Attention Autism

Well please elucidate how you get to know the individuals you are helping without some grasp of autism?

You say "the advice is to know the individuals you are working with, and to know how their Autism impacts on their ability to learn and cope in various situations and adapt their environment accordingly".

I couldn't agree more, I just think that's quite a big IF.

If you are to employ Attention Autism "to suit the individuals you work with in a balanced but motivating way" you do need to understand that individual's needs and constraints, including those down to their very individual autism traits.

By all means take issue with me about my lack of understanding of the objectives behind what Attention Autism attempts to do. I couldn't find out enough on the website. Perhaps if you explained it in more depth I could revise my first impressions.

But if you cannot elucidate this just comes over as a testimonial. Like in the adverts - Jenny Smith of Wolverhampton says she was very happy with the new ....... and recommends it to her friends.

I may be a crusty old sceptic, but where autism is concerned I believe it is vital that websites offering services demonstrate comprehension of the issues. Sorry to be a pain.

Having attended one of Gina D's Attention Autism sessions, and someone who uses Attention Autism to support communication, socialisation, and to create meaningful FUN shared experiences, I feel your last comment lacks the understanding of the objectives behind what Attention Autism attempts to do. I appreciate your critical eye, and I think I understand your issue: that sensory overload is not acknowledged within the Attention Autism framework. The advice is to know the individuals you are working with, and know how their Autism impacts on their ability to learn and cope in various situations, and adapt the environment accordingly. Work with OT to do this if necessary and plan the delivery of your  Attention Autism to suit the individuals you work with in a balanced but motivating way. 

There is always someone 'better qualified,' and to believe anything else is to believe you have all the answers. My understanding of Gina Davis (from attending her course) is that she is well qualified and justified in what she is attempting to do, and qualified enough to never use the label 'curer' of Autism. I personally found her advice and outlook refreshing, creative and child-centred. If you get a chance, do attend her talks sometime.

I was trying to be open to discussion in my comments above, but seeing no further discussion, I think I need to lay down the gauntlet.

With regard to other people being "better qualified" to define the needs of people with autism, are there any guidelines in place, or accepted standards of professional practice, that require people offering services to children with autism, to AT LEAST be sufficiently qualified in their understanding of autism, if not with some actual recognised qualification?

Or can anyone offer a service, without understanding autism, just cos it sort of seems to work?

Hi GinaD,

You say it was not your intention to provide a definition of autism, but do you see my point - namely that the issues affecting people with autism need to be understood properly?

Attention Autism only refers to sensory integration, not sensory overload. You say in your posting that "sensory issues will have an impact, and can support the engagement of the child if used carefully", but you still do not demonstrate much understanding.

My own view is that the activities used, might just by providing managed exposure to noise, and movement, have beneficial effects. But some children would be quite disturbed by this. So it is important that Attention Autism demonstrates understanding.

For example some people are overly sensitive to smells, or sense smells differently. Some lemon scented household products can smell quite disgusting, or perfumes can form quite the opposite impression from that intended. Yet Attention Autism shows pictures of children engaged quite closely. Might not always work.

I'd be happier if Attention Autism demonstrated on its website some real understanding of the sensory difficulties of children with autism, how that might affect the procedure, and where Attention Autism might act beneficially to ease or calm children with autism's reactions to sensory inputs and overload.

If it could be demonstrated the method helped with this it might be a promising adjunct to the technique. I do not think it right to gloss over the definition of autism and say it is up to others "better qualified" because that's not what I want to hear from someone providing services to disabled children.

I read both posts with great interest and am delighted that the Attention Autism programme is being considered. It was not my intention to provide a definition of autism , there are many who are much better qualified to do this than me but in discussing it in outline terms I can see that sensory issues might not be given the approriate profile. It is really imprtant that the whole child is considered and that sensory issues, amongst other potential problems ,are thought through carefully to get the best match possible between intervention and the profile of autism the child is living with and bringing to the learning experience. Sensory issues will have an impact and can support the engagement of the child if used carefully or make it very difficult if the individual becomes anxious, wary or overstimulated. In the attention autism approach we try very hard to offer an iresistable invitation to learn through the use of highly engaing activities, but the leading adult needs to be aware of the overall level of stimulation and develop skills in adapting and modifying the intervention to match and then build sensory tolerances. We have found that high levels of engagement wins sensory tolerance but this should not be taken for granted. Tolerance of any kind costs effort and comes at a cost so the intervention had better be worth it! These factors and many other practical intervention issues are covered in the 2 day Attention Autism training.

I welcome the debate, such discussions can only be to the benefit of intervention and I will think hard about these factors in my next sessions to see if I have got it right...or as close to right as I can!

Attention Autism seems to have attracted considerable interest.It is a solution involving fun activity.

There have been lots of solutions, and cynical as I am, we've got to try more of these ideas to find a way forward.

But most of these strategies have underlying precepts. They are justified by defining the problems of people on the spectrum in a certain way, providing a solution that addresses that simplification, and somehow overlooking the issues not covered in the simplification.

Take Attention Autism. The Gina Davis Autism Centre has a definition of Autism. It is based on the Triad of Impairments, but does mention sensory issues:

"Most also have issues with sensory integration, their senses constantly sending them confusing messages" 

It then goes on to say that "children with autism have several strengths and it is important we both understand them and use them to help, for example: bags of energy and they enjoy physical, hands on activities; excellent memory and recall for items that interest them; a real persistence for things that interest them; superb concentration and attention for things they like and have chosen; top notch visual skills"

Now my sensory overload issues are at the mild end and I personally found confronting them, and pushing myself into uncomfortable environments helped me a great deal. that may not be everybody's comfortable notion of how to deal with them.

But the Attention Autism precept misses out on sensory overload, and involves doing thigs that have high sensory impact. Maybe it works. I'd just like to see this taken into account in the precept.

Naomi Rosenberg's Dance Massage was developed for deaf children, as I understand it. It involves soothing sensual massage in the context of music and rhythm. "It is a form of non-verbal communication"

Now I can see the benefits for deaf children. I'm a little wary about its application now to children on the autistic spectrum, as many are very sensitive to being touched.

Now, it might be that handled right, bringing touch into children's experience in a pleasant and interesting way might reduce the sensitivity.

But I'd be far happier of I saw some evidence that these "curers" actually understood autism and had actually explored all the issues. Maybe they have - but it is not demonstrated on their websites.