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From: autismresourcesf@...To: BADILLO9@...Sent: 12/1/2010 9:31:27 A.M. Eastern Standard TimeSubj: December Monthly Newsletter: Autism: Understanding & Coping with Emotions

December 2010

Newsletter

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Happy Holidays!

This Month

Helping Individuals with Autism

to Understand Emotions

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Exploring Feelings Books

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Exploring Feelings: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to Manage ANXIETY

by Dr. Tony Atwood

Winner of a 2008 Teachers’ Choice Award! Anxiety can be debilitating for anyone, but it can be especially confusing for a child. Learning about emotions helps children recognize connections between thinking and feeling, and helps them identify the physiological effects of anxiety on the body (sweating, increased heart rate, crying, etc.).

Price: $19.95

Exploring Feelings:

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to Manage ANGER

by Dr. Tony Atwood

Winner of a 2008 Teachers’ Choice Award! Many children, especially those with developmental delays, have trouble understanding or expressing their feelings. The result can be difficulty with anger management. This book provides a guide for caregivers and then the workbook portion asks children to identify situations that trigger their anger and find appropriate ways to respond.Price: $19.95

Exploring Feelings DVDs

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A Exploring Feelings DVD: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to Manage Anxiety, Sadness

and Anger

by Dr. Tony Atwood

If you have difficulty understanding what you and those around you are feeling, the world can be a confusing and frustrating place. Misinterpretation of social and physical events can result in feelings of anxiety, depression, and anger. But with education and guidance, individuals with these challenges can learn how to understand and cope with their feelings in positive ways.

Running Time: 3 hours

Price: $99.95

Asperger’s Syndrome,

Vol. 1 DVD:

A Guide for Parents

and Professionals

by Dr. Tony Atwood

Whether you’re a curious parent or a seasoned psychologist, this DVD is a perfect introduction to Asperger’s Syndrome. In hour one, Tony provides a diagnostic description of a person with Asperger’s. In the second hour, he offers a social curriculum that includes countless ideas and activities. The third hour focuses on emotion management.

Running Time: 3 hours Price: $99.95

This Holiday, Give a gift

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Autism Asperger's Digest

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Asperger's Syndrome Volume 2 DVD:

Anger Management, Teaching Teachers and Teenage Issues

by Dr. Tony Atwood

In this second installment of Dr. Tony Attwood's popular DVD series, Tony gives teachers great advice on how to effectively manage a classroom that includes students with Asperger's. Since social skills are so imperative at this age, this tends to be a particularly challenging age for students and, consequently, for teachers. You will l earn how to curb anger and take preventative steps to avoid conflicts. Running Time: 3 hours Price: $99.95

Social Skills Training and

Frustration Management DVD

by Dr. Jed Baker

This dynamic and comprehensive presentation is extremely valuable to all family members and professionals working with individuals with autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorders, learning disabilities, mood and anxiety disorders, and other issues that impact social-emotional functioning. Learn how to: build an individual's social skills in crucial areas such as conversation, conflict resolution, emotion management, employment, dating, etc.; develop an effective behavior plan; manage and prevent meltdowns; help create peer acceptance; and assess social skills of individuals or groups. Running Time: 4 Hours

Price: $99.95

Emotional Recognition

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CAT-Kit (Cognitive Affective Training)

by Dr. Tony Atwood

From Newborns to Toddlers A child’s sensory system affects their

World-renowned expert on Asperger's Syndrome Dr. Tony Attwood has teamed up with Dr. Kirsten Callesen and Dr. Annette Moller Nielsen of Denmark to create a powerful yet user-friendly tool that gets straight to the core of the thoughts and emotions behind behavior. The CAT-kit offers an easy, hands-on way for young people to communicate with adults, and each other.

Years in the making, the Cognitive Affective Training (CAT) kit is a program that consists of visual, interactive, and customizable communication elements for children and young adults. It is designed to help students become aware of how their thoughts, feelings and actions all interact and, in the process of using the various visual components, they share their insights with others. It is an easy and effective way to work with neurotypical children and young adults as well as with people with developmental disabilities.

The CAT-kit has been proven valuable in a variety of environments:

Parents report that the materials are excellent resources in conflict resolution among siblings, and for clarifying differing perspectives between age groups. The uncomplicated design and situation-specific uses of the kit will simplify day-to-day conversation and allow parents to deal with displays of emotion or misconceptions that ordinarily would be difficult to manage.

Teachers and counselors appreciate the CAT-kit for its visual and concrete design. The kit attracts students’ attention and encourages them to talk about their thoughts and emotions in a non-defensive manner. Children are able to communicate their attitudes and emotions by means of the visual aids and are not inhibited by their lack of exact wordings.

Therapists and other professionals consider the CAT-kit an easy, hands-on adaptation of the cognitive-behavioral strategies they are already familiar with. The kit allows professionals to obtain valuable information regarding the thoughts and feelings that exist behind students’ behaviors, while providing a non-stressful environment where professionals can work on students’ self-awareness and self-control. The CAT-kit elements can easily be integrated into comprehensive CBT programs.

Binding: Binder One 55-page manual, 10+ dry-erase visual tools, and over 90 feelings with corresponding faces and words

Price: $199.95

Mind Reading CD ROM

by world-famous

ASD expert

Simon Baron-Cohen!

The Mind Reading CD-ROM will help children and adults improve their ability to recognize emotions in others. Through games and lessons, you can explore over 400 emotions, seeing and hearing each one performed by six different people. Video clips feature a wide range of people and audio clips express the intonation. There are three main sections in Mind Reading. Students can take quizzes in the "Learning Center," study faces and expressions in the "Emotion Library," and playfully test their knowledge in the "Game Center."

Price: 129.95

Feelings Books for Children

Click here to View all 17 Children's Books

How Do I Feel?

First Runner-Up in the 2006 Writer’s Notes Book Awards, this book utilizes the strengths of children with ASD to help them develop new skills. Tasks are visually oriented, consistent; expectations are clear. Children learn motor, matching, sorting, reading, writing, and math skills using easy-to-make “task boxes.†Tasks include pushing items through a small openings (children love the “resistance†it takes to push them through); matching simple, identical pictures or words; sorting objects by color, size, or shape. Ideas are plentiful, materials colorful, and children love the repetitive nature of the “tasks,†which help them learn to work independently! Sample data sheets are included.

Binding: Paperback Pages: 139 Price: $21.95

Behavioral Strategies

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No More Meltdowns

by Dr. Jed Baker

It could happen at the grocery store. At a restaurant. At school. At home. Meltdowns are stressful for both child and adult, but Dr. Baker can help! Author of the award-winning Social Skills Picture Book series, Dr. Jed Baker offers parents and teachers strategies for preventing and managing meltdowns. His 20+ years of experience working with children on the autism spectrum, combined with his personal experiences raising his own children, have yielded time-tested strategies, and results! Dr. Baker offers an easy-to-follow, 4-step model that will improve your everyday relationships with the children in your life: 1) Managing your own emotions by adjusting your expectations, 2) Learning strategies to calm a meltdown in the moment, 3) Understanding why a meltdown occurs, and 4) Creating plans to prevent future meltdowns.Price: $14.95

A Treasure Chest of

Behavioral Strategies

for Individuals with Autism

by Wheeler, M.Ed.

A cornucopia of ideas, strategies, and concepts that will apply to virtually any situation! The authors address sensory, communication, and physical and social-emotional issues by increasing desired behaviors and decreasing unwanted behaviors. You will also learn how to build ―sensory diets" into everyday activities; use antecedent control; teach students to self-regulate; deal with self-injurious behaviors, physical or verbal aggression, toilet training, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and fixations; deal with crisis/stress/data management, data management, and much more. Whatever problems you face, you’ll find helpful solutions to them in this book. This book should be on every teacher’s and parent’s bookshelf. Great reference source!Price: $39.95

Behavior Package

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This is your one-stop-shop

for all things behavioral!

Don’t let bad behavior inhibit success for your child or student! Our experts are here to help you.

Tackle behavior issues at home with Toilet Training, Just Take a Bite, and Taking Care of Myself. Help children manage their emotions with Dr. Tony Attwood’s Exploring Feelings workbooks, and watch his insightful Exploring Feelings DVD for hours of helpful info and advice.

For those not-so-great behavior moments, A Treasure Chest of Behavioral Strategies will be just that. Then Dr. Jed Baker will teach you how your behavior is affecting your child’s in No More Meltdowns. His Frustration Management DVD presents even more ideas for keeping frustrations to a minimum, for everyone!

Behavior is communication – are you getting the message? Learn how to translate and positively affect behavior with these valuable resources!

â– A Treasure Chest of Behavior Strategies for Individuals with Autism, by Beth Fouse and Wheeler

â– Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism, by Wheelerâ– Taking Care of Myself: A Hygiene, Puberty, and Personal Curriculum for Young People with Autism, by Wrobelâ– Just Take a Bite: Easy, Effective Answers to Food Aversions and Eating Challenges, by Dr. Lori Ernsperger and Tania Stegen-Hansonâ– No More Meltdowns, by Jed Bakerâ– Exploring Feelings DVD: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to Manage Anxiety, Sadness and Anger, by Dr. Tony Attwoodâ– Exploring Feelings: Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Manage Anger, by Dr. Tony Attwoodâ– Exploring Feelings: Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Manage Anxiety, by Dr. Tony Attwoodâ– Social Skills Training and Frustration Management DVD, by Dr. Jed Baker

(Sorry, we cannot substitute products in packages.)Price: $365.00

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Practical Strategies. Positive Stories. Proactive Solutions.

This is real-life information for the real-life challenges of ASD.

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Autism Asperger’s Digest July-August 2008 issue

Getting the Message:

Learning to Read Facial ExpressionsAuthor: Pat Crissey

Check almost any list of common characteristics for individuals on the Autism Spectrum and you will find difficulty reading facial expressions and body language among the traits listed. Those of us who know individuals on the spectrum recognize this to be a common characteristic and one that contributes to many misunderstandings and difficulties with social interactions. As a special education teacher and autism specialist struggling to find ways to address these deficits with my students, I decided that the first step was to break down the complex task of teaching facial expressions into teachable components and next, create a variety of learning activities appropriate to students of different ages and ability levels. This article will describe the curriculum and some of the activities I developed.

How important is it to teach students to read facial expressions? Without an understanding of nonverbal signals, which includes facial expressions, effective communication is simply not possible. Research has shown that only 7% of emotional meaning is conveyed through the actual words we speak, while the remaining 93% is communicated through nonverbal means, with 55% through facial expression, body language and gestures and 38% through tone of voice. (Mehrabian, 1987)

Yet, what do we observe with many individuals on the autism spectrum? They attend almost exclusively to the words being spoken and take those words very literally. At best, they are receiving only part of the message. At other times they are getting a completely erroneous message, as in the case of the individual who is obviously fuming, but states that “Nothing is wrong!†However, before you jump in and begin teaching, it’s helpful to understand how difficult and complex this task is. There are approximately 3,000 different meaningful facial expressions with many of these expressions looking very similar. In fact, in some instances, it’s impossible to determine which emotion a person is feeling without knowing the context or what has occurred. The task is made even more difficult because facial expressions are constantly and rapidly changing. So, not only do individuals need to discriminate 3,000 different facial expressions, many looking quite similar, but they also need to do it very fast!

You can also better focus your teaching if you understand why individuals on the spectrum have difficulty reading facial expressions. There are a number of reasons, one simply being that individuals on the spectrum often don’t look at faces. When they do look at faces, they may not understand the emotion that’s connected with each expression or they may have difficulty discriminating slight, but crucial differences in expressions, such as the difference between a sincere smile and one that indicates ridicule or sarcasm. But perhaps the most important reason these individuals have difficulty interpreting facial expressions is they don’t realize that reading faces is essential to understanding what is being communicated.

You will also want to consider where to begin your instruction. Some individuals will be able to read basic expressions, such as happy and sad, but may have difficulty recognizing expressions that display different intensity of feelings or more subtle emotions. Informally assessing the student, by asking him to identify facial expressions in pictures and video, may be helpful in determining what the student already knows and where instruction needs to begin.

Breaking Down the Task

If our students could learn to read facial expressions by immersion, they’d already be doing it. So, begin first with the basics, then progressively teach more and more complex skills, always building on what has been mastered.

· First, students learn to recognize and discriminate the facial expressions for the basic emotions: happy, sad, angry and scared. A neutral facial expression is included to provide a baseline for comparison. At this point the emphasis is only on recognizing the expressions.

· Next, understanding the emotions behind the basic facial expression is taught. What does it mean to feel happy, or sad, or angry or scared? What type of events causes someone to feel angry and how is a person likely to act when he or she is angry?

· Once students recognize basic expressions and understand the emotions behind them, they are ready to begin exploring other emotions. First comes recognizing the facial expressions that express different intensities of basic emotions (such as the difference between feeling pleased versus feeling ecstatic) and understanding the emotions behind these expressions.

· Finally, other, subtler facial expressions and their corresponding feelings are introduced. Consideration needs to be given as to which facial expressions are most important to teach, as the list is virtually endless. The following emotions/expressions are the ones I found most useful: interested, bored, disgusted, sincere, insincere, embarrassed, shy, confident, sorry, ashamed, jealous, confused, surprised, doubtful and concerned.

Recognition of Basic Expressions

I introduce the basic expressions (happy, sad, angry, scared and neutral) one at a time using cartoon faces, as their exaggerated expressions are easier for most students to recognize. First a cartoon face is presented and named (This is a happy face.). Next, the bottom part of the face is covered, the eyes are analyzed and a description is written or drawn on a chart. (See figure 1.) Then the top part of the face is covered and the mouth is described. This is repeated with a sad face, then reinforcement activities provide opportunities to match, sort, find and name various examples of happy and sad faces in drawings, photographs, video and real life. The other expressions are added one at a time, with activities for reinforcement after each addition.

Once all five of the basic facial expressions have been covered, a variety of activities can be used to help students integrate what they have learned.

· Practice facial expressions using small hand mirrors.· Take candid photos of students’ expressions or have students model different expressions.· Use structured learning formats, such as work systems and file folder tasks, for sorting and matching expressions.· Create collages and charts with pictures of different expressions found in old magazines, greeting cards, and picture books.· Teach students to draw cartoon faces, using one of the many ‘how to’ books for kids.· Use clips from commercial videos and DVDs or create ones by recording segments of situation comedies or commercials. Watch with the sound off and pause the video, or watch it again as needed to recognize the facial expressions.· Make copies of cartoons and comic strips to use with an overhead projector.· Adapt games to reinforce face-reading skills, such as lotto, charades, and Simon Says.· Involve all students by using response cards for naming expressions.· Find facial expressions in famous works of art. (Norman Rockwell paintings are great for this.)· Create facial expressions books, such as a flipbook or a mirror book. (See figures 2 & 3.)

Understanding Emotions

To help students understand the basic emotions, introduce each emotion using pictures that depict objects or events with familiar emotional content, such as a birthday party or a threatening dog. Discuss which emotion students associate with each picture.

Have students create a ‘Dictionary of Emotions,’ (See figure 4), writing descriptions or drawing pictures to illustrate each emotion. Include a picture of the corresponding facial expression.The following activities can be used for reinforcement.· Incorporate the activities listed in the section above. Include not only what the face looks like, but also why it looks that way. For example, look for clues in a picture to see why the character is feeling the way he does.· Turn the sound on while watching video clips. At this stage you want students to not only recognize the facial expression but also understand why the character is feeling that way.· During reading time, stop at key points in the story to discuss how the character is feeling, why she is feeling that way, and how she is likely to act as a consequence. Also, ask students to demonstrate the likely expression on the character’s face.· Use graphic organizers to help students focus on emotional content when reading independently.· Include short skits and role-plays that depict familiar scenes that involve different emotions.· Have students write about times they experienced different emotions.· Create books, posters or collages that illustrates the different emotions.

Intensity of Basic Emotions

I use a three-point scale to teach intensity of emotions and the corresponding facial expressions. The first step is to decide what descriptive words will be used for the different intensity levels. For young students, it may need to be as simple as, “a little happy, more happy, and very happy.†For others, it could be words such as, “pleased, happy, and ecstatic.â€

Once the descriptive words are chosen, they may be written on envelopes and students can then sort pictures of facial expressions, placing each picture in the envelope that best describes that expression. Short scenarios can be sorted in the same manner. For example, would you feel pleased, happy or ecstatic if you found out you’re having hamburgers for dinner? What about if you were told that you’re going to Disneyland?

Students then add new pages to their Dictionary of Emotions for the new descriptive words and complete the same activities for different intensities of sad, angry and scared.

Many of the same activities used previously can be used to reinforce understanding of these emotions and recognition of their corresponding facial expressions. The following may also be used.· Teach students what synonyms are and see how many different words for happy (sad, angry, scared) they can come up with.· Have students use a thesaurus to find even more words.

Other Emotions

Next comes teaching other emotions and their corresponding facial expressions. Each emotion is presented using scenarios relevant to the student. For example, “You are sitting eating your lunch and the student next to you throws up all over the lunch table. How would you feel?†If necessary, introduce the appropriate descriptive word, in this case, “disgusted.†Students then relate their own experiences and add a page for “disgust†to their Dictionary of Emotions.

Previously described activities can be used in teaching other emotions and expressions. The important thing is to thoroughly teach each emotion and facial expression, before moving on. As each emotion and expression is added, compare it to those already covered, look for it in video and stories, act it out in short role-plays, find examples of it in magazines, incorporate it into games and art activities.

As students gain a greater understanding of facial expressions their social understanding and communication skills will improve. We need to keep in mind that for many with autism, learning to read facial expressions can be like learning a foreign language. We don’t expect to land in a foreign country and immediately begin understanding all that is said. We learn it a word or phrase at a time, with lots of repetition and practice. The task of learning facial expressions needs to be broken down and taught one expression at a time, with ample opportunities to integrate what’s been learned.

BIOPat Crissey has worked as a special education teacher and autism specialist for over twenty years. She is the author of numerous special education and autism related educational materials, including her 2007 book, Getting the Message: Learning to Read Facial Expressions. Contact Pat at mailto:crissey55@...

ReferencesCrissey, P. (2007). Getting the Message: Learning to Read Facial Expressions. Attainment Company: Verona, WI. (www.attainmentcompany.com)Duke, M., Nowicki, S., and Marin, E. (1996). Teaching Your Child the Language of Social Success. Peachtree Publishers: Atlanta, GA.Gladwell, M. (2002). “The Naked Face.†The New Yorker, August, 2002, 38-49.

Reprinted with permission of Autism Asperger’s Digest. All rights reserved. www.AutismDigest.com

How to Make and Use

Emotional Stage Index Cards

Author: Debi

Fitness 4 Autism ProgramSpecial Needs Training for Emergency RespondersDebi@...

When speaking about Emotion Cards, there are two different types of uses and benefits: helping the child identify others’ unspoken emotional cues and helping identify the child’s own stages before a potential meltdown.Both are extremely helpful in introducing emotional identification, understanding, and regulation. Last year my son and I created Emotional Stages index cards and they proved to be invaluable. During his first grade year I believe they were responsible for a real quantum shift toward our goal of helping him identify and self-correct some of his pre-meltdown behaviors.

The challengeWhat we were finding in school was that during certain transitions throughout the day he would start exhibiting behaviors that indicated his difficulty adjusting in some capacity. Handled incorrectly or ignored, these behaviors would quickly spiral toward loss of control. My idea was that I wanted him to start to recognize when his body or senses started feeling a little squirrelly so that he could either self-correct if able, or ask for help appropriately (e.g., a sensory break or a walk around the school with the special ed professional). By teaching him to identify the signs and stages of losing control, he could hopefully have access to the support he needed and decrease the number of incidents where his behavior did reach that point of no return.

The cards and I took five index cards and numbered them one through five. We then drew a face on each one, with number one being calm and happy. These faces progressed with two and three – feeling a little uncomfortable and weird – and on to four and five, which represented needing help and finally a complete meltdown.

We then laminated them, punched holes in the upper left corners and put them on a key ring for him to carry with him. Each morning I walked into class with him, did some sensory exercises, and asked him to identify how he felt with one of the number cards. In most cases, the amount of exercises done would directly correspond to his number, and our goal was to have him at a one or two before I would leave the classroom for the day. The resultThis number system quickly became a simple means to have him check in with himself throughout the day. For numbers three and four he had a set list of appropriate suggestions to help him get back to a one or two. Even when we experienced days where a five was reached, the stage was at least identified quickly, allowing the teachers to activate an “emergency plan†we wrote into his IEP.

I honestly feel that having create these cards with me and begin to use them really helped him get to know himself in a systematic and linear way that he could clearly understand. They helped him with his feelings, they helped take the guesswork out of the picture for the teachers, and they helped our family both at home and any public outings.

What have you used in your house that helps identify emotions and stages of behaviors? I’d love for you to share!

Talking & Feeling

Author: Amalia StarrMountain Star PublishingP.O. Box 1357Sierra Madre, CA 91025

If you don’t talk, that doesn’t mean you don’t feel. They don’t go together, but most people think they do. It’s not true.

My son, , at age thirty-seven, still has a very hard time saying what he wants to say. He knows what it is, but it doesn’t come out of his mouth the way he wants it to. Expressing himself and showing his true feelings are extremely difficult for him, and for most people who have autism. This makes my son an easy target, because he can’t protect and defend himself with words.

Although he is doing much better expressing himself and how he feels with me because he trusts me, he still has great difficulty with everyone else. His lack of expression and understanding of others often gets him into trouble in the social arena, which hurts him terribly. We work on these areas often, although we make it fun, not work. I have created games that help to build ’s self confidence, verbal skills, and a better understanding of everyday life. I have seen great improvement in my son. I am hopeful that one day he will be able to talk to others the way he talks to me. And when he is out in the social arena, people will finally get a glimpse of the sweet, kind person he truly is.

Here are a few of the games we play.

1. I have shown how to eat by color. The food on 's plate used to be gray, beige or white. I took him to a restaurant that had a huge glass case filled with food. I asked him to select three dishes, two with a bright color and one white, gray or brown. He selected carrots, green beans, and a piece of chicken. After he ate his meal, he said how much better he felt. Making it fun made all the difference. He has been doing better ever since.

2. When gets stuck on repeating himself, I tell him, in a kind voice, you have twenty more times to say it and then we need to move on to something else. When the twentieth time comes around he seems to have had enough and is willing to move on, most of the time. If he goes back to repeating himself, I gently remind him and he does stop and he may even chuckle.

3. It is not often says thank you or please, although I certainly have tried to teach him. Now I just look at him when a thank you or your welcome is appropriate. I don't need to say anything. I have that look on my face as if I am waiting for him to say something. It is almost as if he needs to fill in the blanks. He looks at me and replies with a thank you or your welcome and then he usually gives me a half grin.

4. If you could only see me when I teach how to read expressions of others. I probably should create a video of this it is rather funny and entertaining. doesn’t know when someone is happy, irritated, sad or angry. Most emotions and feelings throw my son for a loop, which makes socializing nearly impossible. In a public place, I teach this at a restaurant in a booth preferably so not many can see me and so I have his undivided attention and he doesn’t think this is work. It is just another conversation with his silly mom. I sit across from and I put on a huge smile asking how do you think I feel right now. He usually laughs first and then he might say your weird, funny, bizarre. Then I tell him in very kind voice a smile usually means happiness, friendly. Then I put on my angry face. He gets that one more easily, because it makes him feel very uncomfortable. We go through 3-5 facial expressions at a time that seems to be quite enough. We usually end up making fun of my weird faces and I couldn’t agree more, but the job gets done, and that is what is important.

5. used to get bullied by a group of adult males that hung out on a specific corner near his house. It took several weeks for to tell me what was happening. Once he did, I asked him why he goes back there if they treat him so badly. He gave me a blank stare. I told him he had choices. He could go a different way. He said he didn’t realize it. After that he never returned and was no longer bullied by those men.

I used to expect to know all these things, because he is an adult and he has lived on his own for the past thirteen years, but I was wrong. Anything I can do to help live a better life I do it. He keeps me on my toes, and forces me to be more creative.

Through acceptance, respect, love, and kindness, my adult son is continuing to develop and grow. His life has not been easy and he struggles with everyday issues, and especially having intractable epilepsy and grand mal seizures. Due to the seizures, he is unable to work, but we are hopeful that with his alternative treatments will get his seizures under control and once again he will be back working.

Working With Emotions

Author: Todd Kaercher

Many times when you ask someone on the spectrum how many emotions are there, their answer is 'happy and angry'. I firmly believe that feelings are not right or wrong-they just are. That said, how many of us have said to a student, "No, you aren't angry, you are embarrassed," which seems to break my rule, but really, it doesn't. The physicality of embarrassment is much like anger-your hands get sweaty, your heart beats fast, and your face gets red. What gives clues to the difference between angry and embarrassed is the 'social context' of what just happened. Teaching emotions also involves the teaching of social context, reading body language and tone of voice.

As you are doing this herculean task, you must tackle 'emotional nuance'. We know that a human can be a little bit happy and a little bit sad and sometimes BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. When it's written down in black and white, it starts sounding a little

far-fetched even to me. With that in mind, Identifying and categorizing emotions is the hardest social thing some one on the spectrum has to do.

This lesson breaks it down for them.

Supplies:MirrorsMilk (each student needs about a quart...you can give them a pitcher and fill it as they need more)Chocolate syrupCupsCoffee stirrersA big list of emotions to post in the roomEmotions written on small pieces of paper and put in a container

1. Have the students write down all the emotions they can think of. In my experience this will not take a lot of time.

2. Discuss their lists then put up a list of your own.

Here is a positive list.Adequate Awed Pleasant AbleCapable Certain Charmed CheerfulComfortable Compassionate Courageous ConfidentDetermined Delighted Eager EnergeticEnthusiastic Excited Exhilarated ExpectantElated Good Excellent FascinatedGlad Glamorous Great GratefulGlorious Humorous Graceful HappyHopeful Magnificent Inspired InterestedJoyful Playful Thrilled RelaxedPleasure Proud Peaceful SympatheticPowerful Satisfied Positive Relieved Sublime Surprised Stable Assured Superior

3. Have them find all the different variations of HAPPY

(or any other word you want).

4. Write them down and then put them in order going from less to more. 5. Give every student a cup, a pitcher or a milk carton (white milk), some chocolate syrup, and a stirrer.

Tell them that their milk is now neutral-comfortable...have them add chocolate syrup to make HAPPY. Show them that we have 6 more steps of happy so they need to pace themselves.Ask each student to make their face and body happy. Look in the mirror until they are satisfied with their expression. You may have to coach some here (this is where neuro-typical peers can come in handy...students will believe other students if they tell them their face isn't quite right.) If you get, "Well, this is the way I do it." You have to tell them that is fine, that face is in Theoish (the student's name made into a language) and if he wants the rest of the world to understand, and there are times when he wants that, he is going to have to have his body speak Humanish.

Discuss things that make them happy.6. Next, add chocolate to the milk to make it more intense...glad. Repeat exercise.Make sure each time they stir the milk so they can see it getting darker. Discuss what the things are in life that would make their emotions get more intense.

7. At the end, people should be grinning and jumping and maybe pumping their arms in the air. Elated!

8. Drink the milk!

I think you can see how this lesson can be changed and/or combined to let the students see and figure out the intensity of emotions. With an advanced group or later you can combine emotions and use strawberry syrup, dark chocolate or whatever to show that very seldom do we have just one emotion at a time.I feel the key here is to practice the body language used to convey their emotions. Also, they should practice reading other people's body language. Once you have done this for several emotions, have the students draw an emotion from the container (one that you have studied) and use body language to convey it to the group. Remind them that the point of the game is NOT to fool the group but to have the group know immediately.

Teachable moments: Emotions last 5-10 seconds. (Grief and love are more processes for our purposes and of course can last a lifetime.) If you have a student who tends to melt-down and s/he can remember that that intense emotion will be gone in a few seconds, perhaps they can avoid a melt down if they deep breathe for those seconds.

Paying attention during social situations (which are anytime the students are with even one other person) is the only way they are going to know what kind of emotions others are having or the appropriate ones for them to have.

Making your body match your emotions and your words is a very valuable lesson, but also practice a 'neutral' face and body, because sometimes we don't want to let people know how we are feeling. It's not lying, sometimes it's nobody's business how we feel AND if you assume a neutral position it also helps you keep yourself under control.

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Autism

Events & Services

Articles In This Issue!

Getting the Message:

Learning to Read Facial Expressionsby Pat Crissey

How to Make and Use Emotional Stage Index Cards by Debi

Talking & Feeling by Amalia Starr

Working with Emotions by Todd Kaercher

And Helpful Tools...

Books about Exploring Feelings

DVDs about Exploring Feelings

Tools that help you discover the thoughts/emotions behind behaviors

Help recognizing emotions in others

Help for children to label feelings

Behavioral Strategies

Looking for just the right

holiday gift for someone

affected by Autism?

Great Gifts for Parents,

Teachers & Co-workers

Click here to order the

Puzzling Piece Necklace

for only $20.

This beautiful hand-blown glass puzzle piece on black cord makes

a statement with any outfit.

Did you know that...

More children will be diagnosed with Autism this year than with Aids, Diabetes and Cancer combined.

A portion of your

jewelry or key chain purchase

will be donated to

a charity that supports Autism.

Thank you for helping us solve

The Puzzling Piece.

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Puzzling Piece Key Chain

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MEMBER

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Be a part of the foremost autism conference in the United States!

Autism Society's 42nd National Conference and Exposition on Autism Spectrum Disorders

July 6-9, 2011

Gaylord Palms Hotel and Convention Center

Orlando, Florida

The Autism Society‘s National Conference brings experts and families together in energetic forums to address the full range of lifespan issues facing those affected by autism today. The Society opens its call for papers that present best practices cutting edge research on lifespan issues of autism including early intervention, education, employment, behavior, communication, social skills, biomedical interventions, among others. We also welcome the personal perspectives of families, caregivers and people on the spectrum of autism.

Bringing together the expertise and experiences of family members, professionals and individuals on the spectrum, attendees are able to learn how to more effectively advocate and obtain supports for the individual with ASD. The ultimate goal is to empower family members, individuals on the spectrum and professionals to make informed decisions.

The call for papers for all presenters and posters is open on the Autism Society website. All submissions must be made through our online system. Presentations in Spanish are encouraged. Submissions are due by December 22, 2010.

Questions? Please email conference@...

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Parent Support Group

for parents of children

with Autism/ASD orSensory Processing Disorders

Mission: Provide a group setting where parents, professionals and caregivers come together to share information and support in a caring and safe environment.

Time: 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm

Date(s):

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Location: Jacaranda Public Library, 4143 Woodmere Park Blvd., Venice, FL 34293

Contact: Susie Tromley

Snacks, coffee, and drinks

will be provided.

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Sensory Friendly Films

The Autism Society of America and AMC Theatres present

Sensory Friendly Films every month. The program provides

a special opportunity for

families to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment. The auditoriums dedicated to the program have their lights up, the sound turned down and audience members

are invited to get up and

dance, walk, shout or sing!

Locations:

AMC Woodlands Square 20

() in Oldsmar

AMC Veteran's 24

() in Tampa

AMC Merchants Crossing 16

in Fort Myers

AMC Sarasota 12

in Sarasota

Time: All shows begin at 10:00 am local time. Dates and films are subject to change.

Upcoming Movies

12/11/2010:

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

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Walk About Autism

Sun Life StadiumMiami Gardens, FLSaturday, January 29, 201110 am to 2 pm

Dear friends and family,

Please join me and Team JAFCO in our efforts to support the Dan Marino Foundation WalkAbout Autism, the very first South Florida “walkabout†to support local services and programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families.

By participating in this event, you are helping to enhance the lives of all those living with autism spectrum disorders right here in our own community. By joining us in this effort, you are helping to improve local services, programs and initiatives throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Our motto is "Money Raised Here, Stays Here," and we hope you'll join us in our efforts to improve the quality of lives of those affected by autism spectrum disorders today!

You can make your donation by simply sending a check payable to the Dan Marino Foundaiton directly to:

Dan Marino FoundationP.O. Box 267640Weston, FL 33326

Be sure to put my name in the memo line. Thank you for your support and all donations are 100% tax deductible.

Warmly,

Sachs

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Friendship Circle

of Fort Lauderdale

Do you know …• A child with special needs who would enjoy the company of a friend?• A family of a child with special needs, who would appreciate a little free time?• A teenager who wants to make a real difference in the community?

Then tell them about...

The Friendship Circle today!

What is it like to be a child with a disability? For many children with special needs, it’s lonely…….very lonely.

The Friendship Circle

is changing this reality.

Our unique formula unites teen volunteers with special children in a friendship that deeply enriches both lives. Through a wide range of innovative programs and activities, the two share fun & love:

Children with special needs experience the joy of friendshipTeenagers become empowered as their character grows through volunteering.

And Parents enjoy the regular respite they need to recharge.

Together, they form a very special circle of friendship.

The Friendship Circle serves a dual purpose and enriches all who participate. Pairs of teenage volunteers will be visiting children with special needs in their homes once a week for about an hour. Their role will be to play and interact with the child, thus giving the parents much needed respite. The children gain a special friend that will create an everlasting relationship. The teenage volunteers become empowered and enriched as their own moral character grows through their service.

At the heart of all of the Friendship Circle's programming is the belief that each and every individual can be a productive member of the community and benefit from the social support offered by one's peers, no matter what their skill level or ability. Friendship, acceptance and a chance to participate in socially accepted bonding opportunities are critical to achieving this type of inclusive society.

The Friendship Circle aims to provide children and teenagers with special needs and their families with many of the social and recreational opportunities that are currently available to the general community. These experiences are essential building blocks for an individual to acquire confidence and self esteem and to ultimately lead a productive, normative adult lifestyle.

We envision a world in which people with special needs and their families experience acceptance, inclusion and friendship as contributing members of society. We foresee a future where they never again have to suffer the social isolation that has often been so prevalent in society.

For more info:

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Free Autism/ASD Screenings

Face Autism Inc., a non-profit org, is providing FREE Autism/ASD screenings for children ages 15 months through 4 years of age for children in Manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte counties. For more information on free screenings.

Contact Information:

Susie Tromley

.

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Conference Announcements

Sensory Conferencewith

Carol Kranowitz &

Moyes!December 10, 2010

Orlando, Florida

Topics: "The Out-of-Sync Child" with Carol Kranowitz, M.A.

"Building Sensory

Friendly Classrooms to Support Children with Challenging Behaviors "

with Moyes

Interested in registering? Call 1.

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ARCOFSF

MEMBER BENEFITS

Membership is Free. Click here to join now.

Access to a FREE South Florida Autism Service Provider Directory You may search or submit your autism related service provider or group.

Members may also submit Autism related articles and announcements for their organization, school or business. Please send all submissions to: Autismresourcesf@...Please paste information directly into your email. Do not send as an attachment.(Be sure to include your contact phone number and email.)

Access to a free Employment Opportunity Database You may search or submit employment opportunities.

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Paste all text directly into your email.

(Please do not send event

information as a flyer or as an attachment because we may not be able to open it.)

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Submit all

announcements to:

AutismResourceSF@...

Click here for access to the Social Activities Category in the ARCOFSF Free

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(After clicking on the link above, scroll down to view or search social activities in

South Florida.)

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Topic: Family Issues

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(Do not send your article

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Be sure to include your contact phone number

and email.

Submit all articles to:

AutismResourceSF@...

Click Here to Join the Autism Resource Center of South Florida now.

ARCOFSF

MEMBER BENEFITS

Membership is Free. Click here to join now.

Access to a FREE South Florida Autism Service Provider Directory You may search or submit your autism related service provider or group.

Members may also submit Autism related articles and announcements for their organization, school or business. Please send all submissions to: Autismresourcesf@...Please paste information directly into your email. Do not send as an attachment.(Be sure to include your contact phone number and email.)

Access to a free Employment Opportunity Database You may search or submit employment opportunities.

Receive a Monthly Newsletter with Autism Related Events, Announcements, Products & Articles.

Advertise with us!

Reach over 3,000 families,

service providers and

individuals affected by Autism

Click her to learn how.

Click here

To add your organization

to the free

Florida Autism Service Provider Directory

Click here to check out the Social Skills Groups Category in the ARCOFSF Free

Resource Directory.

(After clicking on the link above, scroll down on page

to view or search social skills groups in South Florida.)

CALL FOR ARTICLES!

ARCOFSF is currently looking for article submissions for their January 2010 Newsletter.

Topic: Family Issues

Please paste all text directly into your email.

(Do not send your article

as an attachment.)

Be sure to include your

contact phone number

and email.

Submit all articles to:

AutismResourceSF@...

Click here for access to the Social Activities Category in the

ARCOFSF Free

Resource Directory.

(After clicking on the link above, scroll down to view or search social activities in South Florida.)

CALL FOR

Event

&

Conference Announcements!

ARCOFSF is currently looking for

Autism related

Events & Conferences

to announce in their January 2010 Newsletter.

Paste all text directly into your email.

(Please do not send event

information as a flyer or as an attachment because we may not be able to open it.)

Be sure to include your contact phone number and email.

Submit all

announcements to:

AutismResourceSF@...

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