Hyper-Visual in a Verbal World - Autism and Communication Disorders

A child or adult with Autism or a Communication disorder will have difficulties fitting into our extremely verbal world. These difficulties can create isolation from others and threatening walls of silence. However, there is a specific sub group of people diagnosed with these disorders who have a hyper-visual system. In these cases, when the visual system is harnessed, teaching communication becomes much easier.

I Rode the Train, I Want to be an Engineer

Hyper-visual people are experiencing visually when speaking. Their communications may appear to be almost nonsensical rambling but in fact they are following a very logical pattern. The difference is the pattern followed is visual rather than verbal. The exchange below illustrates this point.

I asked Mark, a college student, "How did you get here today?"

He replied, I took the train in from Long Island. My family went to the beach (Mark was seeing himself on the train but did not say this). Maybe I will be a engineer. The reason I like engineering is that there are serious problems. (Mark was thinking about being a transportation engineering and designing train tracks and freeway intersections) I have always been good in math. When teachers are difficult to understand. (Mark is seeing himself at school doing well except when the teacher is confusing and then associating to a video he watched about Einstein)Like Dr. Einstein- There was an exhibit on Einstein at the history museum did you see it?

Mark was attempting to answer my question but his picture mind took him on quite a ride as one picture blended into the next from the train- to a vacation to an engineering career to Einstein, at the museum. The expected answer was "TRAIN". This very verbal illustration demonstrates how the visual pathway can create leap-frog thinking-which to verbal people can seem like impulsivity.

Instead of negotiating the world with verbal reasoning, a visual person often negotiates with patterns. As a result the "sameness of routines" becomes the template to make sense of the chaos of everyday life. We refer to these visual learners as "Mavericks." We often ask Mavericks to adjust to changes in schedule or adjustments in plans based on how we typically explain things - by talking. These words can create more confusion and frustration as they may not be processed at the speed expected. This lag in processing time can create resistance, immature behavior, odd play, tantrums or reluctance to participate. As a result the normal teaching methods that are based on processing incoming language can fail.

Sequencing & Associating

Visual people often use the brain's Associator to form memories. They learn of a new idea and they relate that idea to their own knowledge base. The opposite of the Associator is the Sequencer from the verbal pathway.

The Sequencer is rigid and ordering, one sound following another to make a word, words produced in specific order to form grammatically correct sentences and ideas linked in order to make paragraphs.

The Associator is time-independent and the Sequencer is very time based. Understanding consequences depends on a time based understanding of cause and effect.

My son, Whitney, at age 4, wanted to jump off of the roof to fly like Superman, without understanding, from verbal reasoning, the danger involved. Whitney would sit mesmerized watching Disney's Snow White as if he were deaf. In fact, at times, I could scream in his ear and he could not hear me even though all of the parts of his ear to brain physiology were judged to be normal. At these times his visual brain powered by his associator were shutting down his verbal sensory system.

If the pictures drive the thought, children can appear to be oblivious to cause and effect. They may disregard threatened consequences. Often Mavericks feel that they must complete the pattern to finish the thought they have developed through the associator before they can transition to the next idea. If the thought is disrupted the Maverick may hit a wall and resort to talking with lines from a movie or echoing what was said or get stuck like a broken record and repeat the same thing over and over again.

With the appropriate training, Mavericks can learn effective verbal communication. The teaching methods must first then harness the visual system first before moving forward to teaching communication.

Dr. Cheri Florance is a brain scientist with training and clinical experience in how to teach the brain to replace symptoms of communication and language disorders. In her books, Maverick Mind, (www.penquinputnam.com) and A Boy Beyond Reach (www.simonschuster.com), she describes how she taught her own autistic son, Whitney to replace disability with ability and become symptom-free. To learn more about her own personal journey and successful methods visit her complimentary Learning Library at http://www.ebrainlabs.com

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The Role of Visual Memory in Communication

Memory is how we move thought from our fluid attention systems to our crystal knowledge. Visual memory is a very powerful and dynamic set of systems that equips the brain with enormous capabilities. How we organize memory determines how efficient we are at thinking, responding, communicating, and comprehending.

The role of memory is critical to understand when you have a child diagnosed with a Pervasive Development Disorder such as PDD-NOS, Autism or Asperger's Syndrome.

Many children diagnosed with PDD-NOS may have symptoms in language processing and communication because their highly visual thinking is interfering with the development of verbal skills. A child that is a highly visual thinker and has highly visual "brains" in the family tree can show as many as 50 specific symptoms in communication, attention and memory. I call this group of children "Maverick Minds."

Visual thinkers experience visually what they are thinking. They follow a visual pattern rather than verbal to negotiate the world. To verbal thinkers, their communications may seem like nonsensical rambling. In fact the communication is following a logical pattern but it is a visual rather than verbal pattern.

Visual people often use the brain's Associator to form memories. They learn of a new idea and they relate that idea to their own knowledge base. The opposite of the Associator is the Sequencer from the verbal pathway.

The Sequencer is rigid and ordering, one sound following another to make a word, words produced in specific order to form grammatically correct sentences and ideas linked in order to make paragraphs.

The Associator is time-independent and the Sequencer is very time based. Understanding consequences depends on a time based understanding of cause and effect.

Creating associations

Visual memory involves the brain function called the associator. The associator creates memory by linking concepts or ideas. An associator works optimally when it can complement the sequencer, but for Mavericks the associator can become the enemy or the antagonist of the sequencer. The associator can multi-task, leapfrog ahead conceptually, intuit solutions, see patterns and relationships readily, and manage an enormous workload effortlessly.

A simple example of the associator is the ideas that come to mind when you see a fire truck. This fire truck could make you think HOT, RED, FIRE, TOY, DALMATIAN, or 911. For Mavericks, associations are a constantly available and very user friendly thinking tool.

Visual memory is one of the four brain pillars that are essential for developing a symptom-free life for a Maverick child. Visual memory is the thinking powerhouse that is your child's greatest asset/liability. You use it not only to process and retain visual input but also as a mental refresher.

You can train your child's visual memory so that it becomes an asset rather than a liability. Visual memory can be harnessed by training the skills needed for immediate memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

Dr. Cheri Florance is a brain scientist with training and clinical experience in how to teach the brain to replace symptoms of communication and language disorders. In her books, Maverick Mind, and A Boy Beyond Reach she describes how she taught her own autistic son, Whitney to replace disability with ability and become symptom-free.

To learn more about creating a customized training plan for your Maverick Mind, visit us on the web at http://www.ebrainlabs.com or contact our office at 1-866-865-9820. We have helped many children who are visual thinkers move into verbal land.

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Educational Planning For a Student With Autism - Bring on the Visuals!

For an individual who thrives on order and routine, our world is a scary place! Humans interact at record breaking speeds; everything we do is high speed, instant and ever changing. Even our homes and classrooms tend to be quickly moving people from one activity to the next, changing schedules and living in the moment. It is a sign of our times and right or wrong, it is what it is. As non - autistic people we need our Blackberrys, our calendars, and our day planners to stay organized. Many of us could probably benefit from having a personal secretary! Individuals with autism need a way to cope with the demands of a fast paced society.

Schedules, lists, checklists and agendas are visual ways of organizing the world. Visual supports are the cornerstone of independence for an individual with autism. They tell an individual what needs to be done, when and what is coming next. Visuals provide order to a disorderly environment without the need for continual directions. It is not wise to fade out visual schedules because these are the tools that an individual will use for the rest of his/her life in order to be more independent. Students can be taught how to make and use daily visuals in order to bring order to their day and reduce anxiety.

Visuals can vary from written words to pictures, photos, objects and product samples to a combination of supports. The following are a sample of some useful visual supports:

A daily schedule that lists events/things to do/activities/changes in schedule

A key ring with visual reminders of social rules (personal space, staring, waiting in line etc...)

Checklists of tasks to complete and a place to indicate when are tasks completed

Checklists outlining the sequence of steps to complete a task (washing dishes, laundry, bathing, using appliances etc...)

Checklists of materials needed (packing a swim bag, packing a lunch, packing homework or materials for a class)

A pocket size relaxation booklet

Labels to indicate location and sequence (drawers for clothing, hygiene materials, cupboards etc...)

Graphic organizers or templates that outline what information is needed and where it should be recorded

Semantic maps (these "thoughts webs" help students gather information and see the relationships
between parts that otherwise may seem unrelated because of the learning style of students with autism)

Cue cards (Reminders about how to solve a problem, recall a rule, make a transition etc...)

Calendars

Power cards that outline the way that a favorite character would handle a situation (the card demonstrates effective ways for the individual with autism to act or respond)

Social Stories(TM) as developed by Carol (A specific strategy that involves a written story with pictures which describes a social situation. These stories make the unknown known for student with autism)

We wouldn't consider expecting a wheelchair bound person to "fade" the use of their wheelchair; it provides an opportunity for freedom and increased independence. Visual supports offer the same benefit to individuals with autism. It is only fair to give an individual all the tools that they need to live a life that is fulfilling and enjoyable!

Jennifer Krumins is a full time teacher in Ontario, Canada with 19 years of experience in special education and the regular classroom. A mother of three (one of which has autism), she is currently teaching severely challenged teenagers with autism. She is the author of two books:

Been There. Done That. Finally Getting it Right. A Guide to Educational Planning for Students with Autism: Lessons from a Mother and Teacher.

and

One Step at a Time: ABA and Autism in the Classroom; Practical Strategies for Implementing Applied Behaviour Analysis for Student with Autism

Please feel free to visit Jennifer's website at http://www.autismaspirations.com or email her at krumins@autismaspirations.com.

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How Does a Visual Schedule Benefit the Autistic Child?

Schedules are an essential part of a child's life, they are important to use with children because children will not have to wonder what happens next in their daily routine and they will be able to anticipate activities that they will have to do each day. Schedules are necessarily important for all children however they are extremely essential for children with autism. Autism makes it so that the child has to have a set pattern and structure throughout their day. Schedules help and do extremely well with this. Children with autism often go through their day full of anxiety and this schedule helps reduce that.

If a child with autism does not have a set and structured schedule each day it will make things hectic and dysfunctional for the child and the caregiver. Even though it may be easy for you to remember doctor appointments and other necessary activities you have to do, a child with autism does not have that natural ability of remembering things like that. Autistic children cannot simply do things at different times whenever it feels right because they have to have a schedule.

One difficulty that many autistic children face is reading, in which it is strongly encouraged to start bringing a visual schedule to help your child go about daily tasks. With these visual schedules you will have pictures of each activity at each point of the day that they have to do, which will help them see what they need to do and what to do next. Having this sort of visual schedule placed where the child can always see it will allow them to understand what to do and not have the occasional breakdowns. It is important that if there is a change to the schedule that you take the extra amount of time needed to explain to the child what was changed and why, so they don't become confused. Since children with autism like schedules, structure, and routines having even one small change to their schedule can put a huge dent on the rest of their day.

Schedules also come into use when you want to teach your child to do something that you already are aware of that they do not like or want to do. Go through the activity with the child and explain in detail that it is important for them to finish this task before they can go forward to the next task or activity. You have to be sold when letting them know and understand that the next activity or task cannot be started until the first task is completed.

As always, life is very unpredictable and things may come up during the day, however it is important to still try and stay with the schedule as much as you possibly can. If something comes up that you cannot avoid make sure that you return to the schedule as soon as possible to avoid the child to become full of anxiety and misunderstanding. The schedule for the day also includes what time they have to wake up in the morning and what time they are going to bed. It is important that you maintain the same times everyday so that the child has a sense of a normal routine.

Even though it is important to have schedules for all children, it is significantly important for autistic children. Having the best understanding that you can about how autistic children require structure and daily routines will make it better for you to work with them. Once the daily routine has been working for your child, after a while it may be important to consider the introduction of new activities to their daily routine. For example, label the activity as, "Learn Something New".

Make sure to keep the new activity simple and something easily understandable so that the child can ease into learning it. Maintaining a positive attitude for the child so that they will have a tendency to look forward to this activity, which is why it is important to start the new activity slowly and let it build up over time so that the child becomes used to this new activity being a part of their daily routine.

For more information and additional insights about Autism Visual Schedules please visit our web site at http://www.autism-explained.com

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