"Have you heard of the power card method that is supposed to help children on the spectrum with social skills and behavior problems? Is it effective? How does it work?"
The Power Card Strategy is an effective way to teach behavior management and social skills to young children with Asperger's (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA).
It is effective because it takes into account the unique characteristics of these "special needs" youth. Kids on the autism spectrum tend to have highly developed special interests, so this strategy capitalizes on those interests as a motivational force toward positive behavioral changes.
The Power Card Strategy involves visual aids that incorporates the youngster's special interest to teach appropriate social skills, including behavioral expectations, routines, the meaning of language, and the “hidden curriculum” (refers to the set of routines, social rules, tasks, or actions that kids readily understand and use; often considered to be a matter of common sense, the hidden curriculum is almost never directly taught, yet it is a salient part of everyday life).
In addition, the strategy can be used to aide in generalization, to clarify choices, to teach another’s perspective, and to teach cause-and-effect between a specific behavior and its consequence.
The strategy consists of two basic parts:
a brief scenario or character sketch describing how a hero solves a problem, and
the "power card" which recaps how the youngster can use the same strategy to solve a similar problem.
In part one, a brief script of the special interest and the situation being addressed for the AS or HFA child is created. The script is written at the child’s comprehension level and includes relevant pictures or graphics. Initially, the script is read on a scheduled basis as the child learns to use the power card. In part two, the actual power card is created.
It is the size of a trading card and includes a small picture of the special interest and the solution to the problem situation broken into three to five steps. The card is created from the script and is carried by the child.
Below is an example of the use of the Power Card Strategy written for Michael, a 5-year-old boy with Asperger's who tends to act-out aggressively when he loses a game. This behavior was demonstrated in a variety of situations both at home and school. The following scenario was created featuring Teen Titans Go (Michael’s special interest) with the three steps to success on the reverse side of the picture:
The Teen Titans love to play games. Sometimes they win, sometimes they don’t. When they win, it makes them feel very happy. They smile, give each other a high five, and say "Hooray!" But, sometimes they lose games. When they lose, they may not feel very happy. But, they take a deep breath and say "good job" to their friends. The Teen Titans want everyone to have fun while playing games, whether they win or lose. The most important thing is to have fun. They want you to remember these three things when playing games the Teen Titan way:
Games should be fun for all kids.
If you win a game, you can smile, give a high five, or say, "Hooray!"
If you lose a game, you can take a deep breath and say "good job" to your friends.
Below is another example of the Power Card Strategy borrowed from Elisa Gagnon of the Autism Society. It was written for a fourth-grade girl with Asperger’s who was struggling to pay attention in class. The power card in this scenario utilized a small picture of Hannah Montana with the three steps to success on the reverse side of the picture:
Hannah Montana loves being in concert and also loves being on the set of her TV show. She still, however, has to go to school. Sometimes it is hard for her to pay attention to her teachers when she is in class. As Miley Cyrus she is sometimes tempted to daydream about her other life as Hannah Montana. She has learned, however, that listening to her teachers and doing her school work is as important as singing, dancing and acting. She has learned that she needs to pay attention in class and do her work, so that she has time to do what she loves to do. Just like Hannah Montana, it is important to pay attention in class. This would make Hannah Montana proud. Hannah would like all girls who love her to remember these three things.
Listen to your teacher when she is talking. Be ready to answer any questions that she might ask.
Do your school assignments and stay on task until the assignment is completed.
Always ask for help when needed.
In summary, when parents or teachers utilize the Power Card Strategy, they will need to (a) identify the unique or special interest of the AS or HFA child, (b) write a scenario describing how a hero solves the problem in question, and (c) create a power card to generalize the expected skill.
The strategy is a strength-based intervention to promote social skills by capitalizing on the child’s special interests. Although preliminary studies have shown that the strategy is a promising approach to teaching social skills, additional research is needed.
More resources for parents of children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's:
There are two schools of thought when it comes to the education of the easily discouraged youngster. Some teachers believe the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is in the “mainstream” classroom, while others believe the LRE should be in an environment that gives the correct amount of structure for that individual person.
No matter where the child is placed, the right techniques can help in the right kind of environment. Research has shown that AS and HFA students do best in an environment that is predictable, stable, and structured. These kids need help in frustration-management and self-control through coaching, modeling, and teaching.
Is your child with Asperger's or High-Functioning Autism misbehaving out of purposeful defiance, or is it something else? Watch this video to find out:
Resources for parents of children and teens on the autism spectrum:
"What therapy (or therapies) are recommended for struggling teenagers on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum?"
Not all teenagers enjoy the "happy-go-lucky" days of adolescence. Unfortunately, there are those who suffer from development disorders such as Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA). When things start to go wrong (e.g., behavioral problems, meltdowns, poor academic performance, etc.), parents often despair of not being able to effectively help their child.
Arguments are waged as to the management of “special needs” teens who act-out aggressively at home or school, commit crimes, or even attempt suicide. Sadly, our society has impoverished resources to address such issues, and while some hospitals are available, all too often the answer is jail. However, research has demonstrated that “troubled” young people on the autism spectrum do not need to be hospitalized or incarcerated to get the help they need. A home-based model of therapy called Multisystemic Therapy (MST) offers treatment services to these teenagers, as well as their parents and siblings.
AS and HFA teens with serious emotional and/or behavioral problems (e.g., substance abuse, severe depression, suicidal thoughts, delinquency, severe anxiety, antisocial behaviors, etc.) have been successfully treated through Multisystemic Therapy. This therapy shows a more hopeful and positive approach and focuses on how to help moms and dads assist their “special needs” teens and how to teach these teens to cope effectively with their schools and communities. In addition, this therapy has been found to be an effective alternative to hospitalization and incarceration.
There is heated debate in our society about the proper roles of psychotherapies and medications for teens “at risk,” as well as teens already suffering. But, what we know for sure is that AS and HFA teens who go untreated: (a) often suffer in silence, (b) can’t learn, (c) tend to act-out their emotions rather than articulate them, (d) have great difficulty forming healthy relationships with friends and family, and (e) tend to isolate themselves from constructive social contacts. Some of these “special needs” teens are placed on a trajectory for jail rather than college at a very early age.
Multisystemic Therapy is a mental health service that focuses on changing how these young people function in their natural settings (i.e., at home, school, in the neighborhood, etc.). It is designed to promote positive social behavior while decreasing problematic behavior (e.g., substance abuse, delinquency, violence, etc.). Therapy involves the following:
The family sets treatment goals, and the therapist suggests strategies to accomplish them. Specific treatments are used within therapy.
The interventions are individualized to the family's strengths and weaknesses and address the needs of the AS or HFA youngster, family, peers, school, and neighborhood.
Treatment teams usually consist of crisis caseworkers, professional counselors, and psychiatrists or psychologists who provide clinical supervision.
Therapists focus on strengthening the ability of moms and dads to raise “special needs” teens who have complex problems.
Therapists working in the home have small caseloads and are available 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.
Therapists identify strengths in the families and use these strengths to develop natural support systems and to improve parenting skills.
Therapy is a collaboration between the family and the therapist.
Multisystemic Therapy gets its name because it involves treatment that addresses each of the “systems” that factor into an adolescent’s health and well-being (e.g., his or her social circle, school environment and interactions with teachers, neighborhood environment, family, and home environment).
During therapy, therapists typically meet with the entire family in the home where they focus on such things as assessing and improving parenting skills, as well as the quality of the relationships the adolescent has outside the home (e.g., relationships with peers and the larger community). As a rule, therapists (a) are available to their clients at all times, (b) only work with a small number of families at any given time, and (c) place special emphasis on positive critiques during the therapeutic process. A typical course of therapy lasts for about four months. During this time, therapists typically meet with their families several times a week.
In clinical trials, Multisystemic Therapy has proven effective in reducing long-term rates of criminal offending in serious juvenile offenders – and in reducing their rates of out-of-home placements. Positive long-term effects of Multisystemic Therapy – even 4 years post-treatment – were found. Also, it was found that this therapy reduced long-term rates of re-arrest by 25% to 70% compared with control groups.
increases family cohesion and school attendance compared with hospitalization
is an effective alternative to psychiatric hospitalization with “special needs” teens in a psychiatric emergency
is successful in preventing a significant proportion of teens from being hospitalized
reduces symptoms of internalizing distress and depression
significantly decreases behavior problems
In addition, families who received Multisystemic Therapy were significantly more satisfied with their treatment than were families whose teenager was hospitalized.
There is an urgent need for clinically-effective, cost-effective methods to manage antisocial and criminal behavior in “special needs” teens. Oppositional Defiant Disorder, as well as Conduct Disorder, is increasingly prevalent in today’s society and is associated with a range of negative outcomes.
Quantitative reviews carried out for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence have identified Multisystemic Therapy as one of the most promising interventions for (a) reducing antisocial or offending behavior and (b) improving individual and family functioning. If you have an AS or HFA teen who is acting-out in self-destructive ways, consult your family doctor for a referral to a mental health professional.
More resources for parents of children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's:
