Autism In The Workplace – Home Base Page | 1
Autism In The Workplace
Home Base
Overview
It is common for everyone to experience anxiety and stress when dealing with daily life. However, for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), daily situations can result in significant stress and anxiety. In addition, individuals with ASD have difficulty regulating their emotions and stress levels. Therefore, they need specific, tailored strategies to help them cope and regulate their emotional state. Home base is one such strategy or, more specifically, an environmental structure that provides support. Home base is a location that allows individuals to:
- prepare for or review the day's events
- take a break from a stressful situation
- regain emotional control to avoid a meltdown
- recover after a meltdown
- successfully cope with an unpredictable world
Case Study: Gerry
Gerry is a 4-year-old diagnosed with autism who attends an integrated preschool program. Gerry benefits from being in a small, confined space when he is experiencing anxiety. In collaboration with Gerry's parents, the staff have set up a tent within his classroom. He has a card on his communication board with a tent on it representing his home base location. The tent is located in a quiet corner of the classroom. Inside the tent is a weighted blanket, lots of pillows, and soft, squishy toys; there is limited lighting. When Gerry becomes anxious due to changes in routine or becomes overwhelmed by the noise level of his classroom, he requests "tent" using his communication board. The staff in the classroom also monitor him for signs of stress, which include pacing or squeezing his eyes shut. If the paraprofessional or other staff member notices these signs, she encourages Gerry to go to the tent (home base). While in the tent, Gerry is monitored by whichever adult is closest in proximity.
Defining Home Base
Home base is any specified location in the home, school, or community where an individual with ASD feels safe and comfortable. Examples include a specific room within the school building, a specific place within a living room or classroom, or even a specific seat within a room. The location should be chosen with input from the individual, whenever possible, as it is most important that he views the environment as positive and calming. A home base location generally has few distractions and provides consistency, structure, and supervision.
Time at home base should include individualized strategies to decrease stress and increase the individual's success outside the home base. Strategies often include sensory activities, priming and preparation for upcoming events, review of completed tasks, events and other organizational activities, or other such strategies based on individual needs. Time spent at home base may be used to complete work brought from the stressful environment. Home base is not intended as an escape from work or responsibilities. Rather, it is a place that reduces the environmental demands placed on the individual and/or decreases his internal stress so he is able to complete his work.
Home base may be included in the daily schedule as a proactive strategy. An individual may go to home base at the beginning of the day, at the end of the day, or as planned or needed throughout the day or activity.
Case Study: Charlotte
Charlotte is a sixth grader with the diagnosis of Asperger syndrome. She attends all general education classes at her neighborhood middle school. Each day, when she first arrives at school, Charlotte goes to the guidance office where she meets the sixth-grade resource room teacher, Mrs. Perry, to discuss her schedule for the day. Mrs. Perry primes Charlotte regarding absent teachers, schedule changes, and special activities. Charlotte uses the guidance office for her home base each day, as needed.
When Charlotte arrives on Tuesday, Mrs. Perry has already obtained information regarding changes in her schedule or absentee information regarding Charlotte's teachers. She lets Charlotte know that Mr. Brown her science teacher will be absent and that Miss Johnson will be her science teacher for today. Together they read a social narrative about substitute teachers. Mrs. Perry also reminds Charlotte of the pep rally scheduled for 2:00 p.m. She reminds Charlotte that her friend Mary will meet her at the gymnasium door and will sit with her during the pep rally. She also points out, if she gets overwhelmed, she can always return to the guidance office for the remainder of the pep rally. Mrs. Perry reminds Charlotte that Miss Tuma, the guidance counselor, will be in her office for the entire pep rally.
Case Study: Julio
Julio is a young man with Asperger Syndrome who works at the local public library. His job entails checking books in, processing on-line requests for book holds and interlibrary loans, shelving books, and delivering mail within the library. Julio enjoys social interaction but has difficulty interacting with new people. Therefore, he doesn't sit at the front desk and check out books. Instead, his primary interactions are with the library staff with whom he is familiar. Julio has excellent computer skills as well as sequencing abilities. He particularly enjoys re-shelving books, as it gives him a sense of order and organization.
When Julio initially started working at the library, he experienced high stress levels, which resulted in a meltdown. His job coach identified the stressors as the following: frustration with books being shelved incorrectly; difficulty stopping a task before it is completed; and library patrons asking him questions when he is trying to reshelf books. Julio's job coach, the head librarian, and Julio decided to designate one of the study rooms at the library as his home base area. When Julio becomes overwhelmed with work situations, he requests to take a break from his work responsibilities and go to home base.
Going to home base can either be initiated by the individual as she feels it is necessary, or be recommended by an adult or supervisor. Therefore, initially, the adult needs to recognize initial signs of stress in the student. Eventually, the student will need to be taught to recognize those signs herself and to request to go to home base. Ideally, home base should be used in combination with direct instruction in organizational skills and self-regulation as the goal is to increase independence and success across environments.
It is important that everyone involved views home base as a support and not as a punishment. Ideally, home base is used proactively; that is, to prevent meltdowns. However, it can serve as a safe place to recover from a meltdown. Regardless, home base is not the same as a time-out, so the same space should not be used for both purposes. For example, if a child is sent to his room for time-out, a different location should be identified for home base.
Summary
It is common for everyone to experience anxiety and stress when dealing with daily life. Individuals with ASD may benefit from specific, tailored strategies to help them cope and regulate their emotional state: home base is one such strategy or, more specifically, an environmental structure that provides support. Home base is any specified location in the home, school, or community where an individual with ASD feels safe and comfortable. Determining the location and use of home base is as unique as the individual with ASD.
Citation and References
Coffin, A. B., & Bassity, K. (2007). Home base: Online training lesson (Columbus: Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence). In Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI), Autism Internet Lessons, Columbus, OH: OCALI.
Discussion Questions
- Individuals with ASD might benefit from home base. Think of a child you know with ASD. Why might he benefit from home base? When might home base be used throughout his day?
- When determining a location for home base, what key components should be considered?
(Answers on next page)
Answers
- A correct answer could include the following: student experiencing high stress; meltdowns; difficulty with transitions; struggling with organizational skills; need for sensory breaks or input
Why: Intermittent breaks throughout the day can increase overall success and independence; to avoid or recover from meltdowns; to aid in self regulation; to increase success with transitions and changes in schedules/routines through preparation which helps to decrease stress allowing them to be more effective learners - A correct answer should include the following: a highly structured environment with few distractions; a consistent environment; an environment which provides the appropriate level of supervision; access to sensory strategies as appropriate; pleasant and positive for the individual; quiet; safe environment