what is autism? autism is a life long developmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to...
TRANSCRIPT
What is autism?
• Autism is a life long developmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate, form relationships, and respond appropriately to the environment.
• It is a spectrum disorder that affects each person to a varying degree, ranging from mild to severe.
• Individuals with autism do not process the environment in the same way as others.
• 1 in 88 children are diagnosed with autism. – Four to five times more common among boys than girls– 1 out of 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls are diagnosed with autism in
the United States.
Common Characteristics
Impaired communication and social interactionsRepetitive behaviorUnusually strong attachment to objects or special
interests Resistance to change AnxietyExtreme sensory sensitivities
*Keep in mind, although there are some common characteristics, no two individuals
with autism are exactly alike
What are sensory sensitivities?We all learn through our senses: Touch Sight Sound Movement/balance Body awareness Taste Smell
Sensory processing: The ability of our nervous system to take in information from our own bodies as well as the environment, process that information, and then make an appropriate response. For most people this process is automatic.
Think about it!
You hear background sounds and feel your clothing, chair, and the floor beneath your feet. You resist gravity to stay seated. You see letters on the screen. You filter out unimportant sensory input so you can make sense of what you are reading.
Sensory Overload!!Over-responsive: Receives too much sensory input
Hard to tune out sensory
input
Gets too close to people
Overly sensitive to touch and smells…DO NOT TOUCH
Notices sounds that others tune
out
Sensitive to other
people’s touch and
clothes
• Stop
Sensory Overload Simulation
Goal: Students will understand what it feels like to be overwhelmed by sensory stimuli.
DIRECTIONS:1. Arrange students into groups of three2. Complete a very simple word search (while wearing goggles,
wearing oven mitts, group member knocking on desk next to them, and other group member is reciting the alphabet in ear)
3. Discuss as a class how difficult it was to focus on even the simplest of tasks when your senses were overloaded.
Craving Sensory
Not bothered
by injuries
Runs, jumps, hops
instead of walking
Talks to self out
loud
WHAT IFSomeone with
autism does not get the input
he/she needs? They do things to
help get it!!
Visual
Under-responsive: Do not receive enough sensory input
Makes noises
Enjoys loud
music or sound
Does not respond to
name
Difficulty controlling
eye movement
Confuses left and
right
Bumps into
objects/people
Cannot sit still
Rocks body, shakes leg,
or head while sitting
Loves to swing
Craves
excessively
spicy, sweet,
sour, or salty
foods
Touches surfaces of
objects repeatedly
Unaware of being
dirty
Processing difficulties lead to impaired communication and social interactions
Students with autism may have difficulties with:• Comprehension• Casual conversation skills • Understanding the subtleties of language (e.g. jokes,
sarcasm, idioms, and clichés).
The phrase, "There’s no sense crying over spilled milk," would cause a child with Asperger Syndrome to
think that someone had spilled milk, when in fact we
use that phrase to mean, “What’s done is done.”
A person hears speech sounds but does not perceive the meaning of the sounds.
Sometimes the lack of speech comprehension is interpreted by others as an unwillingness to comply, when in fact the person simply isn’t able to retrieve the
meaning at that moment.
So what do teachers do?
A person hears speech sounds but does not perceive the meaning of the sounds.
When you ask a student with autism a question give him/her WAIT TIME.
Wait time - the time given for a person to respond after a question has been asked.
It can take a student up to one minute to respond after being asked a question due to difficulty with processing information.
Main idea: GIVE THEM TIME
Draw It Simulation
Goal: Students with ASD often have difficulties processing information receptively. You will understand what it feels like to struggle to attend to auditory information (receptive language). DIRECTIONS:1. Break up into two lines2. Each line is given a task to accomplish that involves drawing a picture.3. Only the first student in line is given the instructions on paper.4. The first student reads it and then by memory, must whisper as much information as
they can remember to the next person in line.5. This continues until all people in the line have had the information whispered to
them.6. The last person in the line must draw the picture based on the details they have been
given
RULES: Students may not ask for clarification and only the last student can draw the picture without help from his peers.
Visuals, Visuals, VisualsSome students with autism are nonverbal and use visuals to communicate.
Tell Me All About It SimulationGoal: Students will understand what it feels like to have difficulties communicating their thoughts to others.
DIRECTIONS: 1. Students are arranged in pairs. 2. Share with your partner what you did over the
weekend WITHOUT using words that contain the following letters: A – R – S – B
3. Discuss as a class how difficult it was to communicate information with one another with these limitations in place.
