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You will see me dance.

You wouldn’t know it, but I have a thousand Heavens and just as many Hells burning inside. You see the computer mind, but not the glass shatter heart. I sometimes wonder if I am a transparent machina in your line of sight, if you can already see how much I burn; but you always prove me wrong. You try to unzip me, and see my eyes fleeing away from you like startled ponies. Do you really know me? If you did, you would know that if I look at you too long, I might burst. But you don’t know. And how can I tell you? I consult the dictionary of human behavior every day. I had to load it into my brain and make it learn that you open doors with hello and that you close them with goodbye. I had to learn the mechanics of when to smile, when to laugh. If I like you, I tear encyclopedia pages and pictures from off my walls to give to you as gifts. And if I were to love you, I might serenade you with music channeled from the stereo installed into my brain that I first noticed when I was ten. But small talk still feels like grease on my fingertips. And some days, I hear my own voice rendered in Greek and wonder when I will speak my own tongue again. So I will speak my own dialect of encyclopedia notes, photographs, trivia bank entries, badly sung covers of the originals, words shaped like arrows. There may be no smiles, no dance of our eyes, no oil between us to make things easier. That’s not how I work, and I am not ashamed of this. And maybe some day, you will see me dance.

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Simbol-Simbol Mimpi Kitab Suci. Lama sebelum Freud, mimpi kerap kali dianggap meramalkan masa depan. Salah satu penafsiran mimpi yang paling terkenal diceritakan dalam cerita Para Nabi tentang Nabi Yusuf AS. Ukiran dari salah satu Kitab Suci Abad ke-15 diatas melukiskan mimpi Firaun bahwa tujuh ternak sakit makan tujuh ternak sehat, bahwa tujuh bulir gandum yang kurus makan tujuh bulir gandum bagus. Yusuf secara tepat meramalkan bahwa negerinya akan menikmati tujuh tahun berlimpahan yang akan diikuti tujuh tahun kelaparan. Maka Firaun yang berterimaksih itu memberi penghormatan kepada Yusuf.

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Serangan Belonefobia

Fobia, atau takut terhadap benda-benda tajam (belone adalah kata Yunani untuk "jarum") menyebabkan orang dalam kartun diatas pingsan. Setiap orang mempunyai ketakutan, akan tetapi ketakutan baru disebut fobia apabila sampai sedemikian tidak masuk akal nya sehingga mengganggu kehidupan biasa Di bawah ini daftar beberapa dari antara 250 hal lebih yang menurut penemuan para dokter ditakuti para pasien secara luar biasa, dengan nama-nama medik untuk fobianya.

Buku : Bibliofobia

Kucing : Ailurofobia

Ruang terkurung : Klaustrofobia

Ketinggian : Akrofobia

Malam : Noktifobia

Tertawaan : Kategelofobia

Dipandang orang : Oftalmofobia

Orang asing : Xenofobia

Tali : Linonofobia

13 : Triskaidekafobia

Pekerjaan : Ergofobia

Ketakutan : Fobofobia

Sumber: Buku "Pikiran" yang ditulis oleh John Rowan Wilson.

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Autism Behaviour : Sensory Sensitivities : Balance (vestibular)

Here we look at some of the effects of hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to Balance (vestibular) and ways you could help. 

Balance (vestibular)

Under-sensitive  

A need to rock, swing or spin to get some sensory input.

You could encourage activities that help to develop the vestibular system. This could include using rocking horses, swings, roundabouts, seesaws, catching a ball or practising walking smoothly up steps or curbs.

Over-sensitive

Difficulties with activities like sport, where we need to control our movements.  

Difficulties stopping quickly or during an activity.

Car sickness.

Difficulties with activities where the head is not upright or feet are off the ground.

You could help by breaking down activities into small, more easily manageable steps and using visual cues such as a finish line.

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Autism Behaviour : Sensory Sensitivities : Touch

Here we look at some of the effects of hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to touch and ways you could help.

Touch

Touch Under-sensitive

Holds others tightly - needs to do so before there is a sensation of having applied any pressure.

Has a high pain threshold.

May be unable to feel food in the mouth.

May self-harm.

Enjoys heavy objects (eg weighted blankets) on top of them.

Smears faeces as enjoys the texture.

Chews on everything, including clothing and inedible objects.

You could help by:

for smearing, offering alternatives to handle with similar textures, such as jelly, or cornflour and water

for chewing, offering latex-free tubes, straws or hard sweets (chill in the fridge).

Over-sensitive

Touch can be painful and uncomfortable - people may not like to be touched and this can affect their relationships with others.

Dislikes having anything on hands or feet.

Difficulties brushing and washing hair because head is sensitive.

May find many food textures uncomfortable.

Only tolerates certain types of clothing or textures.

“Every time I am touched it hurts; it feels like fire running through my body.” -Gillingham, G. (1995), page 3

You could help by:  

warning the person if you are about to touch them - always approach  them from the front

remembering that a hug may be painful rather than comforting

changing the texture of food (eg purée it)

slowly introducing different textures around the person's mouth, such as a flannel, a toothbrush and some different foods

gradually introducing different textures to touch, eg have a box of materials available

allowing a person to complete activities themselves (eg hair brushing and washing) so that they can do what is comfortable for them

turning clothes inside out so there is no seam, removing any tags or labels

allowing the person to wear clothes they're comfortable in.

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Autism Behaviour : Sensory Sensitivities : Taste

Here we look at some of the effects of hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to taste and ways you could help.

Taste Under-sensitive

Likes very spicy foods.

Eats or mouths non-edible items such as stones, dirt, soil, grass, metal, faeces. This is known as pica.

Over-sensitive

Finds some flavours and foods too strong and overpowering because of very sensitive taste buds. Has a restricted diet.

Certain textures cause discomfort - may only eat smooth foods like mashed potatoes or ice-cream.

Some autistic people may limit themselves to bland foods or crave very strong-tasting food. As long as someone has some dietary variety, this isn't necessarily a problem

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Autism Behaviour : Sensory Sensitivities : Sound

Here we look at some of the effects of hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to sound and ways you could help.

Under-sensitive  

May only hear sounds in one ear, the other ear having only partial hearing or none at all.

May not acknowledge particular sounds.

Might enjoy crowded, noisy places or bang doors and objects.

You could help by using visual supports to back up verbal information, and ensuring that other people are aware of the under-sensitivity so that they can communicate effectively. You could ensure that the experiences they enjoy are included in their daily timetable, to ensure this sensory need is met.

Over-sensitive

Noise can be magnified and sounds become distorted and muddled.

May be able to hear conversations in the distance.

Inability to cut out sounds – notably background noise, leading to difficulties concentrating.

“Do you hear noise in your head? It pounds and screeches. Like a train rumbling through your ears.” -Powell, J., in Gillingham, G. (1995), page 41

You could help by:

shutting doors and windows to reduce external sounds

preparing the person before going to noisy or crowded places

providing ear plugs and music to listen to

creating a screened workstation in the classroom or office, positioning the person away from doors and windows.

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Autism Behaviour : Sensory differences

Many people on the autism spectrum have difficulty processing everyday sensory information. Any of the senses may be over- or under-sensitive, or both, at different times. These sensory differences can affect behaviour, and can have a profound effect on a person’s life. Here we help you to understand autism, the person and how to help.

Too much information

Sometimes an autistic person may behave in a way that you wouldn't immediately link to sensory sensitivities. A person who struggles to deal with everyday sensory information can experience sensory overload, or information overload. Too much information can cause stress, anxiety, and possibly physical pain. This can result in withdrawal, challenging behaviour or meltdown. 

“If I get sensory overload then I just shut down; you get what's known as fragmentation...it's weird, like being tuned into 40 TV channels.”

If someone is having a meltdown, or not responding, don’t judge them. There are things that you can do to help. This can make a world of difference to someone with autism and their carers.

Often, small changes to the environment can make a difference. Creating a sensory profile may help you to work out what changes are needed. Three points to remember are:

be aware. Look at the environment to see if it is creating difficulties. Can you change anything?

be creative. Think of some positive sensory experiences.

be prepared. Tell the person about possible sensory stimuli they may experience in different environments.

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Autism Adult Life: Bullying in the workplace

This section explains what bullying is, how to recognise if you are being bullied, ways to help you if you are being bullied and where you can go for support. It also aims to help you at work, with tips on how to interact and cope in the workplace.

What is bullying?

Bullying is similar to harassment. It is when one person, or a group of people, intentionally cause harm to someone else and behave in a way that is deliberately offensive and unkind towards them. For example, a bully might make jokes about an individual's disability, or make rude remarks about someone's sexual orientation.

A person could be bullying in the way they speak to you, in their words and their manner (for example, verbal harassment) and the things that they do to you (for example, physical assault). They may also be a bully in other more subtle ways, such as forcing or manipulating you to do things, leaving you out of activities, or saying unkind words about you when you are not there.

No-one should have to put up with being bullied at work. Everyone should instead be treated with dignity and respect. Bullying or harassment should not be tolerated. Your employer is responsible for preventing bullying and harassing behaviour. They should have measures in place to prevent bullying, and have grievance procedures to give help and support if you are being bullied.

People tend to describe bullying in two ways: direct bullying and indirect bullying. Sometimes it can be easier to recognise if a person is bullying you directly, but even direct bullying can be hard to interpret.

Examples of direct bullying could be:

rude remarks

jokes or remarks about your disability

insulting you in what they are saying to you or the way they are behaving towards you

overbearing supervision or other misuse of power or position

unwelcome sexual advances -  this could be touching you, or standing too close to you while showing or displaying something that you find offensive

humiliating you in front of other colleagues

physical abuse.

It can be more difficult to tell if you are being bullied if the bullying is indirect or underhand.

Examples of indirect bullying can be:

not being put forward for training or promotion

persistently criticising your performance

setting you tasks or deadlines that you are never going to be able to meet

leaving you out or not inviting you to team social events

spreading malicious rumours about you

making uncalled for comments about your job security when you have been working perfectly satisfactorily; for example, saying that the last person who did your job was fired for not doing the job correctly.

Bullying might not just be done face-to-face - it could happen in emails or other written documents to you, over the phone, or by being unfairly monitored for something when none of your colleagues are being singled out for the same kind of treatment. This means you are being supervised in a way that no-one else is, so you are being treated differently.

What should I do if I think I'm being bullied?

If you think you are being bullied, try to talk to someone about what has been happening. This could be someone you trust at work, or someone you see outside work. Sometimes, it can be hard to tell if someone is being kind or if someone is being cruel.

Behaviour that seems like bullying might not be, so it would be a good idea to talk it through and give examples to someone else in order to get their opinion. One good place to be able to talk about this could be at an social group for autistic people.

There are a number of specialist employment organisations who have helplines you can speak to if you think you are being bullied, and their details are listed at the end of this information.

If you feel comfortable doing so, talk to other colleagues at work to see if anyone else feels they are being bullied or if they have seen you being bullied. It may be that the bully is targeting other people too. It is important that you do not try to cope on your own - there are other people who will be able to help you and offer support.

You should keep a diary with a clear description of what happened with the bullying. Sometimes events in isolation may look trivial, but looking at them all together shows the true effect of them. Having recorded evidence will always be helpful if you need to take things further.

Good things to note in this diary would be:

what happened

when it happened

who else was there

if anybody else did or said anything

how it made you feel.

If you are a member of a union and there is a union safety representative where you work, you could arrange a meeting to tell them what is happening. You can talk to your union representative in complete confidence and they can offer you advice and support.

This support could mean they talk to the bully themselves to try and resolve the problem, or they might provide you with support if you decide to make a formal complaint. This support should continue throughout the procedure.

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Autism Adult life: Tips for interacting and coping at work

It can be really helpful for you to have a workplace mentor, or a named person at work that you feel you can talk to about issues at work. You will be able to talk to this person about the unwritten office rules, and they will be able to check whether you are confused over instructions that you have been given.

Sometimes, it might just be useful to have someone to talk to about any other issues you have in your place of work. You could ask your manager or HR team about finding a workplace mentor for you. It needs to be someone you can trust, so think of some people at work who you would feel comfortable talking to and tell your manager or HR team about them.

It does not necessarily have to be someone in your team. It is useful to have regular scheduled meetings with your mentor, so that if any incidents do occur you can talk about them as they happen and deal with them early, rather than letting things build up over time.

There are often a number of unspoken office rules and it is helpful to go through these with your mentor. These rules vary greatly between organisations, and sometimes even different teams in the same organisation, so it is important to talk them through with someone. Examples of these rules could be:

offering to make everyone a drink when you make one for yourself (depending on the size of the team)

using your own mug and washing up anything that you use

finding out the arrangements with tea bags/coffee/milk -  is there a collection you need to contribute to if you use it? What do you need to do if you use up the last of the milk?

finding out about lunchtime arrangements - does someone have to be in the office at all times over the lunch period? If so, is there a rota for when people take their lunch breaks?

You could talk to your mentor about the different levels of relationship that exist at work. At work, relationships are generally more formal than those that we have with close friends and family members. Some things that we say to our close friends and family are not appropriate to say at work, and some topics are not appropriate to discuss at work.

The things that people talk about and the way they talk at work is sometimes called workplace banter, and this is another topic you could talk with your mentor about. Workplace banter is a form of conversation that takes place between work colleagues, particularly those who work in an open plan office.

Workplace banter is not usually an ongoing conversation, it's more a series of short bursts of conversation throughout the day. It can be quite usual for people not to stop what they are doing - to join in the banter, often people will remain at their desks and continue working while still chatting.

It is usually a good idea to show awareness that the conversation is going on - if you show no reaction, people may think that you are not interested, or that you are being rude. While workplace banter can have little consequence, it is a great way to develop good working relationships with colleagues and feeling one of the team. (Perks, 2007).

You may feel like you want to start some workplace banter. If so, some appropriate topics of conversation could be:

the weather

recent television programmes or films

recent sporting events.

Some inappropriate topics of conversation are:

money (eg how much people earn in your team)

critical comments about how people look (eg what they are wearing)

personal comments about colleagues.

If you decide to declare to your employer that you are autistic, you may find it useful to share information about how this affects you with your colleagues. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, you could ask your manager or mentor to help.

There are reasonable adjustments that can be made to help you at work. For example:

writing down instructions and tasks

giving short, clear instructions

breaking down large tasks into smaller components

having a regular timetable of tasks to add structure to your working day

asking that people make it clear if you are talking too long about a subject, which is your particular special interest.

You may also like to talk to your manager or HR team about seeing if they will arrange autism awareness training for all staff. Autism includes Asperger syndrome and people with a demand avoidant profile.

Training is offered by external companies and charities and could be something that will help your team understand your needs more, and in turn lead to a more supportive workplace for you.

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Indicators of autism spectrum disorder in young children

Are you worried about your child?

Autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong disabilitythat affects one in 100 children. The main areas of difficulty are in social and communication skills, and restricted or repetitive behaviours. Although there is no one indicator, there are several signs that could suggest autism spectrum disorder.

Social interaction and communication

• looks away when you speak to him/her • does not return your smile • lack of interest in other children • often seems to be in his/her own world • lack of ability to imitate simple motor movements eg. clapping hands • prefers to play alone • very limited social play (eg “Peek-a-Boo” ) • not responding to his/her name by 12 months • not pointing or waving by 12 months • loss of words previously used • unusual language pattern (e.g. repetitive speech)

Behaviour

• has unusual interests or attachments • has unusual motor movements such as hand flapping, spinning or walking on tiptoes • has difficulty coping with change • unusual distress reaction to some everyday sounds • uses peripheral vision to look at objects • preoccupation with certain textures or avoids certain textures • plays with objects in unusual ways such as repetitive spinning or lining up.

By 18 – 24 months of age, there are certain ‘milestones’ that your child should be meeting.

They include:

• showing interest in his/ her siblings or peers • bringing you items to show you • following your gaze to locate an object when you point • engaging in ‘pretend play’ (e.g. feeding a doll or making a toy dog bark) • using many spontaneous single words and some two-word phrases.

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Autism: Areas of difficulty

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability. The main areas of difficulty for people with an autism are to do with social interaction and communication. They also often have repetitive and restricted interests, activities and behaviours, and may be over- or under-sensitive  to sounds, touch, tastes, smells or light. Autism may also be accompanied by an intellectual disability.

The autism spectrum reflects the wide degree to which people can be affected – from experiencing social difficulties to requiring a lifetime of specialised support.  It is a lifelong disability.

Social interaction

People with an autism have difficulty forming and maintaining relationships. This is because they do not instinctively respond to non-verbal forms of communication, such as facial expressions, physical gestures and eye contact.

They are often unable to understand and express their needs just as they are unable to interpret and understand the needs of others. This impairs their ability to share interests and activities with other people.

Communication

Because people on the spectrum have impaired communication skills, they may find it difficult to meet people and develop friendships. They often seem to exist in their own world – ‘auto’ means ‘self’ – and may be isolated.

They may also experience delayed speech development and have difficulty understanding many of the things that people say to them. This affects their ability to initiate and sustain conversations. They don’t understand sarcasm and will take things literally. People with autism are often brutally honest as they don’t ‘filter’ what they say before they speak.

They may also repeat phrases they have heard on television or words that people have said to them some time before (known as echolalia). Even people with an autism who have well developed language skills find it difficult to express their needs and interpret the needs of others, and may use language in a random way with no regard for meaning or context.

Sensitivity

People on the autism spectrum may also be hyper sensitive to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours. For someone with hyper-sensitivity, sounds that others might not notice can be overwhelming or physically painful for someone on the spectrum and they may need to wear ear defenders to block out the noise. Conversely people on the spectrum may be hypo (less) sensitive and/or indulge in self-stimulatory behaviours, like hand flapping, spinning or head-banging.

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Autism: Characteristics

Autism is characterised by marked difficulties in behaviour, social interaction, communication and sensory sensitivities. Some of these characteristics are common among people on the spectrum; others are typical of the disability but not necessarily exhibited by all people on the autism spectrum.

Behavioural

Social Interaction

Communication

Behavioural

People on the spectrum may exhibit unusual behaviour due to the difficulties they have responding to their environment. Their behaviour is generally an attempt by them to communicate their feelings or to cope with a situation. Behaviour problems may occur as the result of their heightened sensitivity to a sound or something they may have seen or felt.

For people on the spectrum, rigidly sticking to routines and spending their time in repetitive behaviours are ways for them to reduce uncertainty and maintain the predictability of their environment.

Other behaviours may include:

unusually intense or focused interests

stereotyped and repetitive body movements such as hand flapping and spinning

repetitive use of objects such as repeatedly switching lights on and off or lining up toys

insistence on sticking to routines such  travelling the same route home each day and doing things in exactly the same order every time

unusual sensory interests such as sniffing objects or staring intently at moving objects

sensory sensitivities including avoidance of everyday sounds and textures such as hair dryers, vacuum cleaners and sand

Social interaction

People with autism have difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships. They do not respond to many of the non-verbal forms of communication that many of us take for granted like like facial expressions, physical gestures and eye contact. They are often unable to understand and express their needs just as they are unable to interpret and understand the needs of others. This impairs their ability to share interests and activities with other people. For this reason they may appear distant and aloof. Because they are often delayed in their speech and struggle to make sense of other non-verbal forms of communication, they may withdraw into repetitive play and behaviour and avoid interaction.

Their difficulties with social interaction may manifest in the following ways:

limited use and understanding of non-verbal communication such as eye gaze, facial expression and gesture

difficulties forming and sustaining friendships

lack of seeking to share enjoyment, interests and activities with other people

difficulties with social and emotional responsiveness

Communication

People with autism often have communication difficulties in one form or another. There are some people with autism who speak fluently, others who are speech impaired to varying degrees and others still, who are unable to speak at all. Of those who can speak, they will often use language in a very limited or unusual way.

Their line of conversation may involve repeating your phrases or words back to you or asking the same questions over and over. People with autism will usually only talk about topics that are of interest to them which makes the give and take in communication difficult. They have difficulty interpreting non-verbal forms of communication like facial expressions, hand gestures and other body language.

Impaired communication is characterised by:

delayed language development

difficulties initiating and sustaining conversations

stereotyped and repetitive use of language such as repeating phrases from television

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About the autism spectrum

Autism is a lifelong development condition characterised by difficulties in social interaction, communication, restricted and repetitive interests and behaviours, and sensory sensitivities.

These behaviours often manifest in an intense and focused interest in a particular subject matter; stereotyped body movements like hand flapping and spinning; and an unusual and heightened sensitivity to everyday sounds or textures.

People on the autism spectrum experience difficulties with social interaction and impaired and unusual verbal and non-verbal communication.

The word spectrum reflects the wide range of challenges that people on the spectrum experience and the extent to which they may be affected. It is four times more common in boys than girls.

The quality of life for many children and adults can be significantly improved by an early diagnosis and appropriate evidence informed treatment.

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Paying attention & following instructions

Quick guide to autism “What it looks like and how you can help”.

   Children with autism may find it difficult to pay attention and follow instructions.

Some children may find it difficult to pay attention or follow instructions because they:

• May not understand how to respond to their name • May not understand what you have said • May forget what you have asked them to do • May only remember part of what you asked them to do

You can help children by:

• Getting their attention first • Approach from the front before you speak • Getting down to their level/in their line of view when you speak to them • Give one instruction at a time • Model what you want them to do • Give positive feedback when they respond • Using visual supports

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Visual Supports

Quick guide to autism “What it looks like and how you can help”.

       Children with autism can generally understand what they see more than what they can hear.

       Most children with autism are visual learners. They use visual information to interpret the world and make sense of what is happening. An important rule to remember when working with children with autism is to SHOW what you want rather than TELL. We call this “using visuals supports”.

Visual supports help children with autism to:

•Understand what is expected of them •Communicate

Visual supports can be:

• An object • A photo of an object or action • A chart or timetable • A schedule or list of steps to complete a task • A story explaining a situation or task • A movie demonstrating  a situation or task

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Sensory Processing

Quick guide to autism “What it looks like and how you can help”.

     Sensory processing is the ability to organise and interpret information we receive through our senses of sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, balance and body awareness. Sensory processing allows us to produce appropriate responses for particular situations, tasks and environments.

How to support children with sensory processing difficulties:

• Talk to the family and ask what the child likes and dislikes • Think about your environment and what could cause sensory processing challenges (ie loud noises, bright lights etc) • Provide a quiet space