A view from a sibling:

Facilitating experiences for visitors with autism.

Leila ChapmanKCA London

leilas@kcalondon.com

Who I am:

Twelve years experience in operating and creating

visitor experiences

Started career at the Science Museum, London

Part of the KCA London partnership

Who I am not:

A doctor

A psychologist

A pathologists

A therapist…

What’s the big deal?

New data suggests 1 in 110 children have a ASD(National Centre on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities)

The potential to provide positive experiences

Huge potential for science centres, Museum and

attractions to provide inclusive, engaging and life

enhancing experiences for people with autism and their families.

What am I going to talk about:

What autism is

Common difficulties for people with autism

Characteristic behaviours for people with autism

What we can do

Hints and tips

What is autism?

A lifelong developmental disability that affects how a

person communicates with, and relates to, people

around them.

Also affects how they make sense of the world around them.

‘..the world is a mass of people, places

and events which I struggle to make

sense of’.

What is autism?

Spectrum condition – may share characteristics, but

condition will affect them in different ways.

ASD

What is autism?

Common areas of difficulty

Common areas of difficulty

Characteristics vary from one person to another but

generally divided into three main groups:

•Difficulty with social communication

•Difficulty with social interaction

•Difficulty with social imagination.

Social Communication Difficulty with verbal and non verbal language.

Many have a very literal understanding of language,

thinking people mean exactly what they say.

Find it difficult to understand:• Facial expressions or tone of voice

• Jokes or sarcasm

• Idioms, metaphors and figurative speech.

‘My teacher told me to pull my socks up. I bent down and did just that.’

‘The sign said remain seated. That’s why I did not get off the bus.’

Social Communication Mathematics and physics may appeal to people with ASD:

“Communicating science concepts is easy – everyone speaks the same language. When you go to a foreign

country people make an effort to speak clearly and without ambiguities, because they know that if they

don't, you may not understand.”

Michael Barton, It’s Raining Cats and Dogs

Social Communication

Some people may not speech, or have limited speech.

May understand what other people say to them, but

prefer to use alternative means of communication themselves:

•Makaton

•Picture Exchange Communication symbols (PECS)

•Noises•Repetitive movements

Social Communication

Social Communication

Others will have great language skills, but may find it

hard to understand the give-and-take of conversations.

Echolalia.

Talking at length about their own interests – and nothing else.

Little or no eye contact.

Preoccupied with a thought or object.

Social Communication

Social Communication 2002 study (NAS, UK) explored why Thomas the Tank Engine is so popular with children with autism and Asperger

syndrome:

•Characters have friendly faces, often with exaggerated

expressions.

•Expressions are set for some time, and often accompanied by

simple narration explaining the emotion (‘Thomas was sad’)•The characters play predictable roles.

•The narration is calm and clear, and changes are

'signposted' clearly.

•The stop-action photography allows the background and scenery

to remain still, allowing for greater focus on the "big picture" with less distraction.

How can you support social communication for

people with autism?

Think about the language you use in graphics and presentations: be clear, consistent, and give time to

process.

Be creative with communication – icons, images, body language, colour.

Makaton!

Patience, kindness. Work hard to make links to the everyday

– systems learning.

How can you support social communication for

people with autism?

Video labels for mechanical exhibits.

Social Interaction

Socialising doesn’t come naturally – we have to learn

it.

People with autism often have difficulty recognising or understanding other people’s emotions or feelings, and

expressing their own.

Social Interaction They may:

•Not understand the unwritten social rules, such as

standing too close to other people.

•Appear to be insensitive.

•Prefer to spend time alone.

•Do not seek comfort.

•‘Inappropriate’ behaviour.

Social Interaction

Common to exhibit unusual behaviours or interests.

Repetitive behaviours also common:

•Hand flapping, rocking, jumping up and down;

•Compulsory behaviours: Arranging items in a certain order or manner;

•Ritualistic behaviours that are limited in focus, such as a certain object or television programme.

May want to make friends: but don’t know how.

How can you support social interaction for

people with autism?

Train your staff – visitors will take their lead.

Provide a space where they can take a break from the

hub of activity.

Multiuser exhibits can break barriers to interacting with

others.

Popular items or objects (trains, buses): trail opportunities?

How can you support social interaction for

people with autism?

What exhibits operate use repetitive movements?

Social Imagination

Allows us to understand and predict other people’s

behaviour, make sense of abstract ideas, imagine situations outside of immediate routine.

For people with autism, it can be hard to:

•Understand and interpret other people’s thoughts, feelings and actions;

•Predict what will happen next;

•Understand the concept of danger or threats;•Engage in imaginative play;

•Prepare for change and plan for the future;•Cope in new or unfamiliar situations.

How can you support social imagination for

people with autism?

Be extra aware of danger or risk on gallery.

Avoid terms such as ‘imagine’ or put ‘yourself in place

of’…

Think about props and gallery extensions – what objects

or tools can help connect science principles to everyday life?

How can you support social imagination for

people with autism?

Ask descriptive questions based on sensory discoveries: ‘is it rough or smooth?’, ‘is it new or old?’, ‘is it heavy or

light?’… will encourage investigation.

Characteristic behaviours

Vary from one person to another, but common

behaviours are:

•Love of routines

•Sensory sensitivity

•Special interests

•Learning disabilities

Love of routines

‘One young person with autism attended a day service.

He would be dropped off by taxi, walk up to the door of the day service, knock on it and be let in.

One day, the door opened before he could knock and

a person came out, rather than go in through the open door, he returned to the taxi and began his routine

again.’

Love of routines

May prefer a fixed daily routine so that they know what

is going to happen in a confusing and unpredictable world.

Coming to your attraction rather than following normal

routine can be an ordeal in itself!

Can cope better if prepared in advance.

You are coming to Mishkat!

Mishkat is about energy. We use energy to watch television, drive cars and cook food.

Energy is all around us. We can capture energy from the sun, wind, water and from the heat under the ground.

You can explore where energy comes from and how we use it at Mishkat.

You will be met by our friendly hosts at reception. They will keep your bags and coats safe and show you where the toilets are.

In the Group Space, you will meet our Facilitators. They are here to help you discover about energy.

You can fly a plane, send a rocket into space, make a hot air balloon float into the air... there are lots of fun things for you to do and see!

In the Energy Hall, there is a wavy table for you to touch and play with.

You will also go into Powering Our Future, where there are lots of things fo you to touch and explore.

Sensory sensitivity

‘Peter loves dancing at parties. But attending a party

make him anxious, as he is terrified that there will be balloons. For weeks beforehand, he will cover his ears

with his hands and shout ‘bang!’”

People with autism may experience sensory sensitivity in one or more of the five senses.

Sensory sensitivity

A person’s senses are either intensified

(hypersensitive) or under-sensitive (hypo-sensitive).

Hypersensitive:

A person with autism may find certain background sounds unbearably loud or distracting – it can cause

anxiety or even physical pain.

Sensory stimulating places may be too overwhelming.

Sensory sensitivity

Eureka! Children’s Museum Break to Play project

Sensory sensitivity

Provides a welcoming environment for children with

ASD and their parents, carers and siblings, in what would otherwise be a challenging environment.

Sessions offer families the chance to play together with

additional support from the Eureka! team.

First programme took place on Saturday mornings

Experiences were tailored to the needs of their family.

Ear defenders offered to explore the galley.

Sensory sensitivity

Hypo-sensitive

May not feel pain or extremes of temperature.

Some may rock, spin, flap hands to stimulate

sensation, help with balance and posture or deal with stress.

May also find it harder to use their body awareness system, making it difficult to avoid obstructions, stand

at appropriate distances or carry out fine motor tasks.

.

Sensory sensitivity

.

Special interests

Many people with autism have intense special interests.

Can change overtime, or be lifelong.

May be unusual…

.

Special interests

Interest can be channelled into subject areas:

Buses – TransportRubbish – Recycling

Pebbles – Geology

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Final thoughts

Don’t leave out the siblings or parents!

Be creative with communications.

Invest in staff.

Create an ethos of empathy not sympathy.

Consider the entire visitor experience – pre visit, queuing, on gallery trails..

Final thoughts

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Children of autism grown and become autistic adults.

Although there are characteristics, they are individuals.

No substitute for kindness and patience. .

Thank you!

leilas@kcalondon.com

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