Scales of justice

A detailed description of what the "Scales of Justice" are, and how they can be used with people with autism, can be foun in Dr Tony Atwwood's book "The complete guide to Asperger's Syndrome".

We recommend this book to help you use the Scales of Justice. On this page is very brief example of how the Scales of Justice can be used. 

The scales are used to help peoplew with autism understand the outcomes of social situations. For example, why an adul was sacked from their job, or why the person who started the argument (that led to a plant pot being smashed) didn't receive the same punishment or consequences. 

The idea is to give the autistic person information and social understanding, so in the future these outcomes might be avoided. 

Detailed information from all the people involved in the incident is needed, including anyone who saw it happen. Through discussion, the person and facilitator decide how many blocks/marbles/counters/coins each action is worth (we will use blocks in the following example). The more severe the action the more blocks that are given. 

Each person involved in the incident has a container with their name on it. Their actions are rated using the blocks, then each block is put into their container and counted at the end. 

Example:

For example, imagine 3 teenagers in class at a high school; Betty, Bob and Jack. 

Betty is autistic and as been finding it hard to listen in class because Bob and Jack have been talking whilst the teacher has been teaching. 

Betty politely asks Bob and Jack to be quiet, but they ignore her and carry on talking. 

After 50 minutes Betty is annoyed and frustrated. She turns to Bob and Jack and tells them to "shut up you idiots!". 

This makes Bob angry; he then squirts some of his water bottle onto Betty. Betty then gets up, walks over to Bob and hits him around the head. 

Betty is sent to see the head teacher who tells her that she is suspended from school for two days. Bob recieves a detention and a negative behaviour point. 

Betty is cross s she feels that she is being treated unfairly as she had asked Bob and Jack to be quiet before she shouted and hit Bob, but they did not listen to her. Because of this, Betty is refusing to go to school. 

A teacher sits down with Betty to use blocks and 3 containers to explain why she, Bob and Jack recieved different punishments/consequences. 

Betty, Bob and Jack each have a container with their name on it. Together Betty and her teacher decide how many blocks each action is wort and put the blocks in the named containers.

Betty and her teacher make the following decisions: 

Betty

  1. For politely asking Bob and Jack to be quiet, Betty does not recieve any blocks
  2. For telling them to "shut up you idiots!" she recieves two blocks
  3. For hitting Bob over the head, she received another 4 blocks. 

Betty's total blocks = 6

Bob

  1. For not listening to Betty and continuing to talk whilst the teacher was talking, he receives 1 block
  2. For squirting water over Betty he receives another 2 blocks

Bob's total blocks = 3

Jack

  1. For not listening to Betty and continuing to talk whilst the teacher was talking he receives 1 block 

Jack's total blocks = 1

This helps Betty to understand why she was given the toughest punishment when compared with Bob and Jack. 

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