Au#sm Assessment Team Directory Introduc#on to strategies: Whilst your child may not have a diagnosis of Au6sm yet, it will s6ll be helpful to implement some suppor6ve Au6sm strategies. These strategies are not going to have a nega6ve impact even if your child does not go on to receive a diagnosis of Au6sm. Please be mindful when trying out new strategies that it takes 3 weeks or more to change a behaviour. Try and persevere for at least 3 weeks and if you are s6ll struggling please contact the team for more support. Disclaimer: Children and Family Health Devon make no representa6ons or warran6es with regard to the accuracy of the informa6on supplied and cannot accept any liability or responsibility whatsoever for any loss or damage suffered by any user resul6ng from their use of the informa6on contained on this list. Informa6on held about an organisa6on does not imply an endorsement of that organisa6on or its services by Children and Family Health Devon who have not conducted background checks or other forms of due diligence (for example, Disclosure Barring Service checks) against the providers listed. Users are advised to undertake their own checks and verifica6ons prior to engaging the services of any providers listed. Contents • Adult services: post 18 support • Au6sm friendly services, e.g. driving instructors • Au6sm in the media: characters and celebri6es with Au6sm • Behaviour that challenges • Causes of Au6sm • Communica6on • Coronovirus • Ea6ng • Educa6on: informa6on for parents • Educa6on: informa6on for schools • Emo6onal regula6on, including anxiety • En6tlements • Girls and Au6sm • Masking • Pathological Demand Avoidance • Puberty • Rela6onships, including friendships and bullying • Selec6ve mu6sm • Sensory differences • Siblings • Sleep • Strengths of Au6sm • Social media and internet safety • Support for families, including local support groups • Telling a young person about their diagnosis • Tics • Toile6ng • Transi6ons • Visual support • What is Au6sm and where to find out more Adult Services The transi6on from childhood to post-18 services can be an anxiety-provoking 6me for young people with Au6sm and their families. There are many suppor6ve educa6on seVngs and services available when young people reach 18. • Devon Adult Au#sm Spectrum Condi#ons & ADHD Service (DAANA): informa6on and resources for adults with au6sm and ADHD living in Devon, including informa6on regarding the transi6on to post 18 services: Adult Au6sm and ADHD | DPT or email [email protected] • Transi#on Toolkit from Au#sm Educa#on Trust: includes informa6on regarding the transi6on to further educa6on. Saved on the shared drive. Further Educa#on: • Young Devon (across Devon): provide free skills training, courses and support for young people aged 16-25. Each learner is provided with regular 1-2-1’s and pastoral support, ensuring a successful comple6on of the course, and the fulfilment of their next steps: Skills | Young Devon • Petroc College (Barnstaple and Tiverton): Provide adult learner courses, including life-skill courses: Looking for Supported Learning? - Petroc College • Bicton College (Salterton): offer courses in animal care. See informa6on on website regarding support for people with addi6onal needs: Suppor6ng Your Learning - Bicton College • MOTIV-8: provide coaching and mentoring to help individuals progress into employment, further educa6on or training: Mo6v8 SW – Changing Lives through Coaching and Mentoring (mo6v-8sw.com) • Careers South West: provide advice for young people and families regarding op6ons for further educa6on and employment: Home - CSW Group Ltd. • Eat that Frog (Paignton): provide the LEAP (Life skills, employability and progression) programme for people aged 16 – 18: Eat That Frog – Eat That Frog CIC or email [email protected] for further informa6on about the LEAP course. Also see sec#ons on en#tlements and support for families Au#sm friendly services Signpost plus are very well informed about local services available for young people with Au6sm and their families. You can access signpost plus by visi6ng their facebook site: DISCplus - Home | Facebook Signpost plus also produce a weekly ‘snippets’ email, which include services, events, courses etc. related to children with addi6onal needs. You can sign up for this by emailing [email protected] or [email protected] . You can also access an archive of the weekly snippets by visi6ng: Signpost Plus - Children and Family Health (childrenandfamilyhealthdevon.nhs.uk) When asked recently for suppor6ve driving instruc6ons for people with Au6sm, Amanda Smithson (SIGNPOSTplus Locality Informa6on Officer for North Devon) provided the following advice: • Alan Powell, Bideford based and website says he has years of experience teaching people with Au6sm to drive: haps://www.alanpowelldrivertraining.co.uk/about • Williams Driving is a Newton Abbot Driving School, one of the Instructors has a daughter with Aspergers, and some specialise in anxiety, probably too far away but may be worth a call to see if they have any recommenda6ons? Also some good disability driving info on their website:haps://williamsdrivingschool.net/special- needs-learning-difficul6es-devon/ • Ian Kingdon, South Molton based but covers a larger area including Barnstaple, website states that he has experience of teaching nervous drivers and people with learning difficul6es: hap://www.iankingdon.co.uk/ • Peter Ewing, covers the whole of NDevon website states that he has experience of teaching nervous drivers and people with learning difficul6es: hap:// www.peterewing.com/ Au#sm in the media: characters and celebri#es with Au#sm Podcasts, books and TV programmes featuring people with Au6sm can be a helpful way to start conversa6ons with young people about their own Au6sm or somebody who they know with Au6sm. The accounts below include an explana6on of some of the differences of Au6sm, as well as many strengths. TV programmes for young children: • Pablo: CBeebies series features a 5 year old boy with Au6sm. • Sesame Street: features Julia, a 4 year old girl with Au6sm: Sesame Street: Meet Julia (Full Clip | 10 Min) - YouTube Videos and podcasts for adolescents/teenagers and parents/carers: • Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty (2020): in this book, Dara chronicles the changes he saw in the nature around him between his 14th and 15th birthday. In this interview, Dara talks about the impact that Au6sm has upon him and his love of nature: BBC World Service - Newsday, Dara McAnulty: How nature helped my au6sm • Chris Packham: Asperger’s and Me (2017): documentary featuring Chris Packham, wildlife expert, author, TV presenter and Conserva6onist. Suitable for older teenagers and parents: Medical Story: Aspergers And Me (Chris Packham Documentary) | Real Stories - YouTube • Rosie King: “How Au#sm Freed Me To Be Myself” (2014): Tedtalk in which Rosie (aged 16) talks about the strengths and challenges of ASD: How au6sm freed me to be myself - YouTube • Rosie King: “My Au#sm and Me” (2011): Informa6on video made for Newsround on CBBC in which Rosie (aged 13) talks about what Au6sm means for her and also for her younger brother, who has non-verbal ASD: Watch My Au6sm and Me - a Newsround special - CBBC Newsround • Talia Grant: “Don’t Filter Feelings podcast: What is Au#sm?” (2019): Talia Grant is an English actress who stars in Hollyoaks. Talia has Au6sm and plays Brooke, a character with Au6sm. In this podcast episode, Talia talks about her experience of Au6sm: Don't Filter Feelings Podcast Episode 2: What Is Au6sm? - YouTube • Greta Thunberg o Interview with CBS, American news channel (2019): Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental ac6vist, well-known for challenging world leaders to take ac6on against climate change. From 2 minutes 30 seconds in this video, she talks about how Asperger’s has been her ‘superpower’ in her climate change campaigns: Greta Thunberg on the "gin" of Asperger's in figh6ng climate change: "We need people who think … - YouTube o Ar#cle from the Au#sm Educa#on Trust: Greta Thunberg and au6sm - Au6sm Educa6on Trust • Sarah Hendrickx: Sarah Hendrickx is an author and presenter with Au6sm who explains her experience of living with Au6sm: Sarah Hendrickx - YouTube • Purple Ella: Ella explains on her youtube channel what it is like to have ADHD and Au6sm and ways that other people can support her: Purple Ella - YouTube • Agony Au#e: This youtube channel provides a first-hand account of what it is like to have Au6sm. Advice is provided to people with Au6sm, families, professionals and society regarding how to support people with Au6sm: Agony Au6e - YouTube • 1800 Seconds on Au#sm: BBC podcast presented by two individuals with Au6sm providing their unique perspec6ve on the world: BBC Sounds - 1800 Seconds on Au6sm - Downloads Also see sec#ons on: telling a young person about their diagnosis, siblings, and what is Au#sm and where to find out more Behaviour That Challenges Young people with Au6sm can demonstrate behaviour that challenges due to higher levels of stress and anxiety. Behaviour does not happen ‘out of the blue’. There is always an underlying reason why a young person engages in a shutdown (withdrawing) or a meltdown (physical or verbal distress towards themselves or others). Specific behaviour • NAS advice leaflet on meltdowns: Meltdowns - a guide for all audiences (au6sm.org.uk) • NAS advice leaflet on distressed behaviour: Distressed behaviour - a guide for all audiences (au6sm.org.uk) • Video developed by National Autistic Society (2017). Young people with ASD discuss