Post by lozgordon45 on Nov 6, 2012 8:58:57 GMT
A brilliant introduction to Autism, and Autistic people, from the National Autistic Society.
This information sheet is aimed at all health professionals who may come into contact with an adult or child with autism for reasons other than their autism. Doctors, nurses, paramedics, dentists and opticians may find this useful. A lot of this advice will also be useful to hospital staff who are caring for an in-patient with an autistic spectrum disorder.
'Autistic spectrum disorder' is a term used to describe a lifelong developmental disorder that is characterised by impairments in social interaction, communication, and social imagination. There is a 'spectrum' or range of disorders with these features, including autism and Asperger syndrome.
Some people with an autistic spectrum disorder have severe learning disabilities, and some may never speak. People with Asperger syndrome, on the other hand, usually have an average or above average IQ, and acquire spoken language at the same age as typically-developing children.
All people with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) experience three main areas of difficulty, known as the 'triad of impairments':
social interaction (difficulty with social relationships eg appearing aloof and indifferent to other people and difficulty with understanding others' viewpoints and intentions) social communication (difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication) social imagination (difficulty with interpersonal play and imagination eg having a limited range of imaginative activities, possibly copied and pursued rigidly and repetitively).
In addition to this triad, repetitive behaviour patterns and resistance to change in routine are often characteristic. They may also be hyper- or hyposensitive to sound, touch, pain, lights etc.
Children and adults with an ASD have illnesses and physical or emotional problems just the same as everybody else. There are over 500,000 people with an autistic spectrum disorder in the UK so it is likely you will come across people with an autistic spectrum disorder during your career.
Appointments Try to give the patient with an ASD the first or last appointment of the day. People with an ASD find waiting around for an appointment extremely stressful. Waiting in busy hospital corridors will increase the stress levels of an already anxious child or adult. If possible, find a small side room the family can wait in. Alternatively, they may prefer to wait outside or in the car and a member of staff should be identified to collect them when the health professional is ready. If the appointment is likely to be delayed, the family may wish to leave the building completely and return at a later agreed time.
Talking to patients with an ASD Medical procedures
Always explain what you are going to do before starting any procedure or examination. If possible, show a picture of what is going to happen or use a doll (if appropriate) to explain what you are going to do.
Your language
Use clear simple language with short sentences. People with an ASD tend to take everything literally. Thus, if you say "It will only hurt for a minute" they will expect the pain to have gone within a minute. Make your language concrete and avoid using idioms, irony, metaphors and words with double meanings, eg "It's raining cats and dogs out there." This could cause the patient to look outside for cats and dogs. Give direct requests, eg "Please stand up." If you say, "Can you stand up?" this may result in the person staying seated or the answer "yes", as the person with an ASD may not understand you are asking them to do something. Check that they have understood what you have said - some people with an ASD may speak clearly but can lack full understanding. Avoid using body language, gestures or facial expressions without verbal instructions. These may not be understood. Ask for the information you need. A person with an ASD may not volunteer vital information without being asked directly.
This information sheet is aimed at all health professionals who may come into contact with an adult or child with autism for reasons other than their autism. Doctors, nurses, paramedics, dentists and opticians may find this useful. A lot of this advice will also be useful to hospital staff who are caring for an in-patient with an autistic spectrum disorder.
'Autistic spectrum disorder' is a term used to describe a lifelong developmental disorder that is characterised by impairments in social interaction, communication, and social imagination. There is a 'spectrum' or range of disorders with these features, including autism and Asperger syndrome.
Some people with an autistic spectrum disorder have severe learning disabilities, and some may never speak. People with Asperger syndrome, on the other hand, usually have an average or above average IQ, and acquire spoken language at the same age as typically-developing children.
All people with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) experience three main areas of difficulty, known as the 'triad of impairments':
social interaction (difficulty with social relationships eg appearing aloof and indifferent to other people and difficulty with understanding others' viewpoints and intentions) social communication (difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication) social imagination (difficulty with interpersonal play and imagination eg having a limited range of imaginative activities, possibly copied and pursued rigidly and repetitively).
In addition to this triad, repetitive behaviour patterns and resistance to change in routine are often characteristic. They may also be hyper- or hyposensitive to sound, touch, pain, lights etc.
Children and adults with an ASD have illnesses and physical or emotional problems just the same as everybody else. There are over 500,000 people with an autistic spectrum disorder in the UK so it is likely you will come across people with an autistic spectrum disorder during your career.
Appointments Try to give the patient with an ASD the first or last appointment of the day. People with an ASD find waiting around for an appointment extremely stressful. Waiting in busy hospital corridors will increase the stress levels of an already anxious child or adult. If possible, find a small side room the family can wait in. Alternatively, they may prefer to wait outside or in the car and a member of staff should be identified to collect them when the health professional is ready. If the appointment is likely to be delayed, the family may wish to leave the building completely and return at a later agreed time.
Talking to patients with an ASD Medical procedures
Always explain what you are going to do before starting any procedure or examination. If possible, show a picture of what is going to happen or use a doll (if appropriate) to explain what you are going to do.
Your language
Use clear simple language with short sentences. People with an ASD tend to take everything literally. Thus, if you say "It will only hurt for a minute" they will expect the pain to have gone within a minute. Make your language concrete and avoid using idioms, irony, metaphors and words with double meanings, eg "It's raining cats and dogs out there." This could cause the patient to look outside for cats and dogs. Give direct requests, eg "Please stand up." If you say, "Can you stand up?" this may result in the person staying seated or the answer "yes", as the person with an ASD may not understand you are asking them to do something. Check that they have understood what you have said - some people with an ASD may speak clearly but can lack full understanding. Avoid using body language, gestures or facial expressions without verbal instructions. These may not be understood. Ask for the information you need. A person with an ASD may not volunteer vital information without being asked directly.