AutismKelsi Woodall

Autism

• Official Name: Autism Spectrum Disorders• Current estimates are that 1 out of 166 people

have an ASD• The Different Types of ASD: – Autistic Disorder– Asperger Syndrome (AS)– Rett Syndrome– Childhood Disintegrative Disorder– Pervasive Developmental Disorder-not otherwise

specified (PDD-NOS)

Definition

• a variable developmental disorder that appears by age three and is characterized by impairment of the ability to form normal social relationships, by impairment of the ability to communicate with others, and by stereotyped behavior patterns

In Simple Terms

• Basically, autism is a mental disorder that occurs when the brain develops differently, making it difficult for the individual to make sense of the world the same way as you and I. He or she may have find it hard to talk, listen, understand, play, and learn.

Defining the Other Autism Spectrum Disorders

• AS: much like mild autism, but without significant impairments in cognition and language

• Rett Syndrome: normal development for 5 months to 4 years, followed by regression and intellectual disabilities (females)

• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder: normal development for at least 2 and up to 10 years, followed by significant loss of skills (males)

• PDD-NOS: persons who display behaviors typical of autism but to a lesser degree and/or with an onset later than 3 years of age

Educational Characteristics

• A child with an autism spectrum disorder:– Might have trouble learning the meaning of words– Is probably a visual learner– is often a good imitator if he/she is given enough

time– Tends to be sensitive to tactile experiences and

often wants to touch virtually everything in sight– Needs to categorize everything (planners for older

children) to stay focused and remain on track

Educational Characteristics cont.

• A child with an autism spectrum disorder:– Talks to himself and needs to learn how to self-

talk in a non-disruptive manner– Has to take each lesson one step at a time;

repetition is required to student to fully understand

– Presents ideas literally; stay away from figurative language and idioms

– Stays consistent to achieve a sense of security

Behavioral Characteristics

• Social Impairment– Autistic infants exhibit less attention to social stimuli like smiling and

making eye contact with people or responding to their name. Children with autism are often very resistant to cuddling. Autistic toddlers tend to exhibit more severe forms of social impairment in terms of anticipatory postures and tend to have less social understanding, emotional expression and spontaneity as compared to the other children of their age. Children with autism display extreme behavioral characteristics in the sense that they might either be overly aggressive or abnormally passive. They do not pay attention to other people around them and do not reciprocate to communication - verbal or non-verbal. A child who suffers from autism has difficulty in the development of play and usually uses only parts of toys or displays repetitive actions in playing.

Behavioral Characteristics cont.

• Impaired Communication– The children suffering from autism exhibit difficulties in

communication starting from the first few months, which can be characterized by delayed onset of babbling, unusual gestures, and the lack of synchronization of vocal patterns with the parent / caregiver. A person who suffers from autism does not establish eye contact and has difficulty in maintaining eye contact as well. Older children and autistic adults tend to show poor understanding of face and emotion recognition. Older children and autistic adults tend to show poor understanding of face and emotion recognition.

Behavioral Characteristics cont.

• Repetitive Behavior– A person suffering from autism has a highly restricted, repetitive

and stereotyped pattern of behavior and interests. Autistic people are extremely resistant to slightest of changes in their routines, which might break their repetitive behavioral patterns. A very low attention span is also a common trait of autism. They exhibit stereotypy, which is apparently purposeless movement like rocking the body or flipping the hands. People with autism tend to exhibit compulsive behavior and develop ritualistic behavior in their daily routine. Children with autism have also shown movements that lead to self-injury like biting oneself. Another significant characteristic of autism includes restricted behavior, that is, limited focus or limited interests.

Educational Aspects

• Direct Instruction of Skills– Effective instruction usually requires a highly

structured, directive approach using basic principles of behavioral psychology• small groups or one-on-one, lessons presented in small

steps, frequent use of teacher questions, extensive opportunities for practice, frequent feedback

– This teaches skills in communication, social interaction, and daily living

Educational Aspects cont.

• Behavior Management– These children will sometimes display highly

inappropriate behaviors such as biting, hitting, or screaming• Recommend combining functional behavioral

assessment (FBA) and positive behavioral and intervention support (PBIS)– Reduces/eliminates these behaviors

Education Aspects

• Social Interpreting– This is someone who can turn a confusing event into a

meaningful interaction through explanation and clarification

• Coaching– Involves helping the student to prepare ahead of or

during a social interaction• For example

– point out another child who is alone and might want to interact socially

– Provide the child with a sentence or topic he can use in social exchange

Impact on Family—Parents

• feel relief to have a diagnosis: they no longer feel that the problems they face are due to their lack of parenting skills and they have an explanation for themselves and others as to why their child exhibits unusual behaviors.

• react by crying; feel surprise, devastation, or helplessness; want additional information about autism

Impact on Family—Parents cont.

• Fathers typically suppressing their feelings, often at the cost of anger

• Mothers tend to vent their feelings and had a wider range of emotional expression, feeling grief and sadness in addition to anger and crying. They rely on talking to friends and family as a way of dealing with their emotions, particularly other mothers with a child with autism

Impact on Family—Siblings

• Children pick up from an early age that their brother or sister is different, even if they don't understand what actually is wrong. They also notice other people's reactions, especially their parents and grandparents, to him or her. They may be afraid of asking questions, in case they upset their parents even though they have plenty of questions.

• While they may have a deep love for their sibling they may also harbor feelings of resentment at the amount of time their parents are spending with the child with autism, and feel that they are being treated unfairly. Feelings of anger, embarrassment and guilt are also normal, as is feeling very protective of their sibling

Family—Meeting Child’s Needs

• Provide structure and safety– Be consistent– Stick to a schedule– Reward good behavior– Create a home safety zone

Family—Meeting Child’s Needs cont.

• Find nonverbal ways to connect– Look for nonverbal cues– Figure out the need behind the tantrum– Make time for fun– Pay attention to your child’s sensory sensitivities

Family—Meeting Child’s Needs cont.

• Find help and support– Autism support groups– Respite care• Another caregiver takes over temporarily, giving the

parent/old sibling a break for a few hours, days, or even weeks

– Individual, marital, or family counseling

Professionals—Meeting Student’s Needs

• Teachers need to take a scientific approach to any problem an autistic child may be facing. They must team up with their colleagues and take plenty of notes on the child's behavior.– Some questions that need to be answered when

taking these notes:• When does he act out? • What seems to cause the most disturbing behavior?

Professionals—Meeting Student’s Needs cont.

• Some basic strategies for the classroom:– Visual aids– Structure and Routine– Working in pairs– Use of a Teacher’s aid– Reduce anxiety in classroom

Local Resources

• Autism Therapists in Owensboro:– Keith Page• Solutions Counseling Services LLC

227 St. Ann Street , Owensboro, Kentucky 42303phone: (270) 681-0989

– Donald Lester• The Counseling Center, Inc

101 East 2nd Street, Owensboro, Kentucky 42303Phone: (270) 495-3127

Useful Resources

• http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_2006_pdf_Article4/?page=3– If you go to this website and go to page 3 of the

article, there is a section with 20 suggestions to help teachers made learning easier for students with autism. This could potentially be a very good resource if you have a child in your classroom that you want to make feel welcomed and to help encourage that child to learn. Overall, this is a good website to look at for any information regarding how students with autism learn.

Useful Resources cont.

• http://www.autismspeaks.org/– This website has a little bit of everything. It

answers just about any general question you have about autism. It has facts about autism. It talks about ways to give in donation form to fund research being done regarding autism.

References• Abramson, Larry. (August 15, 2007). Public Schools Prepare to Educate Kids with Autism.

Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13826763• Amaral, D. (2010, December 01). Elsevier. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/autism • Bergeson, T., Davidson, C., Harmon, B., Gill, D. H., & Colwell, M. L. (2008). Retrieved from website: http://

www.k12.wa.us/SpecialEd/pubdocs/AutismManual.pdf• Blessing, M. (2012). Love to Know. Retrieved from http://

autism.lovetoknow.com/Learning_Characteristics_of_Autism• Hallahan, D. P., Kauffman, J. M., & Pullen, P. C. (2008). Exceptional Learners, An Introduction to Special

Education. (Eleventh ed.). Allyn & Bacon. • Manohar, U. (30 S). Buzzle.com: Intelligent Life on the Web. Retrieved from

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/behavioral-characteristics-of-autism.html • Michelle, P. (2011, August). Autism. Retrieved from

http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/brain/autism.html • Smith, M. (2012, October). Helpguide. Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/autism_help.htm • Unknown. (2011, October 4). The National Autistic Society. Retrieved from http://

www.autism.org.uk/about-autism/research/information-for-pupils-and-students/families-the-impact-of-autism.aspx

• Unknown. (2012). National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Retrieved from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm