theoverwhelmingimportanceof happinessandemotionalwellbeing ... · •parental relationship...
TRANSCRIPT
The overwhelming importance ofhappiness and emotional wellbeingin autistic students: what shouldspecial schools do to ensure this?
Justin Price - Headteacher Freemantles School - Woking
ContextThis presentation does mainly focus uponobservations based on our experiences, however:• It will not be a story of what has happened at
Freemantles but more an exploration ofpossible ways to support children and youngpeople with autism to have positive well-being.
• What do we really mean by happiness?
Roots of anxietyKey triggers appear to be:
• Difficulties with social understanding.
• Social communication skills.
• Reduced ability to moderate senses.
• Lack of self esteem and selfconfidence due to these challenges.
Additional Factors
• Anxiety creates anxiety.
• Parents, families, peers and staff canbe affected.
• Anxiety may create greater sensoryprocessing difficulties.
Impact of anxiety
• Parents / Siblings anxiety issuesspiralling down.
• Staff / school place breakdown.
• Parental relationship breakdown.
• Inability to process and learn.
Impact of anxiety
• Child to residential school.
• Overprotection potentially increasinganxiety and other MH difficulties.
• Reduced participation by all in thecommunity.
First priority
• For these reasons Emotional Well-being has become the first priorityunderpinning all of the work that wedo.
What basics help positive well-being for most human beings?
Fresh Air
PhysicalExercise
QualitySleep
Good
Diet
Interests
A three pronged approach
• Promoting techniques to manageEmotional Well-being (in the here andnow).
• A long term approach to address theroots of anxiety .
• A holistic approach to promoteemotional wellbeing in families andthe staff – across the wholecommunity.
Promoting techniques to manageEmotional Well-being.
The basics:Fresh Air
PhysicalExercise
QualitySleep
Good
Diet
Interests
Promoting techniques to manageEmotional Well-being.
Others:
Build trusting relationships to enableasking for help / advice.
Staff / adults respond consistently to allbehaviour calmly with care.
Promoting techniques to manageEmotional Well-being.
Others
• Deep breathing strategies.
• Yoga, Pilates.
• Mindfulness.
Promoting techniques to manageEmotional Well-being.
Others
• Animals.
• Horticulture.
• Exercise.
Promoting techniques to manageEmotional Well-being.
Others
• Guided meditation.
• Choice boards of relaxing activities.
Promoting techniques to manageEmotional Well-being.
Being able to know which of thesehelps to manage your own anxiety andthe best strategy to be used in differentcontexts.
A long term approach to address theroots of anxiety – Social Understanding
• Use strategies that aid effective socialunderstanding: Social StoriesTM ,comic strip conversations, individualtutorials.
A long term approach to address theroots of anxiety - Communication
• Teach that communication andinteraction with others is fun usingintensive interaction, attentionautism.
A long term approach to address theroots of anxiety - Communication
• Teach the basics of communicationPECS , AAC’s, Speech.
A long term approach to address theroots of anxiety - Communication
• Teach social communication withsupport of Comic Strip Conversations.
A long term approach to address theroots of anxiety – Self Esteem
• Gain the appropriate balance ofchallenge with support to ensuresuccess.
• May need to vary!
A long term approach to address theroots of anxiety – Self Esteem
• Give responsibility with visualsupport.
Promote emotional wellbeing in familiesand the staff
Families
• Support families with issues.
• Offer advice and training.
• Enlist help in teaching as
a team.
Promote emotional wellbeing in familiesand the staff
Families
• Raise awareness of the anxiety cycle
• Model strategies
• Support referrals
• Offer siblings events
Promote emotional wellbeing in familiesand the staff
Staff
• Effective training and advice onstrategies.
• Develop knowledge of behaviour,anxiety and the appropriateresponses.
• Empathic listening / coaching.
Promote emotional wellbeing in familiesand the staff
Staff
• Reduce and focus workload.
• Focus on wellbeing and fulfilment.
• Frequent and regular meetings.
Through these approaches:
Beginning tomake sense
Positive impacton self esteem
Positive impactof self
confidence
Positive impactupon emotional
wellbeing
Positive impacton resilience
Questions