Coffee Morning Slides on Autism.

1. Autism: Makaton, Visuals and Timetabling
• Autism: (re)introduction
• Dual Coding
• Makaton
• Visuals
• Timetabling
• What else is out there?

3. Social Communication
• Difficulties interpreting both verbal and non-verbal language like gestures
or tone of voice
• Very literal understanding of language, and think people always mean
exactly what they say.
• Tough to understand or use facial expressions, tone of voice and jokes and
sarcasm.
• Sometimes limited speech but often able to understand much more than
able to express. Sometimes prefer alternative forms of communication
(signing or visual symbols)
• Struggle with vagueness or abstract concepts
• Expectations of others in conversations
• Time to process information
https://www.autism.org.uk/about/communication.aspx https://www.autism.org.uk/about/communication/social-
isolation.aspx
Note: Autism is a spectrum disorder and not all features are relevant for all children.

4. Social interaction
• Difficulty ‘reading’ people – feelings, expressions, intentions,
emotions.
• Appear to be insensitive
• Seek out alone time
• Not seek others for comfort
• Appear to behave ‘strangely’ or socially inappropriate ways.
• Hard to form friendships

5. Restriction and Repetition
• World seems unpredictable and confusing for people who like routine
and like knowing what’s going to happen.
• Travel the same way to and from school
• Eat the same food for breakfast
• Rules are important – difficult to take a different approach to
something they have been taught the ‘right’ way to do something
• Change can be uncomfortable – prepare in advance
• Highly focused interests – can change over time or lifelong. Unusual
interests can be channeled (collecting rubbish > recycling and
environment)
https://www.autism.org.uk/about/behaviour/preparing-for-change.aspx

6. Sensory Sensitivity
• Over or under sensitive to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light, colours,
temperatures or pain. May find background sounds unbearably loud
or distracting. Can cause anxiety or even physical pain. Can be result
in fascination also.
https://www.autism.org.uk/about/behavi
our/sensory-world.aspx
http://www.aettraininghubs.org.uk/wp-
content/uploads/2012/05/37.2-Sensory-
assessment-checklist.pdf

19. Autism: Makaton, Visuals and Timetabling
• Autism: (re)introduction
• Dual Coding
• Makaton
• Visuals
• Timetabling
• What else is out there?

20. Dual Coding

21. Autism: Makaton, Visuals and Timetabling
• Autism: (re)introduction
• Dual Coding
• Makaton
• Visuals
• Timetabling
• What else is out there?

22. Makaton
• A language programme using signs and symbols to help people to
communicate.
• Designed to support spoken language and the signs and symbols are
used with speech.
• Children and adults can communicate straight away using signs and
symbols.
• Many people then drop the signs or symbols naturally at their own
pace, as they develop speech.

23. • Extremely flexible as it can be personalised to an individual's needs
and used at a level suitable for them. It can be used to:
• share thoughts, choices and emotions
• label real objects, pictures, photos and places
• take part in games and songs
• listen to, read and tell stories
• create recipes, menus and shopping lists
• write letters and messages
• help people find their way around public buildings

24. Benefits of using Makaton Explained

27. Autism: Makaton, Visuals and Timetabling
• Autism: (re)introduction
• Dual Coding
• Makaton
• Visuals
• Timetabling
• What else is out there?

28. Visuals
Visual supports can help to:
• provide structure and routine
• encourage independence
• build confidence
• improve understanding
• avoid frustration and anxiety
• provide opportunities to interact
with others.
They can make communication
physical and consistent, rather than
fleeting and inconsistent like spoken
words can be.

29. Types of Visual Support
• A wide range of items can be used as visual supports:
• tactile symbols/objects of reference, eg swimming trunks, packaging, food labels
• photographs
• short videos
• miniatures of real objects
• coloured pictures
• plain squares of coloured card
• line drawings
• symbols
• written words.
These can be real objects, printed images, or on a smartphone, tablet or computer.

30. Uses of Visual Supports
Visual supports can be used in a range of ways:
• as a single message, eg the person takes a yellow card from their
pocket when they need to go to the toilet, or a puts purple card on
the board when they’re feeling stressed.
• in combination to create a daily timetable, schedule, sequence or
reward chart
• to make a choice, eg the person can put the trampolining symbol in
the ‘afternoon’ area of the board
• to illustrate a social story or comic strip conversation.

31. Uses of Visual Supports
https://www.autism.org.uk/about/strategies/visual-
supports.aspx

32. Uses of Visual Supports
https://www.autism.org.uk/about/strategies/visual-
supports.aspx

33. Visuals: Top Tips
•Portable
•Durable
•Easy to find
•Personalised
•Consistent

34. Autism: Makaton, Visuals and Timetabling
• Autism: (re)introduction
• Dual Coding
• Makaton
• Visuals
• Timetabling
• What else is out there?

35. Timetabling
• Full days
• Now and next
• Now, next and after that

36. Autism: Makaton, Visuals and Timetabling
• Autism: (re)introduction
• Dual Coding
• Makaton
• Visuals
• Timetabling
• What else is out there?

37. What’s out there?
• Cygnet – Autism training (cygnet@southwark.gov.uk)
• Makaton training at Cherry Gardens
(http://www.cherrygardenschool.co.uk/Training)
• CHATT about Autism - 23rd May 10:00 – 12:00 @ Rerriff Primary
School (visual supports for home). Free to attend and take away
visual resources.

38. Autism: Makaton, Visuals and Timetabling
• Autism: (re)introduction
• Dual Coding
• Makaton
• Visuals
• Timetabling
• What else is out there?