Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

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Hazard J Gibbons, modified 10 Years ago at 2/23/14 12:45 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 2/23/14 12:45 PM

Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 40 Join Date: 12/20/13 Recent Posts
Hi everyone, I've got a job where I spend part of the day with a non-verbal autistic teen. He's quite intelligent and surprisingly nimble, a natural judoki, as he loves doing front rolls and tumbles over all kinds of surfaces. I have Aspergers myself, so I can interact with him on a level that his other caretakers maybe can't, and I view the job as an opportunity to deepen my practice, as I have to constantly stay focused on his activity and have compassion for him during the occaisional meltdown ( I have a copy of the Heart Sutra in my back pocket for emergencies, I don't know what the effect would be but it definitely has a calming effect on me).

My question is: does anyone have any experience with severe non verbal autism, and the teaching of basic mindfulness skills? Because I can't think of anything more beneficial for him, other than an increased social life, which would be difficult at this point. The weird thing is he HAS incredible, almost jhana like concentration abilities when he's absorbed in some activity that he's interested in, but he's constantly switching his object of attention, so he's like a laser pointer going from one display to another to another etc.

I had a moment the other day that gives me some hope. He was sitting on the ground in a park, waving a pine branch around, gazing at his reflection in a pool of water. This lady had let her dogs off their leash (which is illegal) and this usually causes him to freak out (dogs without leash = he cant understand their purpose = anxiety). But the dogs were hanging back, just watching us. He began to make the sounds that indicate his anxiety is going up (a kind of rhythmic vowel sound). I began matching his vocalizations, and then turning them into a "Funky Drummer" beat box kind of rhythm. He started picking up on this and even began syncopating his verbalizations to the beat I was making. His caretakers came back and we helped him into the car and went home; he seemed oddly calm on the way back (his caretakers remarked on this). I'm just not sure how to communicate to him the purpose and practice of mindfulness; he understands words and can read some, but its a struggle. Its early days too, but I want to start ASAP, so anyone have some ideas, or experiences they can share?
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 10 Years ago at 2/23/14 8:08 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 2/23/14 7:47 PM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
Its early days too, but I want to start ASAP, so anyone have some ideas, or experiences they can share?

Well, I like how you stresslessly, naturally transformed the situation into something that reduced/removed your charge's stress:
I began matching his vocalizations, and then turning them into a "Funky Drummer" beat box kind of rhythm.
This is super-key, transforming vigilance-stress into a non-stressed state via a stressless game (in which you feel stressless and content; your charge will model your authentic state if it is safe and at ease), not by lecturing or harsh "no-no"ing (which you didn't do, but I want to be clear). The learning your charge gets is really from your role-modelling and whatever you are authentically feeling. So if you're also working on calming any aspects of your own diagnosis (e.g., concomitant anxiety), this may help you, too, to develop deep ease.

Long, slow deep breathing is a great instant help, a great game: counting 5-sec inhale (or longer), and counting 5-sec exhale (or longer). This will take any locking up of the mind into the brainstem (where fight-flight-freeze are the reactive states available) and calmly help information pass through the brainstem again (so that the whole brain can be used again). If you add a calm physical motion to the breathing, like raising and lowering arms over head, this apparently restored whole-brain use more quickly and when in conjunction with the breath. So this breathing game is a "fast" anxiety reducer (unless it's rushed and you feel stressed), but needs to be a regular practice, preceding a perceived threat event.

Humans are similar to horses: a prey species that herds together around the safest, confident, easy order-keeping member. So my guess is that in a year or two with you ~ if you feel reliably safe and calm to yourself, then he'll also learn to size up situations like you do, based on your own authentic role-modeling. Cause-and-effect (aka: interbeing, contingent identity, dependent origination) applies here, too; meaning, you two are co-creating each other as you relate. it's just that the exchange of co-changing each other may take longer than co-changing occurs between you and more socially-engaged people. So what might take an hour or a week to learn by just living around someone who is socially engaged, this can take days or many months for someone who has a strong just-own-senses engaged world and not much interest or mental development in social engagement. Staying safe, at ease and enjoyable are the keys to any rapid learning here, imo.

The weird thing is he HAS incredible, almost jhana like concentration abilities when he's absorbed in some activity that he's interested in, but he's constantly switching his object of attention, so he's like a laser pointer going from one display to another to another etc.
Yes. (Kim Peek and the like have been so key in showing extraordinary feats of mind despite other areas of retardation; let's not "cure" these minds...). You could try a game of "five senses", having specific times in each hour where you ask your charge to point out something happening at each sense door -- this could get your charge to move attention from narrow to enjoying broad focus moments. The brain likes to do what it does well already, so if your charge is addicted to repeat behaviors, some of that is because there's pleasure in the brain doing what is familiar (well myelinated) to the brain. So a new 5-senses game has to be stressless for you (who he will be modeling and detecting your authentic comfort or lack thereof), like what you did with the beatbox idea, naturally enjoyable, else learning something new will be stressful and rejected.


What do you think?
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Hazard J Gibbons, modified 10 Years ago at 2/23/14 9:28 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 2/23/14 9:27 PM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 40 Join Date: 12/20/13 Recent Posts
I liked everything you said so much that I will be printing it out and sharing it with my co-worker, if that's alright with you. She's not a Buddhist but I've talked about some of this stuff before and she seemed interested, and we have similar interests outside of work. I think having a good male/female balance is really key; when he does things that are obviously pleasurable for him, like stick breaking, I've been trying to guide him into further activities based on what he's already doing, i.e he breaks sticks, I arrange broken sticks into a classic Boy Scout box fire bundle (not that we'd ever light a fire, but I'm just trying to show him he can achieve things with other males). He's gotten to the point where he hands me the broken sticks, but then when he's out of sticks he loses interest in the whole thing and moves to something else.

Perhaps his visual sense door just hasn't registered that he's helped to construct something, or he doesn't understand the purpose and he'd rather focus on what does stimulate him. My co-worker suggested building a fort with him that he can hide in, I'll be trying this the next time we go outside. He's very auditory, as I've mentioned, so perhaps I could integrate that sense with the visual by playing a game of drumming with different objects. I really like the breathing/raising arms idea; he loves imitating people so I think he'll get that one fairly easily. I have work tomorrow so I'll try some stuff and let you know how it goes.
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Hazard J Gibbons, modified 10 Years ago at 2/23/14 9:32 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 2/23/14 9:32 PM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 40 Join Date: 12/20/13 Recent Posts
Also, this: "Cause-and-effect (aka: interbeing, contingent identity, dependent origination) applies here, too; meaning, you two are co-creating each other as you relate. it's just that the exchange of co-changing each other may take longer than co-changing occurs between you and more socially-engaged people."

I've been thinking about a lot. I've been joking that as time goes by he'll become less autistic and I more so, till some Cronenbergian same flesh fusion occurs, and theres one guy living in two different places in town.
John Smith, modified 10 Years ago at 2/24/14 6:05 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 2/24/14 6:05 AM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 2 Join Date: 2/19/14 Recent Posts
There's been a lot of good science on the subject of attention training lately. I really think you should dig into that, considering that "samatha meditation" is nothing else but a word used by bold dudes wearing robes meaning "sustained attention training". There is software which is specifically designed to help individuals with various attention deficit related disabilities, like post trauma brain effects, ADHD, etc., the likes of Attention Process Training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRRM4yhqRiI.

Here is a nice list of sites which specialize on games for attention training, among other cognitive faculties of the brain.
http://voices.yahoo.com/top-5-cognitive-training-sites-12427858.html?cat=72

My favorite games for sustained attention training available for free:
http://www.gzomrepus.ru/exercises/attention/32527/
http://www.womansday.com/games/lost-in-migration
The first one is in Russian but its no rocket science, you just need to mark selected letters in a given line, thus training yourself to maintain sustained attention from observation to observation.
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 10 Years ago at 2/24/14 10:44 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 2/24/14 10:51 AM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
Perhaps his visual sense door just hasn't registered that he's helped to construct something, or he doesn't understand the purpose and he'd rather focus on what does stimulate him. (...) He's very auditory, as I've mentioned, so perhaps I could integrate that sense with the visual by playing a game of drumming with different objects. I really like the breathing/raising arms idea; he loves imitating people so I think he'll get that one fairly easily. I have work tomorrow so I'll try some stuff and let you know how it goes.

Yeah, so here is a link to "kinetic art" ~ Theo Jansen's beach walkers, which make an awesome sound. You can keep linking to other kinetic art link there if your charge likes that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj-NqWDH2qE

Also, have you seen Andrew Goldworthy's Rivers and Tides (this may be a copyright violation link) ? could give some activity-together ideas.

Also, you mentioned drumming likes. Maybe with short, regular introductions he'd learn a drumming style and this could be his venue into a bigger than you-and-him social group over time. Kim Peek became very socially at ease towards the end of his life though most of his socialization seems to have been for years around recitation of words in books; he became so social as society itself became friendly and welcoming to him (and fascinated by him.. forming a proscial bond for him, versus a diagnostic one), it seems to me.

It reads to me like you are good at your work =] and I hope to hear more about what you're up to.

Also here is Edutopia on stress and the brain (Judy Willis MD) and learning well and a link to Daniel Goleman MD and breathing buddies, an awesome way to introduce breathing-as-calming exercise.

[edited]
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Hazard J Gibbons, modified 10 Years ago at 3/1/14 5:57 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/1/14 5:57 PM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 40 Join Date: 12/20/13 Recent Posts
katy steger:
Perhaps his visual sense door just hasn't registered that he's helped to construct something, or he doesn't understand the purpose and he'd rather focus on what does stimulate him. (...) He's very auditory, as I've mentioned, so perhaps I could integrate that sense with the visual by playing a game of drumming with different objects. I really like the breathing/raising arms idea; he loves imitating people so I think he'll get that one fairly easily. I have work tomorrow so I'll try some stuff and let you know how it goes.

Yeah, so here is a link to "kinetic art" ~ Theo Jansen's beach walkers, which make an awesome sound. You can keep linking to other kinetic art link there if your charge likes that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj-NqWDH2qE

Also, have you seen Andrew Goldworthy's Rivers and Tides (this may be a copyright violation link) ? could give some activity-together ideas.

Also, you mentioned drumming likes. Maybe with short, regular introductions he'd learn a drumming style and this could be his venue into a bigger than you-and-him social group over time. Kim Peek became very socially at ease towards the end of his life though most of his socialization seems to have been for years around recitation of words in books; he became so social as society itself became friendly and welcoming to him (and fascinated by him.. forming a proscial bond for him, versus a diagnostic one), it seems to me.

It reads to me like you are good at your work =] and I hope to hear more about what you're up to.

Also here is Edutopia on stress and the brain (Judy Willis MD) and learning well and a link to Daniel Goleman MD and breathing buddies, an awesome way to introduce breathing-as-calming exercise.

[edited]


Yes, that Andy Goldworthy doc is mint, my charge used to be obsessed with videos, so I might even try to show it to him. He mostly likes imitating objects; I tried weaving some sticks together into little bow shapes and handing them to him, and he spent a few minutes trying out different wrist manuevers to unweave them back into regular sticks (he's got the flex and attitude of Eddie Murphy's Gumby). Thanks for that breathing technique in the first post, I've been trying it with him and he's picking it up. Instead of drums, although he has great rhythm, I was thinking of analog synthesizers for autistics, something thats not too esoteric to program but varied in effects and also water proof, wall proof, hammer proof etcera-cide. I've seen him when he's mad and although he seems to be getting more defiant and savage in his sense of humor, he doesn't seem as angry when going through his behaviors. Sometimes I feel like I should be getting paid more, but it is truly rewarding to see someone change ever so slightly; yesterday we kind of got him to roll uphill instead of into fences, but then he decided lateral was more his thing. Keep on with any suggestions; I just watched the Temple grandin movie and it made a lot of sense.
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 10 Years ago at 3/1/14 8:04 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/1/14 7:30 PM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
I've seen him when he's mad and although he seems to be getting more defiant and savage in his sense of humor, he doesn't seem as angry when going through his behaviors. (...) Keep on with any suggestions
Does this mean he has a physically aggressive response?

How's his sense of time passage in a day (like knowing when meals happen (aka: meal boundaries, like snacks at routine intervals)) and cause-and-effect reward/no reward?
____

You could look into the ketogenic diet for both of you (google NIH+KETOGENIC DIET+Autism). This can help reduce big behavior swings, particularly anger/grumpiness/oversensitive skin.

____
Deleted some things to try to stay focused on the purpose of Daniel's website.
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Bill F, modified 10 Years ago at 3/2/14 11:30 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/2/14 11:30 AM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 556 Join Date: 11/17/13 Recent Posts
I work at a mental health hospital for children and adolescents. It is rare but at times we get kids who fall somewhere on the spectrum. I have worked with children on the severe end of the spectrum outside of this facility, and I have taught basic samatha to children, but never both at the same time. Those who would fall on the severe end of the spectrum would not be admitted to the program where I work, I assume because it would be considered too stimulating, The groups I run are for children ages 6-9 or 10-13. Depending on which group I'm with I introduce it differently. For example with the younger children I will ask them to imagine that their body is a balloon and their job is to see how slowly and gently they can bring the air in and out of the balloon. With the older kids I would not introduce it this way, but might suggest to breathe slowly and deeply more directly, emphasizing that they try to be gentle but to count how long the breaths are silently in their head. All that to say I think it might be difficult for someone at the severe end of the spectrum, but I think your approach is good to try to engage him at whatever his interest is, and somehow apply it through this interest. Best of luck.
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Hazard J Gibbons, modified 10 Years ago at 3/4/14 8:06 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/4/14 8:06 AM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 40 Join Date: 12/20/13 Recent Posts
katy steger:
I've seen him when he's mad and although he seems to be getting more defiant and savage in his sense of humor, he doesn't seem as angry when going through his behaviors. (...) Keep on with any suggestions
Does this mean he has a physically aggressive response?

How's his sense of time passage in a day (like knowing when meals happen (aka: meal boundaries, like snacks at routine intervals)) and cause-and-effect reward/no reward?
____

You could look into the ketogenic diet for both of you (google NIH+KETOGENIC DIET+Autism). This can help reduce big behavior swings, particularly anger/grumpiness/oversensitive skin.

____
Deleted some things to try to stay focused on the purpose of Daniel's website.


He can be aggressive, but its always discouraged with a swift negative response from my co-worker. I have to say "no" sometimes, but mostly I let him get a little pushy and physical with me. I think guys need some of that kind of stimulation, and since martial arts are probably a bad idea, this is the next best thing.

One small wonder: I weaved a couple pine branches together in a sort of crude DNA pattern and handed it to him, and instead of trying to destroy it he looked at it for a while, then went for a walk, softly swinging it, like it was a tool whose purpose he was unsure of, but I guess he just liked the feel of it in his hand. We're thinking some kind of occupational therapy, with the right mentors, could be incredible for him.

He's quite astute about timing ) he picks his own meals, eats by himself, at regular times) and we've had success in getting him away from certain behaviors like bouncing into fences by withholding small gratifications (i.e if you roll into the fence, you don't get to play with the stick you were holding). He's definitely one of the types who expects certain things at certain times, and interrupting the routine can bring on the tantrums.

Keep the ideas coming, this is really helpful
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 10 Years ago at 3/4/14 8:04 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/4/14 7:33 PM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
we've had success in getting him away from certain behaviors like bouncing into fences by withholding small gratifications
Great. that's what I was wondering.

but mostly I let him get a little pushy and physical with me. I think guys need some of that kind of stimulation, and since martial arts are probably a bad idea, this is the next best thing.
This one I would not let fly at all. It builds neural pathways around pushing and contact with humans/sentients in this way. For me, I'd look for a punching bag. (The speed boxing ones make a great sound and rhythm). There are other friendly contact games to play, if that's needed (like modified tai chi push-hands). Punching bags regard and respect your mention of a male aspect to this.

Keep the ideas coming, this is really helpful

I can't emphasize how much I think own-mind state will affect the teenager's mind, how your authentically calm state can be helpful here. Do you work out well/swim before you go to work? That can lend a great calm to you. Personally, I find people assigned the label of autistic skillsets are incredibly attuned to body language. One is broadly telegraphing their feelings all the time; what I may think is subtle is generally not missed by a person with this skill set. The advantage here is that when my mind is very plain and welcoming, attending simply and with subtle friendliness, such a skilled person knows this right away, they respond more quickly to it than a person who may be assigned the label "neurotypically skilled"; such a person may just be more distracted by themselves. Ironically, people labeled "autistic" are often said to be internal, but to me the skill set is often extremely well attuned to environment and people/animal behaviors, just naturally, and then of course in relating very well to objects of their focus.

Good luck with your practice. Again, to me, your subtle desires and subtle angers (aversion, resistance, etc) are likely to be telegraphing to your charge. You also may have a similar skill set, based on what you've noted for yourself above. Anyway, I could be wrong; you're there working, not me =). But even among people who are not assigned these labels though, we're all animals and we have such a great awareness of what other people/animals are actually thinking-feeling, assessing us; it bodes so well to study and pacify own-mind.

Okay, just my thoughts. Best wishes with your own =)

EDIT: Oh, yeah, sincere kindness. I can't tell you how important this is for your charge adjusting behavior. Are you a grandparent or can you relate to kindly grandparental love or some ideal, non-intrusive, non-pushy, simple affection? Like a mind just acting as a kind mirror (can still uphold rules with this mindset). If one has this deep non-intrustive care for another then saying, "Look people in the eye when speaking" can actually go over easily, if that were a problem. Day in, day out ~ this kind of suffusive, authentic affection (or whatever embodies such an ideal, simple non-intrusive affection to you). This study could be your practice for the next 1-2 years, for example. Mine, too. Thank you for your work and efforts on your own mind emoticon
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Hazard J Gibbons, modified 10 Years ago at 3/9/14 12:55 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/9/14 12:55 PM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 40 Join Date: 12/20/13 Recent Posts
Oh I agree with you now, I dont allow him to cross certain boundaries because it sets up the wrong dynamic. But we're having more success in transforming his destructive behaviors into something more friendly. For example, yesterday he was doing his usual "bang a stick on the nearest heavy object" which happened to be a guardrail on a secluded road. He was trying to break the stick but it was making an interesting sound so I grabbed a few sticks and started tapping out a simple Bo Diddely rhythm. He got into it, especially as I timed my beats so that every time he hit the rail a different sound was produced by me. It began to sound more African and polyrhythmic ( I dont play drums but I have decent rhythm ), and he was clearly enjoying it. Eventually the stick broke, and he grabbed another and we continued our jam. This lasted about 10 min, the longest we've done an activity together. It may also have been the improving weather, but he seems to be getting a lot better, both mood wise and in his behavior.

I can relate somewhat to the grandparent like affection; my own grandparents not as much, but I do have memories of playing cards with my aunts and grandma that are some of my favorite nostalgic moments. I practice most of my meditation in the morning, then I write songs on the guitar or computer for an hour and then get ready for the day. I find it helps to blow out all my emotional energy through music before going to work, but adding a hard workout would definitely complement this. I take a prescription tranquilizer as I have issues with panic attacks ( I can handle them without the drugs but it wouldn't do for me to be chanting sutras and holding poses in public ) but at this point its mostly a muscle relaxant (I have back pain), which helps when I'm trying to gently herd my charge away from thorn patches and he's being resistant. The drug hasn't interfered with my practice, and it doesn't completely eliminate useful anxiety (I can still feel concern when he's walking across a bridge, for instance), it just puts a lid on my level of agitation so I don't tip over into something incapacitating.

He is incredibly attuned to body language; he's actually a better flirt than I am ( my co-worker is female, and she gets a lot of his attention ). We play a game of making faces at each other, where he smiles or frowns and I mimic him, then turn it into something goofy and he copies me (sometimes) and back and forth.
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 10 Years ago at 3/10/14 6:44 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/10/14 6:43 AM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
Very cool. It sounds like you know to build affinity.

Here is a lovely, very instructive new NYT article on the therapy of such affinity. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/magazine/reaching-my-autistic-son-through-disney.html?rref=magazine&module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=Magazine&action=keypress&region=FixedRight&pgtype=article

Best wishes.
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Hazard J Gibbons, modified 10 Years ago at 3/27/14 10:02 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/27/14 10:02 AM

RE: Teaching Samatha to an autistic teenager

Posts: 40 Join Date: 12/20/13 Recent Posts
That was a great article; it really shows how autistic kids relate differently to what we would see as just little kids stuff i.e Disney, Thomas the Tank Engine, Teletubbies. I've seen him organize his toys in highly specific and symbolic arrangements, and I'm taking notes on the placement of colors and shapes for a graphic design project I'll give to him, since he loves looking at print ads and interior design magazines. I think a collage of his favorite colors, with text and some familiar images, would really intrigue him, but who knows till I try? I also tried chanting the Heart Sutra (while drumming) to him while his mom was away, and it had a calming effect on him that I could see in his face; I don't think he's as non verbal as he seems, theres a lot going on in his attic that needs to be unlocked and channelled into something productive, and I hope we can find the right program for him.

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