Unplugged
Teachers, therapists, and family members are always looking for ways to connect with their friends who are diagnosed with autism. Because of the challenges in communication and social interaction that are inherent in autism, we need to be very purposeful taking time every day to link up with our friends. One strategy that can help set the stage for personal interaction is to “unplug” several times a day. Turn off the television, electronic games, and other noise producing electronic devises. Turn off the ringer on your telephones and cell phones. Then enjoy some quality, unplugged time – even if just for a few minutes.
Listen Now:
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Most of us just tune out the beeps, pings, rings, buzzes, and hums of the electronic gear in our homes. The layers of noises multiply gradually and can be aggravating to individuals who have sensory sensitivities. Take advantage of the unplugged minutes and the absence of distracting background noises to connect person-to-person with your friend with autism.
1. Take advantage of uninterrupted opportunities to make a personal connection. Sit side by side on a couch, a park bench, or a swing. Or sit fact-to-face at a table, a desk, or a see-saw. Respect your friend’s personal space while at the same time getting close enough to really interact with you. Human contact is a stark contrast to the media interaction that is so prevalent in our daily lives. So link up with your friend through your physical presence.
2. Give your friend opportunities to listen to a live human voice. Sometimes life gets busy at home or in the classroom, and we forget to take time to talk one-to-one with our friends with autism, particularly those who are non-verbal. Although we don’t need to fill all the silences, we can take advantage of our daily unplugged times to read books and magazines aloud, to chat about recent experiences, and to share ideas and observations. The idea is to link up with our friends through our voices.
3. Unplugged moments allow for more focused attention. Sometimes we need to talk about topics that need undivided attention. For example, every evening we might want to talk about the schedule for the upcoming day or we might want to take time periodically to talk about an upcoming special event. Time uninterrupted by television and telephones are particularly conducive to “taking care of business” because the decrease in external auditory signals allows individuals with autism to focus on the conversation. For example, we can use this unplugged time to introduce a new strategy designed to decrease inappropriate behaviors. Or we could talk about plans to get a new pet. Or we could talk about issues related to school or family visits or getting along with others. Even if our friend with autism does not have good receptive language or functional expressive language, these conversations are worth the time and effort.
The key is to maximize person-to-person contact with our friends with autism by decreasing the distractions and noises of the world that are swirling around homes and classrooms and work places. We welcome your thoughts and ideas about minimizing distracting sounds and increasing the quality of personal interactions with individuals who are on the spectrum. Just send us an e-mail – talk@FAQautism.com
Note to FAQautism.com listeners and readers: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. You can click on a button to send me an email with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solutions. Check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. www.FAQautism.com
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