Page 23 - SEN107 SEN Magazine July-August 2020

We all know about the downsides of quarantine, but Karen Massey shares some surprising upsides to lockdown for children with autism. Autism, anxiety and some surprising lockdown wins A core component of Autism is a difficulty with flexible thinking, and people with Autism like and need routine, structure and familiarity. As well-meaning family members, friends and professionals, we often assume that the regular routine of attending school, college, work or community activities is necessary in the lives of those with Autism whom we know and love. After all, surely long periods of unstructured time will be difficult for them to cope with? However, even with a strict routine, life is unpredictable and anxiety is commonplace. If something does not go to plan, anxiety increases. Sometimes an unforeseen event occurs - cue an increase in anxiety. Anxiety can lead to a meltdown for many; in others, it leads to a social withdrawal. Anxiety can often be recognised as part of someone’s Autism diagnosis, but it may be so debilitating that it is seen as an additional diagnosis of General Anxiety Disorder. Although research is not clear as to the proportion of people with Autism who also display symptoms of anxiety, the link between the two is not surprising. Untreated, anxiety in individuals with Autism can lead to depression, self-injurious behaviour and obsessive compulsive behaviours. Selective Mutism and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), both commonly associated with Autism, also stem from anxiety. Social situations are anxiety-inducing for many reasons. As mentioned above, an unplanned and uncommunicated change in routine and predictability is one factor. In addition to this, there may be unpleasant sensory information in the form of sights, smells and sounds. Then there is the notoriously tricky challenge of navigating the thoughts and feelings of everyone else around, when identifying and responding to one’s own thoughts and feelings is hard enough. Social situations can increase anxiety before they even begin as you anticipate how things will play out beforehand. During the event, it may be a senmagazine.co.uk SEN 107 23 Autism