Autism Spectrum Disorders

By Kirsten Moreland and Kelsey Burns

Introduction

o What are the Autism Spectrum Disorders?

o What are the diagnostic criteria?

o What are the eligibility requirements for Special Education in Minnesota?

Autism Spectrum Disorders

(Also known as pervasive developmental disorders)

• Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (or atypical autism)

• Rett Syndrome• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder • Asperger Syndrome• Autism

Definition

• Autism Spectrum Disorders:

– Disorders are characterized by varying degrees of impairment in:

• (1) Communication skills

• (2) Social interactions

• (3) Repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (or atypical

autism)

• Persons who display behaviors typical of autism but to a lesser degree and/or with an onset later than three years of age

Rett Syndrome

• Normal development for five months to four years, followed by regression and intellectual disabilities.

• This is the only ASD that is more common in females than males and it is very rare.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

• Normal development for at least 2 and up to 10 years, followed by significant loss of skills

• Much more prevalent in males.

Aspergers

• Similar to mild autism but without significant impairments in cognition and language.

Autism

Definition from IDEA:

• A developmental disability affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3, that affects a child’s performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. The term does not apply if a child’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the childe has serious emotional disturbance.

Focus on Autism

• Characteristics • Prevalence• Causes• Facts• Signs of Autism• Simulations

Autism Characteristics• Impaired social interaction

– Picked up/cuddled– Smile/laugh– Objects vs. people

• Impaired communication– 50% thought to be mute– Robotic, parroting or reverse pronouns

• Repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior– Twirling, flapping of hands, rocking– Restricted range of interest

Autism Characteristics Continued

• Impaired cognition– Remember location in space rather than

concept comprehension• ie. “shopping”

– Autistic savant: splinter skills• ie. Rain Man

• Abnormal Sensory Perceptions– Hyperresponsive or hyporresponsive – Synaesthesia: the stimulation of one sensory

or cognitive system results in the stimulation of another

Prevalence

Autism is the most prevalent of the ASD’s and the second most common is PDD-NOS which is a less severe form and/or later onset.

Interactive Autism Network

Causes• Neurological• No single, known cause• Genetic Problems

– Depending on the gene, a child may be more susceptible to the disorder

• Can affect the way brain cells communicate• Can affect the severity of the symptoms

• Environmental Problems– Causes many other health problems– Exploring whether or not trigger autism

• ie. air pollutants and viral infections

Facts• Approximately 1 in 110 children are diagnosed

with autism.

• Over the last 30 to 40 years there has been great increase in the number of diagnosed cases.

• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.

• Sometimes students can be identified as LD or DCD when if fact they have autism.

More Facts• Autism is more prevalent in boys than girls

– Approximately 3:1 or 4:1

• Autism is more prevalent in siblings of those with ASD

• Autism is more prevalent in those with other developmental disorders such as Fragile X syndrome, Developmental Cognitive Delayed, or Tuberculosis.

Early Signs of Autism• 6 months

– No big smiles or warm, joyful expressions• 9 months

– No back and forth sharing of sounds, smiles, etc• 12 months

– No consistent response to his/her name– No babbling– No back and forth gestures, such as pointing showing,

reaching, waving, or three-pronged gaze• 16 months

– No words• 24 months

– No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitation or repeating)

Narrator of Curious

• The narrator of the book is Christopher Boone, a 15 year-old boy with an undisclosed disorder.

• Although never stated, Christopher appears to be a highly functioning autistic person.

• Christopher also appears to have the qualities of a “savant.”

Asperger syndrome

• Christopher may have this form of autism because displays many of the characteristics:– He is advanced in areas of language and other

intellectual abilities– He is physically clumsy and socially awkward

Resources

• http://www.nasponline.org/publications/cq/pdf/V38N5_AutismSpectrumDisorders.pdf

• http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/groups/SpecialEd/documents/Manual/000824.pdf

• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autism/DS00348/DSECTION=causes

• http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/groups/SpecialEd/documents/Publication/017210.pdf

• http://www.positivelyautism.com/volume2issue10/section5.html

Resources• Exceptional Learners by Daniel P. Hallahan,

James M. Kauffman, Paige C. Pullen• MN Dept. of Education

http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Learning_Support/Special_Education/Categorical_Disability_Information/Autism_Spectrum_Disorders/index.html

• How to create an inclusive classroom http://www.child-autism-parent-cafe.com/autism-students-in-inclusive-classrooms.html

Resources• Good resource to help identify autism

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/upload/autism_overview_2005.pdf#page=3

• http://www.autismspeaks.org/docs/family_services_docs/sk/Appendix.pdf#page=91

• Autism Speaks organization http://www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/index.php

• http://www.ehow.co.uk/list_7183564_autism-simulation-activities.html

• Promoting Social Interaction: 4 strategies http://www.teachervision.fen.com/autism/teaching-methods/8193.html?detoured=1