chapter 11
DESCRIPTION
Chapter 11. Understanding Students with Autism. Autism Is…. a complex neurological, developmental disability typically appears during the first three years of life affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others defined by a certain set of behaviors - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Chapter 11
Understanding Students with Autism
Autism Is…• a complex neurological, developmental disability• typically appears during the first three years of life• affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others• defined by a certain set of behaviors• a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to
varying degrees.
* There is no known single cause for Autism. *Children do not "outgrow" Autism.*Studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to
significantly improved outcomes.
Defining Autism
IDEA: Autism is a developmental disability that affects children prior to the age of three in three areas:
Verbal & nonverbal communicationSocial interactionAcademic performance
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)
Autistic disorder, Rett’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, Asperger’s disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified
Educators often use the term autism spectrum disorders when referring to some of all of these disorders
Prevalence of Autism
• 1 out of every 150 Fewer students with Asperger’s Syndrome Males outnumber females four to one Different theories for the increase in prevalence:
Greater public awareness More refined diagnostic procedures
Language Development Ranging from no verbal communication to complex
communication Delayed Language Echolalia
Social Development Delays in social interaction and social skills
Impaired use of nonverbal behavior Lack of peer relationships Failure to spontaneously share enjoyment, interests, and
achievements Lack of reciprocity
Characteristics of Autism
Repetitive behavior Obsessions, tics, and perseverations
Problem behavior Self-injurious behavior Aggression
Need for environmental predictability Sensory and movement disorders Intellectual functioning
Savant syndrome
Characteristics of Autism
Characteristics of Autism• Difficulty understanding social cues• Hard time starting and maintaining friendships,
withdrawn• Difficulty communicating • Repetition of movements, words, or phrases• Over or under sensitivity to their senses• Obsessions or narrowly focused topics of
interest• Poor problem solving skills• Poor organizational skills• Difficulty applying or generalizing learned skills
Daily Goals for AS• Strive for independence• Expand opportunities for students to RESPOND • Minimize & fade prompts (esp. verbal)• Increase engaged time• Minimize down time• Look for opportunities for peer coaching• Provide awareness ed. for typical peers
Determining the Causes Biomedical causes
Abnormalities in brain development Neurochemistry Genetic factors
Usually in early childhood Often uses some of the same tests given to students with
intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities Criteria may include:
Speech and language Academic achievement Cognitive functioning Medical physical status
Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised
Determining the Presence
Possible Behaviors• Flapping of hands/arms• Biting nails/fingers, picking at nose/skin• Pacing• Talking at inappropriate times• Crying/ Yelling (melt downs)• Covering ears/ headphones• Excessive talking about preferred topic• Not responding to directions/questions• Off topic/abrupt comments/questions• Direct sharing of thoughts/feelings (no regard)• Inappropriate touch of self or peers
(unintentional)
• Functional assessment — an ecological assessment1. Describe the nature of the behaviors2. Gather information from interested parties3. Determine why the student engages in problem
behavior4. Hypothesize relationship between behavior and events
before, during, and after the behavior5. Incorporate functional assessment information into the
IEP6. Help student develop alternative behaviors
Determining the Nature of Specially Designed Instruction and Services
Partnering for Special Education and Related Services
• Teams conduct functional behavioral assessments and develop positive behavioral support plans
• Teams usually have six members and should use these six features: – Procedures defined– Procedures taught– Procedures actively used– Budget and resources applied– Records kept – Leadership secured
Determining Supplementary Aids and Services
• Address the domains of access, classroom ecology, and task modifications
• Access involves modifications to the community, campus, building, or classroom to ensure physical and cognitive access– Also provide “behavioral access”– The lunchroom is a frequent environment in which
problem behaviors occur; consider modifications to seating
– Include accommodations for before and after school and in the hall between classes
• Some characteristics associated with autism spectrum disorders are potential areas of learning strengths and provide a basis for curriculum adaptation– Ability to focus attention on detailed information– May excel in areas of the curriculum that are not as
language-based, such as math or science• Mnemonic strategies
• Keyword• Pegword• Letter
Planning for Universal Design for Learning
• Provide students instructional supports that enable them to develop and maintain friendships
• Promoting friendships– Include students in all areas – Use peer buddy programs– Use person-centered planning models that involve
peers – Ensure peers learn about the goals of inclusion
Planning for Other Educational Needs
• Students’ IEPs should address the following instructional areas:– Trustworthiness and loyalty– Conflict resolution– General friendship skills– Positive interaction style– Taking the perspective of others
Planning for Other Educational Needs
Early Childhood Students
• Early intervention and preschool programs use different approaches, including the following:
– Applied behavior analytic techniques, such as discrete trial training
– Incidental teaching in natural environments– Communication, sensory processing, motor
planning, and shared affect with caregivers and peers
• Social stories address the “hidden curriculum”
Elementary and Middle School Students
• Schoolwide positive behavior supports– A systems-level and evidence-based method for
improving valued social and learning outcomes for all students
– Proactive, problem-solving, and data-based approach to improving appropriate behavior and achieving important academic, social, and communication outcomes
– Also seeks to rearrange school environments and change school systems to prevent students from engaging in problem behaviors
– Includes three components: universal support, group support, and individual support
• The techniques underlying positive behavior support emerged from a set of strategies referred to as applied behavior analysis (ABA)
• ABA uses the principles of operant psychology • Discrete trial training is based on the “three term
contingency” outlined by applied behavior analysis: – Presentation of the discriminative stimulus (cue)– Presentation of the prompting stimulus (if needed)– The response– The reinforcing stimulus
Secondary and Transition Students
Measuring Students’ Progress
• Autism Screening Instrument for Educational Planning (ASIEP-2)– Five components: Communication, social interactions, behavior,
academic content, other• Teacher also need to measure outcomes related to school-wide positive
behavior interventions and supports– Direct counts of problem behavior– Problem behavior reported by environment or time of day– Indirect indicators of success
• Data collection tools– School Wide Information System– School-Wide Evaluation Tool (SET) – School-wide Benchmarks of Quality (BoQ)
• Students with autism may perform better on standardized assessments when provided more frequent positive reinforcement
• They may also perform better when assessments are administered by a familiar person– Presence of the examiner minimizes the
students’ anxiety and stress associated with testing
Making Accommodations for Assessment
What might an AS student’s social skills look like?
• No desire to interact (shy)• Doesn’t know how to interact (abrupt,
inappropriate)• Not flexible to changes in routine (hostile)• No personal space awareness (grabby, too close)• Poor to no eye contact or facial expressions
(weird)• Difficulty interpreting non-verbal cues (dumb)• Struggles to maintain a “give & take”
conversation (rude)
What might an AS student’s social skills look like?
Continued…
• Sensitivity to lights, sounds, foods, touch, etc.• Few but dominative interests (age appropriate?)• May talk only about their own interests (1-sided)• Anxiety (interacting w/peers)• Low self-esteem, sits/works by self• Minimal initiation of conversation• Awkward/uncomfortable• Eager to please• Trouble sharing, taking turns, or consenting to
group choice
Social Skills Philosophy
• Students diagnosed on the autistic spectrum, (ASD), present unique challenges with social interaction, language, social cognition, and behavior. To best meet the needs of our students a strong social skills program is a key component in all AS classrooms. For the AS classroom, social goals are as important as academic and life skill goals.
Social Skills Continuum Scale• Self- Regulation
– Focus, task persistence, impulse control, sensory input, stress management • Knowledge of Conventions
– Routine, transition, rules• Social Interaction
– Teasing, group choice, sharing, play, rule following• Social Motivation
– Being social, self-advocacy, identify emotions in self • Communication
– Body language, function, non-verbal, sentence length, topic maintenance, exchanges, initiate/join
• Perspective Taking– Personal space, thoughts, identify emotions in others
*Melt Downs*• If you notice a student getting upset or “melting down”
for any reason…• Soothe them FIRST• Do not feed their anger/frustration• Remove them from the situation (temporarily)• Let them take a sensory break• Figure out WHY or WHAT caused them to get
upset & try to remedy• Return to class as quickly as possible, support, and
provide with positive reinforcement
• Preventing melt-downs is always best!
Top 5 Things That DO NOT HELP
1. Yelling/talking loudly at the student2. Embarrassing the student in front of peers3. Only negatively reinforcing inappropriate
social behaviors (need + reinforcement)4. Hovering over the student5. Over prompting the student
Top 5 Things That HELP
1. An obvious non-verbal cue2. A whispered re-direct3. Modeling for the student exactly how you
want them to interact4. Positive reinforcement for correct social
behaviors5. Ignoring inappropriate social behaviors
COMMUNICATION is KEY!
•Talk to the EA’s & PCA’s•Talk to the special education teacher/case manager•Talk to other general education teachers who are working with the student.•Talk to the student’s parents•Read the student’s IEP