Why Do Autistic People Like Trains?

Why do autistic people like Sonic?

Autistic people’s love for Sonic – Autistic people are a unique population whose passions and interests often vary from the mainstream. One of the more common topics among autistic individuals is their love for Sonic, the beloved video game character from Sega.

Though it may be easy to dismiss as merely a childhood fascination, there is something deeper going on – Sonic has played an integral role in providing comfort and entertainment to many people living with autism. Just as Sonic is proud of his racing ability, autistic fans of this character celebrate his speedy journeys into uncharted territory – it’s a metaphor for those on the spectrum paving their own path in life.

Sonic’s charm has become a beacon of hope for those same individuals who view him an admirable figure that keeps ‘going fast’ no matter what challenges he faces.

Why do autistic kids like planes?

by Eliana Wool, M.A., Psychological Services Pre-Doctoral Intern – Air travel can be an exciting, yet anxiety provoking experience. This may be particularly true for a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) because of factors connected to flying, including a change in routine, navigating unfamiliar environments and considerable sensory stimulation.

The following recommendations have been found beneficial to families planning air travel. It is important to remember that children diagnosed with ASD vary in terms of abilities and preferences, and not all recommendations may suit every child with ASD. BEFORE THE FLIGHT Create a social story. In the weeks leading up to your trip, create a picture and/or word social story with your child that overviews the air-travel process.

Include pictures and/or descriptions of security, the terminal, the airplane, the baggage claim, and so on. Include sensory experiences the child might encounter such as “ear-popping” at takeoff and landing. Review this “travel book” as often as possible prior to departure.

• This will help to increase predictability for your child in an otherwise unfamiliar process.
• Mark it on a calendar.
• A few weeks prior to travel, hang a calendar with the departure date clearly marked and have your child check off each day until departure.
• Utilizing a calendar presents the concept of time in a concrete and visual way, and may help your child to prepare for when a change in their routine will occur.

If possible, do not wash any comfort items before travel. Traveling on an airplane can be overwhelming to the senses to any traveler, let alone to a child with ASD. Having a favorite item that smells like home, such as a blanket or a plush toy, can be soothing in such an environment.

Pre-pack meals and snacks. There may be a limited assortment of foods offered in the terminal or on the airplane. This can prove troublesome if your child has any dietary restrictions or if your child is a picky eater. In light of this, it may be helpful to pack a variety of snacks and mini meals for your child.

Also, remember to pack chewy foods, like fruit gummies or a bagel, for a child who seeks sensory stimulation orally. Exercise prior to departure. Traveling on an airplane involves long periods of being quiet and sitting still. Encouraging high motor activity prior to leaving for the airport will help your child to relieve any bottled up energy before getting to the airport.

High gross-motor activities, like running or jumping on a trampoline, for approximately 20 minutes are examples of ideal activates. Have your child explain the process to you. Once you have taken the time to prepare your child for travel, encourage him or her to explain the process to you, or to his or her toys.

This technique can demonstrate how much of the traveling process the child has grasped, and will expose areas where the child is not secure, or still has questions. This approach should be tailored to meet your child’s developmental level. For example, for a child with strong verbal skills, ask the child to explain verbally or through drawings what the travel day will look like.

1. For a child who uses a “speaker box,” program the device to have pictures of the different steps of the day (e.g., getting in the taxi, checking in at the front desk).
2. It may be helpful to prompt your child if they forget to cover a topic (e.g., “Tell me about boarding the plane”).
3. AIRPORT SECURITY Accommodations.

To accommodate travelers with disabilities, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has established a protocol that allows for special accommodations. Do a practice run. Contact your local airport to see if TSA will allow you and your child to do a practice walk-through of airport security.

This may help the child become familiar with the airport security process prior to the day of travel. Twice a year, American Airlines partners with Clearbrook, an organization that serves more than 8,000 people with disabilities, to host their Airport Experience and Mock Flight, a popular volunteer-led, semi-annual event at O’Hare International Airport that provides a full airport experience to children with autism and their families.

The next Airport Experience and Mock Flight event is scheduled for May 5. Seating is limited to the first 25 families that apply for this event, Role-playing alternative to a practice run. If your airport does not allow for an actual practice run in the facility, or for you to take photographs or videos, role-playing at home is an adequate alternative.

At home, you can take turns pretending that you or your child is the TSA officer, and the other is the person walking through security. It will be most beneficial to your child if you are as detailed as possible (e.g., ask your child to take his or her shoes off when appropriate). ON THE AIRPLANE Boarding.

Notify the gate attendant that you are traveling with a child with an ASD and you will be allowed to board early or board last depending on your preference. Advantages of boarding early include not needing to wait in line at the gate or on the airplane while other passengers take their seats.

1. Advantages of boarding last include not needing to wait in line at the gate, not needing to wait in your seat while other passengers board the plane, and being on the airplane for a shorter period of time.
2. Ear-popping.
3. To prevent discomfort in the ears during takeoff and landing, preemptively encourage your child to suck on a piece of candy or chew a piece of gum.

If your child is unable to safely suck on candy or chew gum, a chewing toy can also be effective towards reducing ear-popping. Watching the time. Placing a digital clock or a count-down timer in front of your child may help your child to know how much longer he or she can expect to be in-flight for.

• I n-flight entertainment.
• Allow your child access to items in their travel bag (See “Before the flight”).
• Allow your child to have access to DVDs, iPods, books, coloring books, toys, etc.
• If your child enjoys tactile stimulation, they may benefit from playing with play dough or putty while on the airplane.

Jewish Child & Family Services offers services for individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder including individual, family and group counseling; speech and occupational therapy, and unique summer camp opportunities. To learn more about our comprehensive programs and services for children, adults and families in Chicago and its suburbs, call 855.275.5237 or visit us online at jcfs.org.

For additional information regarding air travel with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, please visit the Transportation and Security Administration or Autism Speaks,

Learn about the specific accommodations available at Chicago O’Hare or Midway International Airports or visit the website or contact the customer service department of your local airport.

Conde Nast Traveler publishes a list of recommended Best Vacations for Special Needs Families,

Check out these additional tips from our IPI therapists for ways to make the trip easier and fun for the entire family!

References: Francus, M.S. (n.d.).7 Tips for Flying with an Autistic Child. MiniTime. Retrieved October 28, 2015, from minitime.com/trip-tips/7-Tips-for-Flying-with-an-Autistic-Child-article Goehner, A.L. (2009). Six Tips for Traveling with an Autistic Child.

Time Magazine. Retrieved October 28, 2015, from content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1893554_1893556_189 3538,00.html Schlosser, A. (n.d.). Ten Strategies for Traveling with a Child with Autism. Autism Speaks. Retrieved October 28, 2015, from autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/documents/familyservices/ schlosser.pdf Transportation Security Administration.

(2015). Transportation Security Administration. Retrieved October 30, 2015, from tsa.gov/travelerinformation/ travelers-disabilities-and-medical-conditions

Why do autistic kids like Thomas the Train?

Thomas the Tank Engine helps autistic children | MadeForMums Autistic children often find it hard to read the expressions on people’s faces. Thomas the Tank Engine’s clear facial expressions and simple storylines are said to help them distinguish between different emotions.

Thomas’ TV show, books and comic strips also assist in teaching colours, numbers and words. Thomas was found to be the most popular toy in a survey of 750 parents of autistic children. And 40% of the parents said Thomas and his various friends were liked by their autistic children for an average of two years longer than their non-autistic siblings.

: Thomas the Tank Engine helps autistic children | MadeForMums

Do autistic people love to travel?

Traveling can be challenging for children and adults with autism. The changes in routine, unpredictability, crowds, new noises and sights can all make the experience difficult for people on the spectrum and their families. We hope that with a little planning and information using the resources below, the doors will open to new travel opportunities for you and your family.

• Taking an Airplane: A Guide for People with Autism A teaching story to help prepare you for the airport and flying experience Travel & autism: Five tips for success with toilet issues while on the road Advice from psychologist and behavior analyst Daniel W.
• Mruzek, of the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go! with these 10 Travel Tips Advice from our Autism Response Team Holiday travel tips for autistic people and their families A little planning goes a long way. More resources and information from Autism Speaks. TSA Cares The Transportation Security Administration has a help line, TSA Cares, to assist travelers with disabilities and medical conditions during the security process.

What noises do autistic people hate?

Sound sensitivity is a common type of sensory sensitivity in autism. It can be uncomfortable and lead to sensory overload. Sound sensitivity — also known as hyperacusis — is common in autistic people. Some noises might make you uncomfortable, especially loud or shrill noises, but many people are sensitive to quieter sounds, too.

While some noises annoy everyone, some autistic people may react very strongly to certain sounds. These noises cause unwanted intrusions that the person can’t ignore. Hyperacusis can make it difficult to go out in public as you can’t always predict what sounds you will encounter. It can help to learn coping methods, like wearing headphones, having distractions ready, or making plans during quieter times of the day where possible.

Nearly 90% of autistic people experience some form of sensory hypersensitivity (over-responsiveness) or hypersensitivity (under-responsiveness). This can include touch, smell, and hearing. According to research, 50% to 70% of autistic people experience decreased tolerance for sound at some point.

This can cause significant distress and anxiety, and can also lead to difficulties engaging in school or the workplace. People receive sensory input from the environment, and their brain uses the information to understand the situation. Then, the body responds automatically to handle the experience. Some autistic people react differently to sensations because they process information differently than allistic (non-autistic) people.

Sensory sensitivities can make sensory input feel overwhelming. You may be unable to filter out irrelevant noises, becoming uncomfortable and distracted. It can lead to sensory overload, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR) lists sensory perception disorders as a factor for an autism diagnosis because it is so common.

covering their earsattempting to stop a sound source leaving the room when they hear a specific sound expressing discomfort in noisy environments feeling uncomfortable when hearing doorbells, radios, TVs, or vacuum cleaners having meltdowns when triggered by sound

Identifying sound sensitivity and working to manage it can make a difference. It can help you find appropriate ways to react and methods for easing the discomfort. Different methods work for different people, so consider trying a few techniques until you find one that works.

Why are some autistic people so loud?

Why does this happen? – Making excessive noise can indicate auditory sensory-seeking tendencies. Usually children with a hyposensitive auditory system are unable to register sound until they have additional input. (In this case, the sound needs to be louder before Carrie will register it.) Therefore, Carrie could be seeking excessive auditory input to permit registration of the sound.

Why do autistic people like Lego?

Why LEGO Therapy Was Created – LEGO building toys are popular among autistic children. They offer a simple, predictable, repeatable activity that can be accomplished alone without outside help. They are also part of a system of toys that look and work in similar ways. LEGOs also offer added bonuses because they:

Require strong fine motor skills and significant hand strengthRequire spatial, visual, and analytical skillsHave intrinsic value in the wider world (LEGO play is universal, and LEGO models and structures have become well-recognized, not only as toy models but also as art forms.)

Upon noticing that many autistic children are already drawn to and love LEGOs, clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Daniel LeGoff started experimenting with LEGO therapy in 2003. The idea was to create an effective social skills program that could be used in multiple settings and be transferable to real-world peer interactions.

Why do autistic people like cats?

A young boy who has mild autism at home with his mother and their family cat Paul Doyle / Alamy The fleeting way cats make eye contact may explain why some autistic children develop stronger relationships with pet cats than pet dogs. The “less intrusive glance” of cats, compared to the “long gazes” that dogs make, might align better with autistic children’s “social needs,” says Marine Grandgeorge at the University of Rennes in France.

Why do autistic people look different?

Summary –

In conclusion, facial features play a crucial role in social interaction, and individuals with autism may have difficulty processing and interpreting these cues. Understanding these differences can help us better support and communicate with individuals with autism. With patience, empathy, and support, individuals with autism can learn to navigate social situations and form meaningful connections with others.

: Facial Features & Physical Characteristics Of Autism

Will autistic child kiss?

Autistic Child Reported For Kissing, Hugging Classmates, His Mom Says About 1 in 59 children in US have been recognized as having autism spectrum disorder A Tennessee family claims their child is facing scrutiny for hugging and kissing classmates. But it’s his autism, the family says, that makes it difficult for the kindergartner to understand what is acceptable behavior.

• The school district disagrees with the family’s take.
• Summery Putnam says she received a call late August from her son’s kindergarten teacher.
• She says the teacher told her that Nathan, Putnam’s 5-year-old, was in need of a conversation about boundaries.
• He had hugged a child that day.
• When Nathan got home, Putnam told him that he couldn’t hug other children because the teacher didn’t allow it.

Every explanation she gave to him, she said, was met with a “why.” Another call came the next day, after Nathan had allegedly kissed another child on the cheek. The teacher told Putnam that Nathan’s behavior was unacceptable, according to Putnam. They planned to meet to go over Nathan’s individualized education program.

• When they met, Nathan’s kindergarten teacher and a special-education teacher expressed concerns about his walking around during instruction and lunch times, according to Putnam.
• They all agreed that Nathan would be paired with a monitor for his safety.
• When I left the meeting and came home, my phone started ringing,” she said Friday in an interview.

“It was a lady from child protective services.” The representative told Putnam that a report about Nathan had been received because he hugged children and kissed another student on the cheek. Putnam said she was also told that Nathan had been accused of looking under a teacher’s dress.

I said I just left the meeting, that she told me about him hugging a child and kissing a child,” Putnam said. “She didn’t say anything about Nathan looking under her dress.” The school district denies allegations of wrongdoing and disagrees with how Nathan’s family has framed the issue. Tim Hansley, communications officer for Hamilton County Schools, said the district is bound by privacy laws that don’t allow it to publicly discuss what happened in the classroom.

“This family’s characterization of the incident with their child at East Ridge Elementary does not capture the full context of the concerns expressed to them by the school,” he said in a statement. “It was not a hug or kiss that prompted the school to contact the family.” Hansley said that schools in the county report incidents to child services but that it’s up to that department whether to act on those reports.

• The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services is unable to comment on the matter because of child- and family-protection laws, said Jennifer Donnals, executive director of communications and legislation for the agency.
• Under Tennessee Department of Children’s Services policy, the department does not normally substantiate children under the age of 12 as perpetrators of sexual abuse, except in extreme cases.

Additionally, DCS policy states that in cases of alleged sexual abuse involving two or more children under 12 years old from different families, all of the children are treated as alleged child victims,” she said in a statement. “Tennessee law mandates any person suspecting child abuse or neglect must report it to DCS.” Most children on the autism spectrum start showing signs between 1 year and 18 months of age, according to data from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

About 1 in 59 children in the country have been recognized as having autism spectrum disorder, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network.The CDC also reports that those on the spectrum are likely to be diagnosed with other neurological, developmental and psychiatric conditions.Nathan also has phonological disorder, which causes children to not use some or all of the sounds of speech expected for their age group, according to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s definition.

Putnam said that he’ll get really close to her when he wants to speak to her or gain her attention and that she has to remind him of personal space, she said. It can also be challenging to understand Nathan as he tries to communicate his thoughts. Autism spectrum experts and researchers agree that communicating boundaries can be more difficult when it involves a child who has autism and that figuring out how to educate that child is an individualized process.

Hugging and kissing are actions that are part of development for 5-year-olds with or without autism, said Michael Kelley, executive director of the Scott Center for Autism Treatment at Florida Tech. “It’s appropriate at that age to start to teach every child the conditions under which it is OK to touch everybody else,” he said.

“Kids with autism will require some sort of teaching training beyond what other children without autism require.” It’s appropriate to assess whether a child like Nathan is actually making a sexual advance or whether he truly does not understand when someone does not want to be hugged.

Having the correct fundamental framework can provide a clearer assessment of the root issue, which could be a lack of appropriate social skills, Kelley said. Nathan wants to make friends, but he just doesn’t understand how to go about doing that, Putnam said. Understanding implicit social norms and behaviors in different settings can be confusing to a child on the autism scale, said Mandy Rispoli, professor of special education and co-director of the Purdue Autism Research Center.

Applied behavior analysis for a child struggling to understand social cues can be beneficial for children with autism. It can give those explicit instructions, model desired behavior and offer feedback that many children on the spectrum might need, she said.

“Sometimes just verbally stating it isn’t enough,” she said, noting that it’s best practice. Putnam said Nathan has been moved to another class where he can get the extra support that he needs. The teacher who reported him wasn’t a special-needs instructor, she said. “I’m still telling him. Like this morning, I said, ‘Nathan, have a good day.

Remember, don’t hug anyone’ ” she said. “Sometimes he’ll say OK and sometimes he doesn’t say anything at all.” (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Autistic Child Reported For Kissing, Hugging Classmates, His Mom Says

Am I autistic for liking trains?

Abstract – This study examined involuntary capture of attention, overt attention, and stimulus valence and arousal ratings, all factors that can contribute to potential attentional biases to face and train objects in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

• In the visual domain, faces are particularly captivating, and are thought to have a ‘special status’ in the attentional system.
• Research suggests that similar attentional biases may exist for other objects of expertise (e.g.
• Birds for bird experts), providing support for the role of exposure in attention prioritization.

Autistic individuals often have circumscribed interests around certain classes of objects, such as trains, that are related to vehicles and mechanical systems. This research aimed to determine whether this propensity in autistic individuals leads to stronger attention capture by trains, and perhaps weaker attention capture by faces, than what would be expected in non-autistic children.

In Experiment 1, autistic children (6–14 years old) and age- and IQ-matched non-autistic children performed a visual search task where they manually indicated whether a target butterfly appeared amongst an array of face, train, and neutral distractors while their eye-movements were tracked. Autistic children were no less susceptible to attention capture by faces than non-autistic children.

Overall, for both groups, trains captured attention more strongly than face stimuli and, trains had a larger effect on overt attention to the target stimuli, relative to face distractors. In Experiment 2, a new group of children (autistic and non-autistic) rated train stimuli as more interesting and exciting than the face stimuli, with no differences between groups.

Why are most autistic children male?

Genes and Autism – As with other spectrum conditions, the severity of autism varies widely. Certain genetic variants are linked to a higher chance of a child being somewhere on the spectrum. Also, it takes fewer variants to predispose a boy to developing autism than it does a girl.

That is, girls may be spared autism even though they have the same number and kinds of genetic variants that cause the condition in boys. Grissom tackled this conundrum by studying mouse models of one type of autism while at the University of Pennsylvania (her previous academic home), with colleagues now at the University of Iowa.

In these mice, one copy of one chromosome lacked a particular section of DNA—a lesion mirrored in some humans with autism. The aim was to see how male and female mice differed in brain function, particularly the ability to learn new behaviors by being rewarded with food.

How loyal are autistic people?

Love and Autism – We know from research that the neurology of an autistic person differs from the neurology of a neurotypical person. The areas of the brain that work differently in autism govern the person’s sense of self, understanding of other people, and their experience and expression of emotions.

We find Temple Grandin’s words quite illuminating, especially in the context of love relationships: “My brain scan shows that some emotional circuits between the frontal cortex and the amygdala just aren’t hooked up– sections that affect my emotions and are tied up in my ability to feel love. I experience the emotion of love, but it’s not the same way that most neurotypical people do.

Does this mean my love is less valuable than what other people feel?” (Grandin & Barron, 2005). Over the years we have collected many examples of the definition of love from autistic partners we have met, here is a sample: Love is: Helping and doing things for your lover.

1. An attempt to connect to the other person’s feelings and emotions.
2. Companionship, someone to depend on to help you in the right direction.
3. I have no idea what is involved.
4. Tolerance, loyal, allows space.
5. Four aspects of love: everybody, friends, family, erotica.
6. Love cannot be observed.
7. Love is yet to be felt and experienced by myself.

What is Love? I don’t know the correct answer. A euphoric feeling without logic. Obviously, there is no right or wrong about these definitions. An individual’s definition of love is deeply personal and depends both on life experience and neurology. Interestingly, we have often found that the experience of love for an autistic person, whilst being extremely positive, can also be extremely confusing and sometimes overwhelming.

• We find that an autistic person often expresses their love to their partner in their loyalty and commitment, and often by practical deed.
• The experience of love may be felt as a sense of appreciation for being understood and assisted.
• When love is no longer expressed, or felt, in the relationship, due to confusion, feeling overwhelmed, different love languages or any other reason, there can be relationship breakdown.

Long periods of silence or increased tension can lead to meltdowns and arguments. Resentment, blame, guilt, stress, and anxiety can become part of the daily experience of the relationship, with neither partner knowing quite how to address such strong emotions.

Do autistic people prefer autistic people?

Family affairs : – Using the Swedish National Patient Register, a repository of medical diagnoses in Sweden since 1973, Mataix-Cols and his colleagues identified more than 707,000 people diagnosed with any of 11 psychiatric conditions or 5 nonpsychiatric ones, such as diabetes.

The group included more than 26,000 people with autism, 60,000 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and 70,000 with schizophrenia. (The other psychiatric conditions include bipolar disorder, anorexia nervosa and generalized anxiety disorder.) For every diagnosed individual, the researchers included five age- and gender-matched controls who reside in the same county.

They used marriage records or birth certificates to identify opposite-sex partners for each individual; the National Patient Register revealed whether these partners have any psychiatric diagnoses. The researchers found that people with each of the psychiatric conditions are more likely than their matched controls to couple with someone who has the same diagnosis.

1. This pattern is more apparent among couples with autism, ADHD or schizophrenia than in those with any of the other conditions.
2. Nonrandom mating occurs across different conditions, too, although people with different diagnoses are slightly less likely to pair up than those with the same condition (see graphic below).

Overall, people with any of the psychiatric conditions are about three times more likely than controls to pick a partner who also has a psychiatric diagnosis. By contrast, nonrandom mating patterns are weak among people with any of the nonpsychiatric conditions.

Are autistic people very clumsy?

Dyslexia and dyspraxia – Some autistic people have:

problems with reading, writing and spelling ( dyslexia )clumsy movements and problems with organisation and following instructions ( developmental co-ordination disorder, or dyspraxia )

Extra support at school can often help.

Do autistic people prefer to eat alone?

Backgrounds: – Autistic adults tend to prefer eating alone, which may result in further social isolation. This study aims to understand contexts of challenges autistic adults face when eating with other people outside home.

Do autistic people talk fast?

Cluttering. There is another language problem found in autism that can produce fast, unclear conversation. Cluttering is when someone talks rapidly, with syllables that run together, excessive filler words and repetitions, and abnormal pauses. It often occurs alongside stuttering, though it’s less well-known.

Why do autistic people sound rude?

Social interactions – Social settings can often be overwhelming and unbearable for a person with autism. Their brains are so busy trying to process every sound, sight, noise, and sensation. It can be painful! Autism can cause a person to miss many social cues such as facial expressions and verbal signals that are commonly used while interacting.

You can kindly and calmly say, “Please don’t say ‘You have spots on your face.’ People think that is rude.” That’s all it takes. Turning it into a teachable moment will help build their skills for future interactions. A well-known symptom of autism is having trouble making eye contact. Not because they do not want to connect, but because looking directly into your eyes may provide too much sensory stimulation. It is important to try to accept this. Pay close attention to signs of overstimulation; this can be either emotional or sensory. Ask how you can help to reduce the stimulation. Turn down the lights. Reduce the noise level or suggest that you both go to a quieter space.

Do autistic people prefer silence?

The popular image of a an autistic person is a quiet, isolated individual who prefers solitude to social interaction. This is sometimes true, but by no means always the case.

Does autistic people like noise?

Autistic children and teenagers are sometimes oversensitive to things like noise, crowds or temperature. They try to avoid sensory experiences.

What do autistic people like the most?

Manage anxiety – Self-regulation skills are any activities that help a person to manage their own emotions and behaviour. If you can help the person to identify when they are feeling stressed or anxious and help them learn alternative strategies to use, you may, in time, see less repetitive and obsessively habitual behaviour.

1. Strategies to consider might be relaxation techniques such as taking 10 deep breaths or squeezing a stress ball, as well as finding ways to communicate their need for support either verbally or, if that is too difficult, by showing a red card or writing a note.
2. Many autistic people have difficulty with abstract concepts such as emotions, but there are ways to turn emotions into more ‘concrete’ concepts, eg stress scales.

You can use a traffic light system, visual thermometer, or a scale of 1-5 to present emotions as colours or numbers. For example, a green traffic light or a number 1 can mean ‘I am calm’; a red traffic light or a number 5, ‘I am angry’. Develop other strategies to  manage anxiety, such as the  Brain in Hand digital self-management support system.

Why do autistic people like Disney?

It has given them likeable characters to portrayed to encourage roleplaying. –

Role-playing has helped countless kids to build on self-confidence, social abilities and being able to understand other people’s perspectives. A common difficulty for those with autism and ADHD among other special needs is not being able to understand others at times (i.e.

Why do autistic people need quiet?

3.4. Autism and silence – In the case of autistic patients silence is linked with the lack of or with inadequate verbal competences resulting in disturbances in the exchange of information with the environment. Presumably, language does not serve the autistics as a means of communication, thus in their analysis of the role of silence in reference to verbal communication is out of question.

• Yet, this assumption does not recognize the strenuous attempts of the high-functioning autistics to communicate with others.
• Silence in autism may appear in different degrees.
• The highest degree of silence is manifested in mutism and is interpreted as complete silence, creating a barrier separating autistics from the competent speech users.

The silence surrounding autistics possesses the greatest therapeutic value; it reduces the number of stimuli from the outside environment. In these cases silence serves as a defense mechanism, protecting the unformed intrapsychic space from the chaos, and disarray challenging with the disintegration of the personality.

• A case of silence of a lower intensity appears in autistics whose verbal communication is practiced only for self-stimulation and not for interchange with the environment.
• In these cases pauses are observed and their analysis aids the observation of the behavior of autistics in terms of their needs.
• Basing on the examination of pauses researchers made an attempt to engage the autistic child in the outside world.

The least intensity of silence is present in high-functioning autistics as well as in Asperger Syndrome patients. In their case silence equals with lack of sound that has its cause, goal and meaning and is suitable for profound psychotherapeutic analysis.

The insight into the mechanisms joined with silence in autistics (i.e. social rejection, peer stigmatization, limited interpersonal contacts and loneliness) may aid the formulation of functional ways to deal with other people. In the course of treatment of autistics psychotherapists often have to bend the fixed analytical rules in order to initiate contact with the autistic child, teenager or adult.

Silence is an inevitable part of the treatment of autistics individuals. Only occasionally does it function as an instance of inner censorship; more often it is connected with the search for temporal harmony, integration and feeling of security especially in HFA and AS patients.

Silence not only aids the non-verbal communication with the autistic but also the recognition of the needs, talents and personal interests. While listening to the silence in autistics, we may discover their personality, pay attention to their emotions, tensions and repetitive behaviors. Silence itself may be analyzed during the therapy, although very few therapists focus on it.

Personality features of a therapist play a vital role in examining silence since it can either predispose its retention or interruption. The analyst usually interrupts the period of silence when he senses tensions, fears, lack of tolerance for speechlessness, anger and helplessness.

In the case of high-functioning autistics the retention of silence in a therapeutic environment may result in the feeling of rejection, being punished or blamed for prolonging the silence. In the course of psychodynamic group treatment, an autistic individual typically acts as a silent observer, and does not participate in the exchanges between members of the group.

Adoption of the role of the observer by autistics commonly results in the feeling of self-inadequacy and discrepancy from the group members. The group may react destructively to the silence of one of its members, fearing negative evaluation and rejection.

The increase of frustration within the group as well as the need for cohesion and completeness, may either cause an attack on the silent participant or result in appointing him a scapegoat ( Brown, 2008 ). The task of the therapist is to broaden the scope of tolerance towards instances of discrepancies within the group.

Children, teenagers and adults interpret silence differently. It is most burdensome in the case of the therapy of autistic children, who understand silence in terms of withdrawal and lack of affective relationship with other people. The social communication in autistic children represents a specific problem when the speech disturbances are primal and autistics symptoms are subsequent to them (Rutter, 1988 cited in: Jaklewicz, 1993 ).

• A different scenario takes place in the case of patients whose initial decent verbal competencies deteriorate with time weakening their verbal abilities for communicating with the environment.
• In children who after a period of normal development acquired clinical symptoms of autism still constitute the more promising cases.

Nevertheless, in these cases a grueling, long-term, multispecialty assistance of professionals is inevitable in order to rebuild the verbal competences for interaction with the outside world. The clinical picture of autism tends to present a milder case.

• The interpretation of silence changes in autistic adolescents.
• The speechlessness of the peers is a more frequently noticeable instance of silence than the recognition of personal withdrawal from speech in company.
• Autistic adolescents do not sense the discomfort that results from the silence in the context of the peer group.

They do not notice that silence may increase tensions, provoke the need for closing the interaction and finally cause the exclusion from the peer group. It is very important during a social training to emphasize the bond between silence and physical and emotional distancing in other people.

In HFA and AS patients, in adolescence the need for silence on the one hand and the precise formulation of information on the other, may be interpreted as a particularly economical form of communication with people. This form aims at accumulation of energy necessary for interacting with inanimate objects, ideas and numbers.

Silence provides a perfect condition for self-development and learning. In adults silence is perceived mainly in terms of security, though different experiences may change this perception. Consequently, it conveys diverse emotions depending on the context of occurrence.

The link between autism, loneliness and silence is very close. Loneliness can be experienced in silence, and silence may deepen the feeling of loneliness. Both can be accompanied by different emotions (sadness, fear, tension, anger, remorse as well as joy and optimism). Loneliness is sensed not only by the autistic child, teenager or adult but also by their family ( Park 1982 ) struggling to socialize the disabled relative.

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