ASC: Identifying Barriers and Understanding Needs

Autistic children and young people may have difficulties interpreting both verbal and non-verbal language like gestures or tone of voice. Some autistic people are unable to speak or have limited speech while other autistic people have exceptionally good language skills but struggle to understand sarcasm or tone of voice. Other challenges include:

• taking things literally and not understanding abstract concepts
• needing extra time to process information or answer questions
• repeating what others say (echolalia).

Autistic children and young people often have difficulty recognising or understanding others' feelings and intentions - and expressing their own emotions. This can make it extremely hard to navigate the social world. Autistic people may:

• appear to be insensitive
• seek out time alone
• not seek comfort from others
• appear to behave 'strangely' or in a way thought to be socially inappropriate
• find it hard to form friendships.

Autistic children and young people may prefer to have routines so that they know what is going to happen. This can include many aspects of the school day such as the lessons they expect, toys they choose and what they prefer to eat.

Change to routine can be distressing for children and young people with ASD and could make them very anxious. It may not always be immediately obvious what has triggered this anxiety.

Children and young people may also repeat movements such as hand flapping, rocking or the repetitive use of an object. These behaviours may be calming or simply enjoyable.

Children with ASD may experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light, colours, temperatures, or pain. Background sounds can seem unbearably loud or distracting. Many autistic children and young people prefer no physical contact, which can be misinterpreted as being cold and aloof.

Busy classrooms, playgrounds and the lunch hall can be particularly overwhelming and cause sensory overload.

Many autistic children and young people have intense and highly focused interests which can change over time or be lifelong. Autistic people can become experts in their special interests and often like to share their knowledge.

When everything becomes too much for a child or young person with ASD, they can go into meltdown or shutdown. These are very intense and exhausting experiences.

A meltdown happens when someone becomes completely overwhelmed by their current situation and temporarily loses behavioural control. This loss of control can be verbal (e.g., shouting, screaming, crying) or physical (e.g., kicking, lashing out, biting) or both. Meltdowns can be mistaken for temper tantrums.

A shutdown appears less intense to the outside world but can be equally debilitating. Shutdowns are also a response to being overwhelmed, but may appear more passive - e.g., an autistic child or young person going quiet or 'switching off'.

• A quick guide to Masking [Size: 431 KB, File: PDF] has information about masking signs and ways of helping.

• Girls and Autism: Educational, Family and Personal Perspectives. Edited by Barry Carpenter, Francesca Happé, and Jo Egerton. Provides detailed information about girls with autism.
• The Curly Hair Project an organisation that helps people on the autistic spectrum and the people around them. It has animated films, comic strips, and diagrams.

Other useful information

Social skills workshops are helpful but need to specifically address and answer the questions, worries and individual experiences as they arise. Delivering a prescribed set of lessons lacks the flexibility to be responsive and may miss opportunities. Sharonne Horlock (SENDCo) ran a ‘Girl’s Group’ at Impington Village College some years ago and gives accounts and examples on pages 52-54 of Girls and Autism: Educational, Family and Personal Perspectives book. Her ‘Girls Group’ gives the following advice to schools:

• Create a Girls’ Group.
• Listen, hear, and believe us.
• Train teachers better to understand.
• Get to know me.
• Include me.
• Simple strategies work best.

Girls with ASC may take whatever is said to them, leaving them vulnerable to being manipulated; their less developed social awareness can leave them open to gossip and exclusion. It is important for school staff to notice these behaviours and to intervene or explain.

Girls who have just one or two very intense friendships may need help widening their circle and understanding why this matters. Explaining that most people have several friends so that no single person gets overloaded or bored, and helping them find other young people with shared interests, can be a good form of support.

Girls who are friendly with everyone but have no close friends may need support in spending more time with peers. However, they may be happy with their less demanding, casual friendships. The best course of action is to let each girl choose what sorts of friendships she prefers and try to help her make and keep the friends she wants.