RELAXATION TECHNIQUES

Reducing and Managing Stress

 

People with an Autism Spectrum Disorder experience stress just like everybody else.  They will, however, experience stress more frequently and severely than most other people due to the nature of their disability.  When in stressful circumstances, people with Autism, like us, try to reduce the unpleasantness by escaping and avoiding the situation.  However, the strategies they use may be inappropriate to everyday situations.

 

Most of us, when involved in stressful situations, can recognise our emotions and are often able to isolate and explain what is upsetting us.  We frequently know what we must do, or what needs to happen to alleviate our stress.  People with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, however, have great difficulty in identifying their feelings and acting on them in an appropriate way.  Consequently, they are often unable to draw on their experiences, or may be unable to engage the assistance of others, to cope in a conventional manner with situations they experience as stressful.

 

Everyday situations can be challenging for the person with Autism.  The unpredictable nature of people and events, an overwhelming sensory world of sights, sounds, tastes and other sensations can all be extremely stressful.  Added to these difficulties is a communication disorder which impacts on the person’s ability to ask for help.  Many may even find it difficult to comprehend that other people may be able to assist them when they are overwhelmed.

 

Unfortunately the attempts made by people with Autism to escape stressful situations are often interpreted by others in a very simplistic manner eg they are non-compliant or have poor impulse control.  These interpretations in turn lead to strategies that misread and exacerbate the problem, and increase stress levels for the person with Autism.

 

It is vital that individuals who work with people with Autism are given opportunity to develop the skills necessary to support the unique learning and communication style of people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.  It is also important that we adopt an approach that recognises the heightened level of stress and potential stress triggers which form part of the everyday experience of people with Autism.  Consequently, it is crucial that as part of a wider system of skill development and support, that we provide people with Autism with strategies to assist them in relaxation.  Support strategies will incorporate:

 

 

 

 

 

For relaxation programmes to be effective they need to be incorporated into daily routines.  Start teaching relaxation strategies when the person is calm.  Do not wait until the person is upset to commence teaching these routines.  If the techniques are to be effective, the person will need to draw on the repetition and teaching which has been established during calmer times.

 

The stages involved in a relaxation training programme should be clear and predictable.  For planned relaxation periods, familiar objects and language should be used in order to develop an association between particular language and relaxation behaviour.

 

The management of stress in an individual with Autism will involve a multi-faceted approach, including consistent routines, predictable learning sequences, informed teaching strategies and support tailored to individual needs.

 

Relaxation training is not a short cut to addressing the primary source of an individual’s difficulty, such as expectations which are set too high, over or under stimulation, lack of communication support etc.  Relaxation strategies, however, work well with other education/training methods to assist the person to cope in difficult situations and to experience a more peaceful life.

 

PROMOTING RELAXATION

Everyday Strategies

 

The strategies used to promote relaxation will depend on the individual’s needs, their learning style. What the person find comfortable and their individual difficulties.  Strategies, which are effective for one person, may not be appropriate or successful for another person.  Listed are a number of everyday strategies which can assist and promote relaxation.

 

 

Ř      Enjoyable activities.  Use objects and activities that you know the person is familiar with and enjoys.  Assist them through ongoing repetion and routine to associate the pleasant and happy feelings associated with these activities with interaction with you.  Consequently, if they learn to associate you with happy/pleasant feelings, you will find it a great deal easier to gain their attention to re-direct them when they are overly stressed.

 

Ř      Exercise programmes.  Physical exertion can be a natural way of preventing and reducing stress.  Encourage the person to engage in walking, swimming or gross motor activities.  All these activities, especially when carried out on a regular, predicable basis, can assist in promoting feelings of wellbeing and may assist in lowering the stress threshold.

 

Ř      Massage.  Not all people with Autism like to be touched.  Others, however, may find massage, especially deep pressure, very relaxing.  The use of firm, continual pressure has been noted by many people with Autism to bring about feelings of relaxation and wellbeing.  Temple Grandin is a well-known author with Autism who has written on the benefit of this approach for her.

 

Ř      Other techniques may involve the use of creams, moisturisers etc for hand or foot massage.  We see very active, challenging adults who all but go to sleep when having their hands massaged with cream.

 

Ř      Visual thinking.  People with Autism are able to process and understand visual information easier than verbal instruction or directions.  Pictures, written social stories or objects may be used to re-direct the person to a more calm state when stressed.  Visual prompts can also be used to remind the person of the actions to take to alleviate feelings of stress or to extricate themselves from a stressful situation.  The other advantage of using visual prompts is that they are the least intrusive for the individual during times of heightened stress.

 

Ř      Auditory Stimulus.  Some people may find listening to music or story tapes relaxing.  A Walkman and headphones can be used, when appropriate, to block out sounds the person finds overwhelming, painful or unpleasant.  This can be particularly helpful in a range of circumstances where particular noise is upsetting to the individual ie noise on sports day or noise of particular machinery in a workplace etc.  It is important to remember that you need to be aware of whether or not the individual find using a Walkman pleasant.  Otherwise, by using the Walkman when the person is upset by  noise, you may inadvertently exacerbate an already overwhelming situation.

 

Ř      Breathing exercises.  Teach the person deep breathing techniques and pair a relaxation vocabulary (“breath in, hold, breath out”) with the exercise.  The vocabulary can then be used in a stressful situation to trigger commencement of the relaxation routine.  This may assist in calming or  re-directing the individual’s attention in times of stress.