Tips for law enforcement, court and state workers
Prepared by
Lisa Donze Jacob, LCSW
Li:
Literal Language
Tend to interpret language very literally. Avoid slang, idioms, metaphors, and/or similes
Difficulty interpreting tone of voice and facial expressions. Sarcasm like “Oh that was great!” may positively reinforce an undesirable behavior.
However, verbal skills tend to be strengths whenever possible, use short, direct, and concrete verbal prompts.
The “Stern Look” is lost on them
Do not bother asking them why they are doing something inappropriate instead, tell them in clear, short statements what they should be doing. “Pleasestop talking and hand me your license, proof of insurance and registration.”
When presenting multi-step directions, pause between instructions on multi-step tasks and/or ask them to repeat it back for clarification.
Meltdowns
Try to avoid situations that produce “sensory overload”. May appear agitated or may shut down; may be due to stress or frustration; may be overwhelmed.
Plan ahead for a safe place where they can calm down. Help them make a “graceful exit”. In schools, a “card out” system works well
Depending on the person, have someone talk to them or just sit quietly with them. Provide them with something of comfort specific to them: book, Lego men, Pokémon cards, silly putty, some type of fidget, tablet or phone etc.
Have them talk about their topic of interest rather than what upset them, at least initially…
Stimming:
Self-Soothing/Stimming Behaviors
Velcro under the desking, “fidgets”, wiggle toes, pacing where possible, wristbands, ankle band…be creative!
Eye Contact
It is uncomfortable for many people on the spectrum. If you want them to look at you, rather than demanding eye contact, ask them to look toward you. Try asking them to look at your earrings, or hair or shirt collar etc. Meet with them one on one to discuss this and have a prompt to redirect. “Suzy, earrings” or “Suzy” and then tap your earrings.
Extrapolation
Do not expect them to generalize from one situation to another. Teach a skill and rehearse it in a variety of settings.
Provide clear expectations and rules for behavior.
Use social stories, modeling and role-playing to teach social skills.
Handwriting Deficits
Allow extra time for handwritten work, filling out forms, etc. and explore the use of keyboards, tablets, etc.
Perseverative Questioning
Ask them to write the question down (or say you wrote it down) and that you will answer the question in a defined amount of time later. Or, talk with them privately; state that the questions are creating a problem for others and for you, and ask him what he thinks would work to help him. Try a visual signal.
:
Behavior Modification
May work well for some behaviors and some people, but it may result in some “robotic-like” or rigid behaviors.
Scripting
As much as possible, try a “practice run”; use a loose script for situations when you can. Review afterward how the plan worked.
Bullying
Overt and Covert
Cat, first name, bugs…
Keep an eye on them, especially on the playground, in the cafeteria, on the school bus, and the halls. They often do not know what to report. This would apply in a group or foster home as well.
Arrange for Speech and Language Services
To help address the pragmatics of communication
and conversational social skills.
Provide/Arrange for Social Skills Training in Small Groups
Provide small group training in social skills.
Find out what they love! Let them talk to you about it and ask questions about it!
Language: