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I really enjoyed Kim Dueck’s presentation on Asperger’s and Autism. I love how she embraces who she is, and I felt I could stay on and chat with her more about so many other topics relating to her diagnosis, or common interests! I feel heartbroken that her journey with the misdiagnosis lead her to places that wasn’t appropriate at the time, but she showed that no matter what she has been through, she is the woman she is today because of what she has overcome. I personally have quite a bit experience supporting people who have Autism, but I also have some people in my life I grew up with that live with Autism as well.

The first topic that stood out to me was the traits between genders. Maybe I was not fully aware before of the traits and just assumed it was where these individuals fell on the Autism spectrum, and I acknowledge that is not okay to assume that. I feel if we are supporting people, I was failed to be properly informed and trained on where their diagnosis fell on the Autism Spectrum. Nevertheless, I found it fascinating to see the traits between males and females. I know more women who live with Autism, and I can see why after hearing Kim explain that it’s an invisible disability.

I found it interesting to find the truth behind where the myth of “vaccines cause Autism”. I know I made my guess in the chat that it came from people who practice religion (which I am not saying everyone who practices or has a religion feels this way), but knowing it was from an author who wrote an article though it was in his interview that’s where the myth was created. I was not aware which particular vaccine it was, but knowing the myth was created with the MMR vaccine “causing Autism” is something to keep in mind if I hear others speak in that way about vaccines.

Lastly, I love learning new language and I am someone who dislikes using the terms “low-functioning” and “high functioning” but I appreciate Kim clearing up which language to use instead. Low-end and high-end I will be more mindful to use. The Autism Spectrum is so broad I can see how people learning about it can be overwhelmed or confused, and even hearing the difference of Asperger’s versus Autism is really good information to have.

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Kimberley Dudek - Autism Presentation- Aurelius Ming Chun Yip

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Kimberley Dudek - Autism Presentation- Aurelius Ming Chun Yip

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I enjoyed listening to Kimberley Dudek's presentation on Asperger’s and Autism. She also prepared the PowerPoint for our better understanding. In the beginning, Kim mentioned most of us think of disabilities are visible. I used to think like that. However, now I understand a  person with a disability may not be physically visible. In my experience, I grew up with a person who has Autism. He was my classmate in my primary school. I understand he would repeat something again and again, scream, get angry, and no eye contact. However, I didn't know how to get along with him at that time. I was afraid he would fight with me suddenly.

Listening to Kim's presentation, I understand how to get along with people who have autism. I realise the environment is an important element, such as lighting and noise. In the beginning, Kim also mentioned males and females on the spectrum present their symptoms very differently. It is essential to know as I am working as a DSP.

Moreover, I really appreciate Kim sharing about challenges and toolkits. Some triggers may cause anger. Kim explained in different scenarios. Working as a DSP, I need to be mindful of them. Fortunately, Kim shared how to react to these triggers. These help me a lot, and I know what to do to avoid them.

In addition, I learned what meltdown and burnout are. As a DSP, I am providing person-centred support to people. It is crucial for me to learn how people recover from a meltdown and burnout.

Last but not least, I understand mental health disorder is one of the disabilities. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health disorders affect people's moods, thinking and behaviour. I love learning them.

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Autism & Asperger's Reflection by Sheelah Mason

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Autism & Asperger's Reflection by Sheelah Mason

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I found the presentation about Autism and Asperger’s very informative and useful, as it built on the little knowledge I had on Autism. Kim also talked about how Autism/Asperger’s is different between individuals and how symptoms present in a variety of ways. And sometimes it is hard to diagnose as it can mimic the symptoms of other disabilities. I found that her presentation was very inspiration, as she spoke about her own experience with autism with herself and in her past. When she spoke about how most of the world thinks of disabilities as invisible, it got me thinking of all the disabilities that we do not see. Which in many parts of the presentation had me filled with thoughts and questions. However, the three things that resonated with me is:

1. Women and girls present symptoms of autism differently from men and boys. Men and boys tend to have more physical features. However, women and girls on the spectrum tend to be the ultimate chameleons and are able to hide their symptoms.

2.  Autistic burnout is a new term that I learned during the presentation as it is differs from a meltdown. I also learned that a meltdown is not like a tantrum. An autistic burnout is like a state of stress and exhaustion that can cause memory issues or losing certain function skills (some examples). A meltdown is response to overwhelming circumstances which is caused by triggers like sensory overload, under stimulation, or changes in routines (some examples).

3. “If you’re not willing to learn, then who has the disability” is a phrase I heard during this presentation, which is something I agree with. Because the world is constantly changing, which means you must be able to adapt to the new changes around us and especially the idea that there is no superior group of people.

I will apply what I learned and what resonated with me by learning about choices, preferences, and types of disabilities the individual I support have/might have. Which is also known as a person-focused or person-centered care/support. I will focus on the person and learn about their disabilities, as it is part of who they are.

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Kimberley Dudek - Autism Presentation- Aurelius Ming Chun Yip

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Kimberley Dudek - Autism Presentation- Aurelius Ming Chun Yip

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I enjoyed listening to Kimberley Dudek's presentation on Asperger’s and Autism. She also prepared the PowerPoint for our better understanding. In the beginning, Kim mentioned most of us think of disabilities are visible. I used to think like that. However, now I understand a  person with a disability may not be physically visible. In my experience, I grew up with a person who has Autism. He was my classmate in my primary school. I understand he would repeat something again and again, scream, get angry, and no eye contact. However, I didn't know how to get along with him at that time. I was afraid he would fight with me suddenly.

Listening to Kim's presentation, I understand how to get along with people who have autism. I realise the environment is an important element, such as lighting and noise. In the beginning, Kim also mentioned males and females on the spectrum present their symptoms very differently. It is essential to know as I am working as a DSP.

Moreover, I really appreciate Kim sharing about challenges and toolkits. Some triggers may cause anger. Kim explained in different scenarios. Working as a DSP, I need to be mindful of them. Fortunately, Kim shared how to react to these triggers. These help me a lot, and I know what to do to avoid them.

In addition, I learned what meltdown and burnout are. As a DSP, I am providing person-centred support to people. It is crucial for me to learn how people recover from a meltdown and burnout.

Last but not least, I understand mental health disorder is one of the disabilities. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health disorders affect people's moods, thinking and behaviour. I love learning them.

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Reflection on Autism Presentation- Gurcharnjeet kaur 

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Reflection on Autism Presentation- Gurcharnjeet kaur 

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It was really very impressive and informative presentation by Kim. There were so many new things for me to learn that I did not knew before attending this presentation. Well, its little difficult for me to focus only on three things that I had learned and will use in future as a DSP, because, I have learned number of things, and would be beneficial to work on to support any Autistic Individual.

First, I want to discuss about the words that she make us aware to use instead of some other words that I think I always used. She said to say Autistic individual instead of person or individual with Autism and how it can change the impact on the person and the situation. Further, she mentioned not to use or say high functioning and low functioning which is right. I am going to work on these things to be good Direct Support Professional.

Secondly, I have learned that how environment can be a trigger to cause sensory reactions and how it can be managed. I need to be aware of the factors that can be impactful such as lighting, sound, scent and so on. As a DSP, it would be my major priority to take care if I would support autistic individual.

Third but not the last thing to focus on is to listen the person, be gentle and keep your voice calm. According to me, it is most important to understand the perosn's behaviour and make his/ her comfortable. It is possible only then, if the   person who is supporting, is calm, observing the environment for the safety of the person.

In the last, apart from these things, I had come to know many more things that would be helpful for me to support or help the person with autism. I always need to be aware and mindful that what I want to ask what I should ask or what I should say and do, to be respectful towards the person and his/ her feelings.

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Autism & Asperger's Reflection by Howard Liem

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Autism & Asperger's Reflection by Howard Liem

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I am glad to listen to Kim who shared about Autism and Asperger’s. I heard a lot about Asperger’s syndrome back in my country. There are many parents on my WhatsApp groups discussing Autism, especially Asperger’s syndrome. Many pregnant mothers are afraid their children will come down with Asperger’s syndrome. Perhaps some of my surrounding peers misunderstand what Asperger’s syndrome is. They often think that people having a difficult time interacting with people are considered to be Asperger’s. Kim is an expert on Autism and Asperger’s, and she defined clearly the definition of Asperger’s. Here are 3 things that I would like to share

1.      First, Kim mentioned that the important thing is to understand that Asperger’s autism and the autism spectrum disorder are often found in the same information, but there are very different. She mentioned that sometimes it is hard to diagnose the differences between Autism and Asperger’s. because people who have Autism or Asperger’s, they look at people who do not have any intellectual disabilities at all. Thus, I have learned that we should never assume someone with some certain behavior is considered to be Asperger’s or Autism.  This is one thing that I have learned.

2.      Second, I have learned from Kim about personal challenges such as time management, and communication behavior, especially when Autism or Asperger’s people are in the public and have difficulty reading like body language and various reading styles. I have learned that I have to be ready to know about their sign languages. Different Autism and Asperger’s people have different learning styles. Also, I have learned that DSPs, we should be good listeners. Autism or Asperger’s have a difficult time communicating, we should be ready to listen, and be prepared to keep that person safe.

3.      Finally, when Kim talked about the concern of triggers, we as Direct Support Workers should be aware of their triggers. I think these are very important factors to learn about. There are a lot of factors such as light, scent, and sound sensation. These factors can cause and escalate a severe sensory reaction. So, as Direct Support Workers, we should be familiar with our workplace, the types of sounds such as people talking, music, or other sensory factors that can trigger their behavior.

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Reflection on autism presentation - Serena Dueck

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Reflection on autism presentation - Serena Dueck

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I found Kim's talk on autism and Asperger's very beneficial and enlightening and I learned a lot.

There were 3 points in particular around the topic of meltdowns and burnout that I believe will help in my future work as a disability support worker.

Prior to listening to Kim speak, I had never heard of a meltdown being referred to as a medical emergency, although this makes perfect sense. Even on the paperwork that we fill out after a meltdown occurs the categories from which we select what happened are labeled "behavioral". However, as Kim pointed out meltdowns are not behaviors. I am going to mention this at the next staff meeting (although these forms do come from CLDS perhaps our directors can speak with them) because I think having this type of language on our paperwork influences staff perception and perhaps changing the category from 'behavioral' to 'medical' could have a positive influence on staff reactions.

While I know how important it is to remain calm and to be aware of how you are speaking I never considered how some other sensory factors in the environment can influence the way someone is feeling. Being aware of things such as whether or not the T.V. or radio is on, turning down the lights, and ensuring any other sensory distractions are removed is such a useful tip. I already have applied this to my work the other day while driving with someone I support. She seemed a little anxious while we were driving and I noticed the car radio was playing softly, I turned it off and she seemed to relax.

The third thing I learned from Kim's presentation that I had never heard before is that meltdowns can cause a blackout. This changes the way that we approach the people we support after a meltdown occurs because it is important to know that the person may not actually know what happened. This is valuable information and should be a part of everyone's training.

I am grateful for this presentation and information.

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Kimberley- Autism & Aspergers- Paola Sarris

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Kimberley- Autism & Aspergers- Paola Sarris

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I loved meeting Kimberley and listening to her presentation was extremely interesting for me since I didn't know much about Autism and Asperger Syndrome. Kim has been able to perfectly introduce us to this topic, and I have learned many things that will help me in my career and in my work as a direct support worker. During her presentation there were several things that caught my attention. First, that Asperger's is a mimic of the symptoms of many disabilities, and this is the main reason that it is diagnosed late or may never be discovered. This may be worrying for many parents who are afraid that their children will not receive a correct diagnosis, for which the treatment would also be wrong. Kim explained how she lived that experience when the doctors did not give her a correct diagnosis. Another interesting part of Kim's presentation was that she taught us those men and woman with Asperger's have different symptoms, and also that women can mask and hide it. The third interesting thing for me is communication. Kim mentioned that it is very important to deliver a clear, concise and precise message, since we could generate a certain stress when the person wants to decipher what we want to say. In addition, on many occasions people with autism will prefer non-verbal language, and seek an alternative such as typing, signing, or drawing to communicate.
Everything I learned is going to help me to pay attention to the people I want to support, to be curious, to inform myself, and to investigate even more about autism and Asperger's, because I want to learn more about the triggers, and I want to be able to help them from my kinder side. I appreciate her sincerity, dedication and emotion with which Kim shared with us her life experience in such a generous act to teach us and help us to go down this path where we are able to help people with Autism and Asperger's.

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Reflection on Autism & Asperger's - Pinky Arora
I had a wonderful time meeting Kimberley and learning about Autism and Asperger Syndrome from her presentation. Kim did an excellent job of introducing us to the subject, and I learnt a lot that will help me in my career and as a direct support worker. Several things stood out to me throughout her speech. Here I would like to mention three of those:

Primarily, I cherish learning modern languages from Kim. I got to know that Functional labels have been used to define an autistic's ability to function for many years and are still used today. Non-autistic individuals commonly use functional labels to describe an autistic's capacity to operate in society, categorizing them as "high- functioning" or "low-functioning". I am somebody who disdains using the terms "low-functioning" and "high functioning", but I appreciate Kim clearing up which dialect to use instead. Low-end and high-end I will be more careful to utilize. This learning will help me in my role as a DSP. The Autism Spectrum is so wide I can see how people learning it can be overwhelmed or befuddled, and even knowing the distinction between Asperger’s and Autism is profoundly valuable information.

Secondly, I have learned that Triggers are environmental variables such as light, scent, sound, feeling, and others that can induce intense sensory reactions in people with Asperger's syndrome. On a daily basis, sensory difficulties can be triggered at any moment and in almost any location. Whether or not the individual feels anxious, sensory integration issues can overwhelm a person's ability to manage himself or herself. Anxiety can be triggered by sensory circumstances. Thus, I have learned that in this situation we need to use these approaches: 1. Use a low, quiet voice to speak. 2. Physical restraint should not be used because it will just aggravate the issue. After that, do not make any accusing accusations to the person because they could not remember what they did. 3. We should not contact Law Enforcement if Physical Violence occurs, as this will severely increase the Situation.

Last but not least, the difference between males and female characteristics fascinated me. I was completely unaware of this before Kim’s presentation. I understand that Women and girls may exhibit traits such as well-developed language abilities, a vivid imagination, and more common interests. This will be beneficial to me as a DSP.

By learning from Kim, I will be able to implement what I have learned and what has resonated with me. I appreciate Kim's honesty, devotion, and emotion in sharing her life experience with us in such a generous effort to teach us and guide us down this path of being able to serve persons with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

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Reflection on Autism Presentation with Kim Dudek - Randi McGowan

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Reflection on Autism Presentation with Kim Dudek - Randi McGowan

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The following 3 statements resonated with me, and I so appreciated Kim’s first-hand account of how autism shapes lives.

First, most people think of disability as visible. People with disabilities can be right beside you, and often with no telling features. I have linked ADHD and Asperger’s in my EDGP and noted many more similarities after this presentation. One is masking to attempt mimicking neurotypical social interactions/expectations. As well, they both are often misdiagnosed or have coexisting neurological disorders, especially in women. Advocating for people we support and understanding that there may be so many more facets to a person that just what is visible is so important in our work as DSPs. It is vital to communicate with them and be aware of their whole selves, to provide holistic support and be a resource for them in the unique way it is required. I have invisible disabling conditions and know that empathy and patience are always best to be applied to any situation, because you never know what is behind the mask.

The second is when an autistic person is experiencing an overload of stimuli or escalated situations and they have what Kim described as a meltdown, it is not a tantrum. It is not a behaviour. It is not a choice. It is a crash survival mode and may include memory loss as if the person is in a fugue state. Because of this, crisis intervention/outreach teams and paramedics are much less dangerous to call for than police. Police often act impulsively and have a detrimental effect on vulnerable and minority populations. If the person becomes violent (again not their choice- it may be a medical emergency) the police may not have the training and patience required to diffuse the situation that the alternatives would have. I support a person with ASD and has had situations in the past escalate beyond his control. This resulted in a loss of employment, and police involvement on another occasion. It is part of my commitment to him and his safety that I prepare myself to handle such situations before they escalate, and if in need of reinforcement would not call the police. I engage with him to recognize his feelings, help him avoid triggers, redirect him to coping behaviours like mindful breathing and walking, and reinforce positive alternatives to anxious behaviour.

Third, if you suspect something is wrong, get help. This means recognizing there may be a problem and caring enough to do something about it. This resonated with me especially because very recently my sister was the person to encourage me to seek help and answers that led to a diagnosis of ADHD. Everything makes sense to me now. In my work as a DSP if I can investigate to get informed and encourage a person I support to do the same, it can be life-changing.

Lastly, you can’t do it on your own; you have to have a good team behind you!

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Reflection on Autism Presentation - Connie Wong

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Reflection on Autism Presentation - Connie Wong

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It’s a valuable experience listening to Kimerley’s presentation.

The first thing that resonated me from the presentation is the importance of person’s first language, people’s preference. In our field, we say people with disabilities or people with autism. However, in the autism community it is different. Kim mentioned that the word disability means it is unfit to integrate to the society. They prefer to refer to themselves as autistic individuals. When we don't put that term in the front, we're treating them as if lower than humans. As DSPs, after listening to Kim’s presentation, I feel that we should always ask how the individuals want to be addressed. It is about respect. You might think it is appropriate to address them as a person with a disability in autism, but to them, it might not be the case. The idea of asking people and being aware of what languages to use is paramount.

The second area that impacted me from the presentation is when Kim talked about a question on “Can autism be cured?” She was emotional and she was so strong on one thing. That is no matter what eye colour we have, what hair colour we have, what religion we have, this is who we are. She believes that none of them wouldn't want it to be cured because they didn’t want to get rid of something that makes them unique and special. As DSPs, we should say everyone is unique and special. Having a disability is not a disease that has to be cured. It is just different, like we have different skin colour, hair colour. We should not have personal bias on people because they are different in appearance. People with Autism also have their inner beauty.

The last thing I want to share is I was so happy when Kim answered my question. If you were one of the decision makers in the government, what would one thing that you'd like to see change or improve in terms of autism in Manitoba or Canada? She said there are a lot the government can do but she would mention a few. One is to see more supports in place in terms of acceptance from groups like employment and income assistance. Another one is to have more funding allocated towards autism programs and support resources, especially for adults. There should be more opportunities like more events where people on the spectrum have the chance to come out and speak. There's a lot of work that definitely on both the provincial and federal level needs to be done.

As DSPs, we need to try our best to help individuals with autism to learn about their assistance and support in the society. We should also urge government to do more on helping the people with autism.

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Kimberley Dudek- Autism& Asperger's Presentation- Komalpreet Kaur Brar

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Kimberley Dudek- Autism& Asperger's Presentation- Komalpreet Kaur Brar

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Kim Dudek’s presentation on  Asperger’s and Autism fascinates me. What I liked the most that she prepared presentation and Web Quest and Reflexive Exercise for us and that enhance my knowledge.

In the starting of the presentation, she said that people live in the illusion that disability is visible. I am no exception to this, while this is not the case. The person I am supporting is suffering from Asperger’s and while I was going through his binder, I came to know that men are more likely to have Asperger’s than female. But from this presentation I came to know that it is not something that you catch, it is that you have acquired along with your birth. I understand that Female have Asperger’s, but their symptoms may not be visible. Both genders have different spectrums

Also, she said that in the environment the triggers can be just a look, smell, and sound which we don’t even consider problematic, can make the person set the spectrum. So, I should be aware of this when I am with the person I am supporting. I know that the thing that trigger him most is ignorance, so I never ignored him, and he had never shown the spectrum of his behavior to me. Additionally, the strategies provided by her could help me more in supporting someone to be more independent in his life.

In addition to this, she told us that what are words we shouldn’t use such as “high functioning” and “low functioning” as these cause insult to a person instead uses “lower end” and “higher end”. The thing that broke my heart was seeing her reaction to the question of being cured. That make us understand that how we view something that we think needs to be cured that is the thing that make someone unique from us and that they may not see as something that need to be cured.

All these things will help me in my role as DSP as I know now how to manage the behavior of person I am supporting. It will not only help me in my role, but it will also help in making his life much smoother. As now I will not try to change his behavior but focus on his other abilities and encourage him. He always wanted to work for Goldeyes( Winnipeg Baseball Team), he even worked there but his practice was discontinued because of his behavior spectrum one time.  I think that I could ask my supervisor to get him a job again there and help him in managing his behavior.

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Kimberly Dudek Presentation on Autism- Reflection, Ruben

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Kimberly Dudek Presentation on Autism- Reflection, Ruben

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Kimberly Dudek Presentation- Reflection on Autism

It was a new experience for me listening to Kim about her life with Autism, her accomplishments were exceptional and a lifetime achievement both for herself and for the Autism community as well.

I supported several Autistic Person and through her presentation I was able to gain more knowledge and understand more about them and how to support them better. She perfectly shared things that need to be considered when a person with Autism is having a meltdown or burnout. I was able to understand based on my experience why they reacted so much if they were triggered during the meltdown. Being calm and using a lower voice was a highly effective support strategy when dealing with meltdown with a person with Autism. She perfectly enumerated the important toolkit to support a person with Autism having a meltdown, such as to remain calm and always and always prepared to ask for help if necessary.

Kimberly was amazing, the way she handled the presentation and shared her experiences with Autism. It is interesting to know that male and female with Autism present symptoms very differently. I supported both female and male person with Autism and can barely noticed the difference within their behavior but through Kim I will be more observant and focused on the person behavior for me to support them properly.

She explained and shared about the challenges on time management and communication, it is important to know the person and the way they communicate since they have unique ways of communicating, giving them time to process the instruction first before they reach. We supported someone that it takes 5 to 10 minutes to react to a certain instruction. It is crucial to give them enough time for processing, especially if attending some appointments such as medical and dental or any other activity that time element are involved.

It is also important to know being direct support professional to have the team supporting person with Autism to have consistency when it comes to providing support and planned activities. The team should always be on the same page as it will create confusion if these routines are altered.

My experienced working person with Autism changes my perspective on how we value life and the people in our life. I cannot elaborate my experiences since every one of them was unique in the way that my personal connection with each one of them is different, but I can assure you that they are wonderful people. That they can touch your life in a unique way, that they will be one of your reasons to wake up and start your day even if it is too cold to report for work, or they are the reason that you are not calling in sick even if you are not feeling well. Thank you Kim.

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Reflection on Kim’s presentation- Dilpreet Kaur

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Reflection on Kim’s presentation- Dilpreet Kaur

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I, personally, have never confronted a person who experiences autism. I think the class that took place with Kim was very valuable and engaging because she explained each point with the help of the presentation. The one thing that really helped me understand autism  to its best was that I was hearing about it from the person who is personally living with it. Many a times one person thinks about the word “cure” when one hears about disability. However, Kim changed my perspective as she made me aware that every disability is not about the cure but is all about acceptance and inclusion.  Because autism is an invisible disability many people are misdiagnosed like Kim and it makes it tough for many children who are not properly diagnosed at a young age and their behaviour is just seen as mischief.

The first thing that really caught my eye in the presentation was to learn that each individual have different symptoms with regards to their gender. It is intriguing and particularly worthwhile to know that both men and women with autism behave differently which is quite important for a DSP to know as one could use certain mentioned to support a man which might not be applicable to a woman. That is why a person must know what is the differences between the behaviour of males and females experiencing autism and understand the distinct approaches for both genders.

The second thing that I found beneficial to implement in my field is that one factor that can trigger the sensory reactions of an autistic person can be the environment. It can be regulated or controlled by understanding the person and the elements that are vital and need to be taken care of. Some of them include lighting, perfumes, loud voices and air pollution. This point is advantageous for me to learn as if I ever get the chance to support a autistic person, I would take care of the environmental factors and reduce the possibility of getting his/ her unwanted reaction.

Last but not the least, it is very important to learn the language and how to address people with disabilities. It was quite disturbing to learn that there are still certain words like high functioning/low functioning or high-end/low-end that are used in the present world to address the people with disabilities/autism. This thing tells me that although I and my classmates have unlearned some words and learned new words which give a better and more respectful identity to people with disability or autism, there is still a long way to go.

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Reflection on Autism and Asperger's with Kim Dudek - Annalisa O'Neill  

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Reflection on Autism and Asperger's with Kim Dudek - Annalisa O'Neill  

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Listening to Kim Dudek share her experience living with Asperger's was enjoyable and inspiring. Kim is such an engaging speaker, and her commitment and dedication to her movement are clear.

I appreciated Kim's insight into what a "meltdown" feels like from the perspective of the person experiencing it and the thoughts that might arise afterwards. I've seen these sorts of episodes happen to people in my personal life and supported people through them at work. It can be very challenging to understand what is going on inside a person's head when experiencing these meltdowns. It's one thing to try and understand these experiences through research and reading, but to hear a person speak from personal experience is invaluable. Resources hold the risk of being overly clinical and one-dimensional. Kim's story added a new level of humanity and opened doors for new channels of empathy. Kim was also able to share some practical methods to de-escalate and avoid these intense responses. Not calling the police unless absolutely necessary (more likely to increase feelings of fear) and decreasing stimuli (turning off the lights, finding a quiet space, etc.) are two pieces of advice that I will carry with me into the field as a DSP.

I was familiar with some of the differences between ASD diagnoses, but again, Kim was able to add the crucial personal aspect. From what I heard, it takes a lot of self-awareness and self-advocacy to understand the accommodations one might need and to be able to voice those needs - this was great to consider as not everyone with ASD speaks verbally. It would be the responsibility of a DSP to advocate on a person's behalf in that case. Advocacy is essential in everyday life, but especially so in medical environments. ASD is difficult to understand from a diagnostic perspective, and, as Kim shared, misdiagnoses are common. These errors can detrimentally affect a person's life, certainly someone who may already struggle to communicate with medical professionals.

Language should always be at the forefront for anyone working in Human Services. Kim's vulnerability when touching on appropriate language was so impactful and admired. Kim was also able to express that her experience is HER experience and that ultimately, it's the people with Autism and Asperger's who have agency over their identity. The first step of support means respecting that agency and identity.

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Autism & Asperger's - Kim's Presentation Reflection by Kyla Read

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Autism & Asperger's - Kim's Presentation Reflection by Kyla Read

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First, I want to say Thank You to Kim, for being so brave and maybe leaving her comfort zone to spend time sharing her own experience with Autism. I found this presentation very relevant and important to our learning as future DSP graduates.

The part of Kim’s presentation I found most impactful was when she addressed the question regarding if Autism can be cured. Personally, I found this question quite tactless, however as Kim said, it is something that when asked, can be used as a teaching moment. By seeing how this question effects someone who has autism, it shows how damaging and hurtful ignorance can be. I am sure whomever asked that question did not do so with ill intent, just curiosity, and hopefully in the future all of us will this twice before asking something so insensitive. I know I certainly will.

Secondly, I found her discussion about sensory overload and triggers to be very fascinating. My best friends’ brother has Asperger’s. As teenagers, we didn’t understand why he would often have “meltdowns” and “tantrums”, we just knew it was something due to his Asperger’s and thought he was just being dramatic. I found it interesting to hear about people having different triggers and that it is usually environmental, and stimuli based. I never knew how much an Autism breakdown can takes out of the person nor did I know they could experience blackouts/memory loss during these breakdowns. I also learned how vital rest and recovery time is after experiencing one of these episodes and after learning all this new information, it makes complete sense now as an Autistic breakdown must take a lot out of someone’s whole-being. Another fact I really appreciated Kim expressed is the importance of not calling the police during a breakdown. Instead, if an outside intervention is required, it should be considered a medical emergency and you MUST make it known that the patient is an Autistic person when on the phone with the operator to ensure responders have prior knowledge of this fact. Learning all this new information about Sensory Overload will help me as a DSP because I now know that certain things trigger Autistic people differently, so I can ensure that in the future I will prioritize myself to learn the signs and triggers of any Autistic people I’ll support and hopefully prevent breakdowns caused by these factors, but I will also know what to do if a situation occurs.

Finally, I found the idea of Proud to be Autistic and Autistic first language very resonating and empowering. My Autistic friend is very proud, and I am always so “awed” by his confidence in his diagnosis. I’m so happy to know we live at such an accepting time and place in the world where people can celebrate their differences. It is great that Autistic people take pride and want to be identified as Autism being part of their identity and what makes them unique, rather than a person with a disability.

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Reflection on Autism & Asperger's - Yetunde Williams

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Reflection on Autism & Asperger's - Yetunde Williams

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I learned a lot of aspects in the presentation, especially on Asperger and Autism. The presentation is logically arranged in a manner that assists the listeners to get the main concepts of the subject. There were numerous new things that I learned about after listening to the presentation. Thus, it is difficult to choose at random the three things that I can apply as a DSP because I learned about many things I would like to use in future practice.

One of the most astonishing thing I learned is how she had to cope with misdiagnosis that led her to “dark places” in life. She could not envision being found in such situations.  She is a strong woman because she did not relent even when obstacles came her way. The presentation evokes my emotions, especially on people that grew around me and had autism. The first thing I appreciate from the presentation is that men and women living with autism present different traits. At the beginning of the presentation, Kim offer insights that males and females present their symptoms different. This is important for me as DSP because it will enlighten me when dealing with individuals of different gender.  This will ease my diagnosis of the problem when dealing with different genders. I feel the importance of being aware of the difference in traits among women and women; it will assist in making a judgement that will help those affected by the autism condition to stand a chance of having a better life.

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The other thing in the presentation that stood out is the explanation of common myths on the causes of autism. One common misconception in the community is that vaccines are precursors of autism. In most cases, one would think that people with such misconceptions are traditionally enslaved to think about the myths. One thing I have learned as a DSP in such instances is that it is vital to learn about the popular myths about a particular conditions and never shrug off any claims. It is good to investigate and find what other scholars on the subject have to say.

​The last thing I have learned is that mental health can significantly affect a person life. The social, emotional and psychological aspects should be thoroughly checked to ensure a person is in a good state of mind.  This is because mental health affect the way people think and make choices that affects their lives. As a DSP, I will check the mental health of the people I serve to ensure they are not in any way affected by mental health disorders.

​The presentation shares important insights and I am privileged to learn how autism spectrum disorder is broad. Getting to learn the difference between autism and Asperger’s will shape my career as a DSP.

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Autism & Asperger's reflection- Jaspreet kaur 

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Autism & Asperger's reflection- Jaspreet kaur 

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I found this presentation really informative, and I learned many important factors that can assist me in my role as DSP. I found it really heartbroken when I saw Kim’s reaction about my question. I felt my mistake to ask that question as I was not aware that it could heart her feelings that much. But from this experience I learned about better communication as Kim said if we don’t ask, we can not learn, similarly I learned about my limits and I understood that why it is inappropriate to ask such questions. But for next time I will keep in my mind to being specific about my communication.

The first thing that I learned from Kim’s presentation was about using right communication. As I felt that I need to focus on right communication as DSP. As mentioned before, my question about autism hurt Kim’s feelings and I don’t want to repeat my mistake. As Kim shared in her presentation that how people with autism may react like swearing and as she said that while doing so her brain and mouth is disconnected, it gives me a clue that how I need to prepare my self while supporting people. And the tips that she shared in toolkit was very useful. I learned some strategies such as listening, observing environment, why we should not call police etc. and theses are really useful as my role as DSP.

My second takeaway is about challenges and causes of autism. I did not have any prior knowledge of autism, but I think to assist people with autism it is important to have full knowledge about the challenges that they are facing. She also explained things that we can avoid supporting people with autism and her help strategies are my major takeaways.

The third ting that I learned from her presentation was strategies to assist with meltdown. As explained in meltdown people may hurt themselves, that’s why I think it is important to have prior knowledge that how we as DSP can provide support in such case, which I learned from this presentation.

In last I would say from this presentation I learned so many things which I can apply in future in my work.

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Autism and Asperger's reflection- Harsimrat Kaur

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Autism and Asperger's reflection- Harsimrat Kaur

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I found the presentation given by Kimberley Dudek very informative and beneficial. I learned a lot about Autism and Asperger Syndrome from her presentation which will be helpful for me in my career as a direct support professional. Before this presentation, I don’t have too much knowledge about it. Also, I don’t support someone who has Autism, so it is quite valuable for me to know about Autism from Kim who has her own experience. The three things that I had learned and will be helpful for me in my future as a Direct Support Professional is mentioned below:

1.     The first thing that I learned was the illusion shared by her at the start of the presentation. She said that the world thinks of disabilities as being visible. But the reality is that A person with a disability could be right beside you and you may never know it because the symptoms of many disabilities are not immediately appeared. I like the point that she explained to us with the help of the image about the hidden disabilities. This thing impacted me and changed my thinking level about disabilities which I deem helpful for me in my profession as Direct Support Professional.

2.      The second thing that I learned was regarding the symptoms shown by the genders. It is very necessary for our profession to know about the symptoms shown by both genders. Firstly, I think that both the genders showed the same symptoms but now I know that they had different. As Direct Support professionals, it is vital for us to know, what is the difference between the behaviour of males and females experiencing autism.

3.      The third thing that I learned from her presentation is about communication. As DSPs, it may be challenging for us to know completely about their time management, body language, behaviour etc. so at that time, for interaction, we must take care that they may become frustrated when trying to explain what they want or need. In this situation, we have to follow alternative communication methods such as typing, singing, signing etc. As we know that communication in our profession is vital. So, all the communication tips will be very helpful for us while supporting the person.

At last, I want to say that there are many things that I learned from this assignment that I must follow in my future. I would like to say Thank You to Kim for giving me too much knowledge about Autism and Asperger Syndrome.

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Autism & Asperger's Reflection - Olugbenga Arisekola

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Autism & Asperger's Reflection - Olugbenga Arisekola

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The presentation was clear, amazing and informative, Kimberley expressed the difficulties surrounding the diagnosis of Autism and Asperger's, she explained more about the spectrum and common traits we should watch out for which includes body language, tone of voice, visual or tactile stimuli .Also, said both male and female spectrum present their symptoms very differently. As DSP , I have learnt to be careful not to compare or generalize broad statement that both male and female have the same symptoms. However, Kimberley said the care giver should prepare to be an active listener and avoid power struggles because they may experience doing things over and over and love their routine as well. As a caregiver, I have learnt to be patient and avoid altering their schedule or changing their routine without prior notice now that i am aware of the negative impact the decision could be on them. I learned more about their triggers and areas like time management and multi -tasking that requires a lot of support. As DSP, I should put their safety and protection as my priority, safety measures help people feel less vulnerable. I now gained more knowledge regarding the expected stigma, misinformation associated with autism and asperger's by following the toolkits expected meltdown

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Reflection on Autism and Asperger's presentation- Kulvir Kaur 

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Reflection on Autism and Asperger's presentation- Kulvir Kaur 

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I learned a lot about Asperger's/ Autism from Kim's presentation. I knew very little about autism. But it's very different learning experience to get about autism/Asperger's from an individual who is living with Asperger's. I listened to her very carefully and noted some very crucial key points like Kim mentioned about how society only think that disability is visible to us. But she mentioned the person with disability is sometimes right by us and we don't even know it! She also told that males and females with autism spectrum present their symptoms very differently. It's very unique and new thing for me to know that how females with Asperger's hide their symptoms like chameleons and have their vivid imagination too.

Moreover, she explained very nicely about the other traits too like having difficulty to understand the body language and different tone of voices. She told that people with autism easily get overwhelmed when they get visual, auditory or tactile stimuli or become anxious if they routine is altered because their routine is very fixed and repeated one. Here as a DSP, I noted that I have to be very much careful about the environment, behaviour and actions to be taken when I will support a person with Asperger's, ASD or Autism. I have to be very patient and polite to listen them and have to be very particular about their routine.

On the other side, she talked about the two large challenges are stigma and misinformation those I never heard and thought about them. They way she explained them is really eye opening to me. She also told that don't rely on misinformation from social media or what you heard online about autism. As a DSP, I have to be very careful and patient when it comes to interact and communicate with autistic individual or giving support to that person because they enjoy doing things over and over. They are not good in mutli-tasking and it makes them anxious or frustrated, so avoid to doing it with them. One more important thing Kim mentioned triggers. I really find them helpful as a DSP because I got to know that these are the things that I have to avoid them which might cause meltdown to the autistic person. She also explained that meltdown and autistic burnout sometimes seek medical attention and as a DSP, I have to deal with them by giving environment soothing, calm and safe such as turning off lights, removing as much people as could be possible etc. If a person seems to be in need of medical assistance then talk to paramedics as much earlier you can!

At the last but not least, when Kim wrapped up slides and answering the questions. At that one moment, she started crying due to one question asked by somebody, "Is autism could be cured or not?" This moment was very heartbreaking and shocking to me because this is one thing that might be my peer who asked it doesn't know about autism or something else. But I really appreciate the courage of Kim that how she positively handled it and understand the reason of asking question. Overall, it was very great learning experience and I really enjoyed it.