1. Other People’s Brains are Buffering!
Don’t Interrupt –
Other People’s Brains are Buffering!
Joel Shaul, LCSW
autismteachingstrategies.com
©2017 Joel Shaul

2. Notes to the adult ~ Joel Shaul, LCSW
Children with higher functional autism almost always understand what “buffering” means when it happens on an electronic device. Electronic buffering provides a very useful metaphor to help raise awareness of other people’s thoughts and feelings when they are being interrupted.
On this PowerPoint, click through them slowly and allow the consecutive animations to load.
There are lots of other free social communication resources for you to try on the Free Downloads tab of my website:
autismteachingstrategies.com.
I wish you well in your work.
~ Joel Shaul, LCSW

3. Buffering happens when a computer is busy.
©2017 Joel Shaul

4. The electronic device just can’t go any faster.
©2017 Joel Shaul

5. Usually, we just have to wait until the electronic brain “catches up.”
©2017 Joel Shaul

6. It happens
on computers.
©2017 Joel Shaul

7. It happens with televisions.
©2017 Joel Shaul

8. …with phones…
…and with tablets.
©2017 Joel Shaul

9. When buffering happens, you need to wait a short time…
…or a long time…
…for the computer brain to catch up.
©2017 Joel Shaul

10. People’s brains buffer too.
©2017 Joel Shaul

11. A person’s brain can’t take much new infor-mation
when it is
already busy…
©2017 Joel Shaul

12. …or tired…
©2017 Joel Shaul

13. …or worried, or sad, or angry.
©2017 Joel Shaul

14. Do they look busy?
Before you say something to a person, think about whether their brain might be buffering.
Or tired?
Or upset?
©2017 Joel Shaul

15. Let their brain catch up.
Try very hard to not interrupt a person who is busy, or tired, or upset.
Wait till later.
©2017 Joel Shaul

16. Like a computer that is all ready
This will help the person’s brain to get ready to hear something new, and to think about it.
Like a computer that is all ready
to go.
©2017 Joel Shaul

17. Follow this link to a YouTube buffering video