehow made fun of him. Then, later in the day, or sometimes even the next day, Ricardo would see the student, know the student was on his bad person list and shove him. The cartooning helped him discover how he knew the student was a bad person.

These were the first clues that Ricardo needed to be evaluated for possible Autism Spectrum Disorder, for which he did meet the criteria. This was important because treating Ricardo for each of the cluster of symptoms that earned him his other diagnoses had not been helpful in alleviating his struggles. ASD better explained the complexity and ushered forth the supports he needed to be successful.

Ricardo was given a check in person at school who assisted him with executive function tasks, developing a system for him to use his assignment notebook and to do and turn in assignments.

When he got the notion to shove another student, Ricardo knew that was something to draw out (cartoon) in therapy and that likely he was missing some social information that others knew (hidden curriculum).

A 5 Point Scale was put in place for Ricardo to manage his anxiety. Over time, with increased social understanding and decreased anxiety Ricardo no longer thinks about shoving others. He did so well that he was able to decrease and then go off his antianxiety medication.

Additionally, Ricardo’s parents started him with an OT who works on sensory regulation strategies. Ricardo now sits near the door in algebra, the location where he is not surrounded by the offensive smells.

As he was growing up the solutions to Ricardo’s difficulties had not been found even though he had received diagnoses at the time of each difficulty – a diagnosis he met the criteria for based on the cluster of presenting symptoms. Once it was determined that ASD better explained his situation than each of the individual diagnoses, the supports could be put in place that would help him be and do what he wanted in his life. It took some time, but once we could see the autism Ricardo could be supported.

Conclusion

When clinicians do not have a good understanding of the autistic operating system they tend to lean toward one of the two mistakes of either attributing everything to the autism or not seeing the autism at all. Neither is helpful in supporting therapeutic progress of autistic clients. The Autistic Operating System, Part Three will delve further into this topic. We will learn about the autistic operating system and how to deliver mental health therapy to clients who happen to be autistic.

(Note: In my practice I see clients who happen to be autistic. Their autism is usually not the reason they seek therapy, but it certainly affects how the therapy for their depression, anxiety or other presenting symptoms is delivered. When mental health therapy is delivered in a usual manner and not based upon the autistic operating system of the client it generally is not very effective.)

BOOKS BY JUDY ENDOW

Endow, J. (2019).  Autistically Thriving: Reading Comprehension, Conversational Engagement, and Living a Self-Determined Life Based on Autistic Neurology. Lancaster, PA: Judy Endow.

Endow, J. (2012). Learning the Hidden Curriculum: The Odyssey of One Autistic Adult. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2006).  Making Lemonade: Hints for Autism’s Helpers. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2013).  Painted Words: Aspects of Autism Translated. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2009).  Paper Words: Discovering and Living With My Autism. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2009).  Outsmarting Explosive Behavior: A Visual System of Support and Intervention for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2010).  Practical Solutions for Stabilizing Students With Classic Autism to Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Myles, B. S., Endow, J., & Mayfield, M. (2013).  The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Originally written for and published by Ollibean July 30, 2017
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Mental Health Therapy and the Autistic Client: Establishing Context

March 30, 2017Autism and Mental Healthmental health and autismadmin

Background Information:

The autism neurology gets hit with elements of confusion, chaos and change as a person goes through their day. How this happens is different for each individual on the spectrum. For example, Brady’s neurology startles to a touch on the arm, DeShawn’s neurology reacts adversely when it perceives a surprise change in the therapy room such as new curtains and Aysia’s neurology delivers a punch when her therapy routine was altered by Grandma bringing her rather than mom.

Each of these individuals was abruptly thrown into a situation with an element of unexpected surprise. It doesn’t matter whether the surprise was good or bad or whether it was a big or small surprise. Most of the time these surprises do not even consciously register, meaning the individual doesn’t even think about them. That is why it is important to understand that it is the neurology that gets hit with the unexpected surprise. This surprise, whether a good or a bad surprise, is often perceived by an autistic neurology as confusion, chaos and change.

For the individual this is most of the time experiential rather than cognitive. It is why they are not able to tell you. Even so, you can see it when it has happened because when the neurology is hit with elements of confusion, chaos and change it has the effect of knocking a person off kilter! We definitely can see these results. Brady jumps up out of his seat after an unexpected touch on his arm by another group member walking by, DeShawn won’t enter the therapy room the first time he notices the new curtains and Aysia is giggly and cannot settle down to any therapy work.

Establishing Context During the First Session

The experience of confusion, chaos and change can be managed in a context of predictability, sameness and routine. This is why it is important to construct therapy sessions using a framework of predictability, sameness and routine for our autistic clients, regardless of their comorbid mental illness or the therapy goals we are working on.

We can do this beginning with the very first session. Here is an example, using a recent intake session for a client who would return regularly.

Zak, 17 year old high school senior came with his parents for intake. Previous paperwork had been filled out and returned so I knew Zak wanted help with getting homework done, stopping online game playing when he wanted to be finished and not having his mom get him up in the morning.

At the start of the session I explained the therapy hour was 50 minutes and set the visual timer to coincide with the end time of therapy. I explained that each time Zak came I would stand the therapy session clock (visual timer) up on the filing cabinet and we all would know that when the red was gone our work for the day would be over.

I then used a dry erase board to list the activities of the session. I wrote down understand and sign Informed Consent, understand and sign Cancelation Policy (two forms that had not been returned with the rest of the intake packet) and list at least three therapy goals. I drew lines with bullet points for three goals (since I knew the three items from the intake packet) and then by the fourth bullet point lines I put a question mark. This visually left space in case anything new came up during the session. In addition I wrote Treatment Plan at the bottom of the list on the dry erase board.

Zak asked if he could have the dry erase board and he put it on the arm of the couch next to him. After each of the first two forms was signed I told Zak he could cross out or erase that item. He chose to cross out each of these items as they were completed.

I then had both Zak and his parents tell what they hoped Zak would get out of coming to therapy. This discussion took up the bulk of the session. Near the end of the discussion I asked Zak if he would like to write the therapy items on the dry erase board or if he would like to tell me and I could write the items down. Zak responded by picking up the dry erase board and writing in what he wanted to work on during sessions and the items corresponded to what had been expressed both during the session and on the intake paper work that had been sent in. The items Zak wrote on the dry erase board were incorporated into his Treatment Plan.

By using a visual timer to track the session and allow us all to see the ending that was coming along with using the dry erase board to write in the agenda for the therapy hour I was effectively setting the context of predictability, sameness and routine for future therapy sessions. This is one easy way to establish that context and I often use it in mental health therapy sessions when the client happens to be autistic.

Additional Ideas

Other examples of establishing and using a context of predictability, sameness and routine include, but certainly are not limited to:

Setting timer and having client write down what topic they wish to discuss that day (for clients who are readily able to express themselves by talking).
Having three activities, each of which will move the client along in working toward their therapy goals and client gets to choose which one to do first, second and third. Client erases or checks off each activity upon completion.
Some clients need more of a choice so I might show two choices per therapy goal. For example, if the goal is to identify feelings (8 year old client) the choices might be to play a feeling game or to do play-acting (where an assigned feeling based scenario is acted out between therapist and client). Either of these choices would move the client along toward this therapy goal and yet give the client a choice between two activities.
Using the framework of a sentence at the top of a blank piece of paper such as:Today I want to show and/or tell you about: ____________________________

Conclusion

Regardless of how you choose to establish a context of predictability, sameness and routine with your clients, it will go a long way in supporting your client down the road when more difficult topics tend to arise during the course of therapy. I have had some clients report to me they were able to bring up emotionally charged topics because they could see the timer and know when the session would end. Others have reported they thought about what they would write on their paper ahead of time and could do so because of the familiarity of doing this at the beginning of each session. One client told me the paper gave him a place to put his thinking words.

BOOKS BY JUDY ENDOW

Endow, J. (2019).  Autistically Thriving: Reading Comprehension, Conversational Engagement, and Living a Self-Determined Life Based on Autistic Neurology. Lancaster, PA: Judy Endow.

Endow, J. (2012). Learning the Hidden Curriculum: The Odyssey of One Autistic Adult. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2006).  Making Lemonade: Hints for Autism’s Helpers. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2013).  Painted Words: Aspects of Autism Translated. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2009).  Paper Words: Discovering and Living With My Autism. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2009).  Outsmarting Explosive Behavior: A Visual System of Support and Intervention for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2010).  Practical Solutions for Stabilizing Students With Classic Autism to Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Myles, B. S., Endow, J., & Mayfield, M. (2013).  The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Originally written for and published by Ollibean on March 29, 2017.
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Autistic Difference in Visual Perception

February 7, 2017Autism and Mental Health, Growing Up Autisticautism acceptance, autistic experience, Diversity, first person account, mental health and autism, neurodiversity, sensoryadmin

As a child, people sometimes thought I was stubborn and resistant when I did not want to allow them into my space or to do what they wanted me to do. They did not understand the negative effect they had on me and on my surroundings, and at the time, I did not have the words to explain it.

Today I have the words and can explain. I do so in hopes that it might help others who may not yet have their own words. My experience will probably not be exactly the same as another person’s experience. However, there are often similarities in that when autistics youngsters do sort out the perceptions of the world around them they gain through the information delivered by their sensory system.

My sensory system tracked environmental phenomena. One phenomenon my system tracked was the sun sparkles I could see all around me. I know today that most people do not see this level of atmospheric detail. Another phenomenon of visual atmospheric information my neurology automatically tracked was what I refer to as world tails, which was the interaction of mist particles and sunlight in the air around me. This phenomenon was typically observed during early morning or following a rain shower.

Over time I made sense out of the ever-present sun sparkles and world tails I could see all around me. I organized much information about daily routine and expectations using the predictability of the sun sparkles. For example, when the sun sparkles were pointed, tiny and colorless I knew it was time for lunch.

Over time I learned to accommodate people according to the effect they had on the appearance of world tails. I have illustrated this concept by painting how the same world tail looks in a variety of situations where different numbers of people need to be accommodated. Here is a series of three paintings that I hope will help people understand how detailed sensory information delivered by autistic neurology is often useful to the autistic.

One Person Tail depicts only me – just the one person of me – standing in the world interacting with the world’s tail. The tail is beautifully shaped and the pieces making up the tail are easy to see with clarity of shape, arc and color.

One Person Tail

One Person Tail Intrusion illustrates the effect on the tail when I acknowledged the presence one other person. Initially, I did not interact with this person, but merely acknowledged his presence by briefly glancing his way and then shared the space with him. While the general shape of the tail is still pleasant to look at you can see the clarity of the individual pieces has faded. Instead of one clear consistent color it has turned into three colors. Additionally, each piece is fuzzier in quality. Some days I could handle this negative impact on my visual tail and other days I couldn’t.

One Person Tail Intrusion

Two Person Tail Intrusion illustrates what happens when two other persons are acknowledged and allowed in my space. The top of the tail flattens as if there is not room enough for the tail to stretch out to form its beautiful shape. The entire environment appears washed out to me. Whenever people need to take up the space and attention this happens. The colors of the tail shift to much less pleasant combinations of color that are bold and clash rather than harmonizing with one another. In addition, each piece making up the tail appears smudged and quite fuzzy. The beauty of the world’s tail is lost to me when more than one person intrudes on my space.

Two Person Tail Intrusion

Because I have learned the predictability, sameness and routine of the tails and used this as my anchor to make sense of the world, I could not allow the presence of too many people when I was a young child. When many people were forced on me the world became filled with confusion, chaos and change because I lost the tails that grounded me. When the tails were lost so was my stability. It became quite scary. Sometimes I reacted. Others called it “acting out.”

My intent was not to be stubborn and resistant, even though I understand my behavior probably did look that way. My intent was to preserve the tails due to their accomplished function of predictability, sameness and routine on me. I needed this order in my world to enable me to participate and engage. Initially I could engage with one person at a time as that was not too disruptive. It took several years before I could engage with more than one person at a time and learn to become part of a small group.

Today the world tails I can readily see (even though I now know most others do not see this level of detail) operate in the very same way. It is one reason I need much alone time. It restores me to see beautiful fully arched tails with clarity of particle brightness. I also know not to talk about this, except for the purpose of writing, because I have found people think I am hallucinating when I describe the sun sparkles or the world tails I can see. I was even once medicated for these supposed “hallucinations.” Hopefully, my written words are helpful to others towards encouraging understanding of autistic visual detail perception rather than the medicating of a non-existent, but assumed to be, psychiatric symptom.

BOOKS BY JUDY ENDOW

Endow, J. (2019).  Autistically Thriving: Reading Comprehension, Conversational Engagement, and Living a Self-Determined Life Based on Autistic Neurology. Lancaster, PA: Judy Endow.

Endow, J. (2012). Learning the Hidden Curriculum: The Odyssey of One Autistic Adult. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2006).  Making Lemonade: Hints for Autism’s Helpers. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2013).  Painted Words: Aspects of Autism Translated. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.

Endow, J. (2009).  Paper Words: Discovering and Living With My Autism. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2009).  Outsmarting Explosive Behavior: A Visual System of Support and Intervention for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Endow, J. (2010).  Practical Solutions for Stabilizing Students With Classic Autism to Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Myles, B. S., Endow, J., & Mayfield, M. (2013).  The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.

Originally written for and published by Ollibean on February 2, 2017.
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Eye Contact and Autistic Dissociation: One Expample

January 24, 2017Activism/Advocacy, Autism and Mental Healthautism, autistic experience, Diversity, eye contact, first person account, mental health and autismadmin

“Dissociation is the ability to cut off from what is happening around you or to you. In its simplest form it is daydreaming. It is a skill all children have and which children with autism tend to overdevelop in managing a world they find overwhelming for a whole range of reasons.” (Donna Williams at https://blog.donnawilliams.net/2011/01/20/the-spectrum-of-dissociative-disorders/)

I can remember the overwhelming experience having eye contact with others sometimes had on me as a child. Too much bright, bold, painful sensory information was received when directly looking into someone’s eyes for a sustained period of time (see paintings below: Look Me In the Eye, Buzzing Bones, SIZZLE POP and STRIKE ME). Coping came by disengaging from the experience. I would hover up by the ceiling and watch the girl below who was me. When the girl looked into the eyes of people I would use the too much information she got to fashion alternatives to those eyes that would cut down on the overwhelming sensory information (see paintings below: Eye Fish, Eye Trees, Eye Land and Eye Tulip).

For me, the more dissociative experiences I had, the more refined my creations from eye information became. In the Goldenrod series one might not even realize the information originally came from eye contact. However, once pointed out most people notice the eye shape in the background (see paintings below: Goldenrod 2, Goldenrod 3 and Goldenrod 4).

Today I am able to use eye contact in a pretty typical manner most of the time. The sensory information I pick up from engaging in eye contact is no longer often painful. Many of my sensory needs have changed over the decades of my life. However, even today when I am under stress I do not have typical eye contact. Avoiding eye contact is one of the things I find myself automatically doing to minimize the quantity of incoming sensory information. I do not consciously think about avoiding contact. It just happens because that is how my brain works. I think this is similar to the way non autistic people do not consciously think about using eye contact each time they speak to one another. They simply do it because that is how their brain works.

Below is my story created in a poem and several paintings. This poem and the paintings are in my book Painted Words: Aspects of Autism Translated. The paintings are also available in three sizes of prints and in packs of five greeting cards at www.judyendow.com under the Art tab.