Autism: You Hold the Key

• Based on the published works of Dr. Cathy Pratt, Director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism

And

Gary Mesibov, Victoria Shea, and Eric Schopler, “The Teacch Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders

Presented By:

Brian Wilkins, Autism Consultant

Sandi Sebastian, Autism Consultant

Lori Copsey, Behavior Consultant

Elkhart County Special Education Cooperative

To work with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), we must be flexible, creative, and willing to change.

• The goal of interventions is not to make the child “normal”

• Respect the differences autism creates & help them fit as comfortably as possible into our environments

• Educational goals: increase their knowledge/skills & make the environment more comprehensible

What concerns do you have about working with kids who have an

autism spectrum disorder?

What do you want to get from this training?

Common myths about autism spectrum disorders

• Parents cause autism• Autism can be cured• People with ASD do

not like to be with people/prefer to be alone

• People with ASD are manipulative

• Parents could control the behavior of ASD children with stern discipline

• People with ASD choose their behavior

• Autism is a hopeless diagnosis

Pervasive Developmental Disorders

• Autism• Asperger’s Disorder• Rett’s Disorder• Childhood

Disintegrative Disorder

Pervasive Developmental Disorders

• Children with these diagnoses MAY be eligible for services as students with an autism spectrum disorder

Impact

• Everyone with ASD struggles with the impact of their ASD on a set of core characteristics.

• The impact varies among the characteristics and in how it is manifested behaviorally; to what extent and to what intensity.

The Spectrum of Autism

Measured IQ

Social Interaction

Communication

Severe Gifted

Aloof Passive Active/Odd

Non-verbal Verbal

The Spectrum of Autism

Gross Motor

Fine Motor

Sensory

Awkward Agile

Uncoordinated Coordinated

Hyposensitive Hypersensitive

Focus on Details

• Often good at observing minute details

• Difficulty assessing relative importance of all the details

Distractibility

• Difficulty paying attention because they are focusing on sensations or visual distractions that are more interesting or seem more important

• May hear sound, see movement in hall, rhyming, counting

Concrete vs. Abstract Thinking

• More difficulty with symbolic or abstract language

• Do better with facts

• Words mean one thing – they do not understand additional connotations

• Interpret rules and expectations in a concrete way

Difficulty combining ideas

• It’s easier to understand individual facts or concepts than to put them together with related information

Difficulty with Executive Functioning

• Maintaining attention

• Controlling/tuning out distractions

• Problem solving• Transitioning from

one event to another• Self-monitoring

• Controlling impulses• Mental planning• Flexibility

Difficulty with Organization & Sequencing

• Organization skills are difficult because of the need to focus on the immediate situation and the desired outcome at the same time.

• May become confused in the midst of a sequence or perform required steps out of order

Difficulty Generalizing

• They have difficulty taking the skills they learned in one situation and using them in different situations

Difficulty with Time Concepts

• May perform tasks too rapidly or very slowly

• May not understand concepts of “beginning”, “middle”, and “end”

• May have trouble waiting

Visual vs. Auditory Learners

• People with ASD are visual learners

• Best practice is to use visual supports 80% of the time (Barbara Bloomfield, MA CCC-SLP)

Strong Impulses

• May be very intense and persistent in seeking out what they desire (favorite objects, experiences, repetition of behavioral pattern)

Excessive Anxiety

• Frequently upset or on the verge of becoming upset

• May result from frequent confrontation with unpredictable, overwhelming environments

• Uncertain about what is expected of them & what is happening around them

Repetitive Motor Mannerisms

• Rocking, hand-flapping, pacing, thumb sucking, spinning

Attachment to Routines

• Need for sameness in environment

• Changes or disruption in routine leads to distress

• Routines & predictable environment lead to comfort

Verbal and/or Physical Aggression

• May have temper tantrums, scream, destroy property, strike out at others, or attempt to hurt themselves

• May result from change in routine/environment• May result from limited ability to communicate

Limited Social Skills

• Social skills depend on ability to take multiple pieces of information from environment, interpret & prioritize them, then organize a language-based response based on understanding how it will be received by others

• Making eye contact may increase anxiety/distractibility

Limited Play Skills

• Easier to learn a work task because it can be structured and organized

• Relaxation and creativity are more difficult

Difficulty with Initiation

• May appear unmotivated or dependent on others to engage them in an activity

• May have significant deficits in ability to organize their behavior

• May not understand expectations or potential rewards

• May have impaired sense of time

• Reward may not have meaning

Avoidance/Withdrawal

• Noncompliance is rarely a useful concept in ASD (Teacch)

• May not understand words used, facial expression or body language, or social expectations

• May be driven by strong impulses

• May be overwhelmed by sensory stimulation in room

• Rules may be abstract or vague

Impact of Sensory Functioning on Students with ASD

We hold the key!!!!!

Get to know the student!

• Strengths• Interests• Preferences• Fears and frustrations• Areas needing

support

Build on Strengths and Interests

• Encourages more positive interactions

• Easier to teach when using things they are inclined to observe, think about, or perform

• Fighting against strong interests puts teacher in adversarial position

We Are SensorySensory Beings Living

In A SensorySensory World

Sensory Surroundings + Personal Level of Sensitivity

equals ability to

ATTEND LEARN RESPOND

Sensory PyramidSensory Pyramid

Can you imagine how you would

feel and function if………….

Can you imagine how you would

feel and function if………….

You can’t scratch

You have an Itch

NONSTOP

Your ears are

ringing

on a ship in a storm

You are sea sick

You feel someone touching you

As an electric shock!!electric shock!!

A rotten banana

You are forced to eat

in a room that smells like a toilet

You are forced to listen to a lecture

Individuals with autism usually have difficulty with their sensory

processing.

They may be hypersensitive, hyposensitive or both.

They may respond withfightfight or flightflight responses

• Shut Down• Aggression• Excessive Movement (fidgeting, rocking, circling room)

• Distractibility• Running Away• Turning to Inward

Thoughts or Preoccupations• Rituals

People with autism may experience sensory input differently in some or all sensory

channels.

You may hear this called sensory integration dysfunction (SID)

sensory processing disorder (SPD) sensory modulation dysfunction (SMD)

Vision Vision -- light sensitive, attracted to light, decreased eye contact, using peripheral vision

HearingHearing (auditory) – defensive hyperattentive may make blocking noiseSmellSmell -- disgust or distraction sniffing or smelling inappropriately

SensorySensory ChannelsChannels

TasteTaste -- strong, limited food preferences

Touch (tactile)Touch (tactile) --may shut down or respond aggressively in a reflexive response

Body sense (proprioception)Body sense (proprioception) --dislike of motor activities, decreased coordination, clumsiness

Movement sense (kinesthesia)Movement sense (kinesthesia) --dislike of imposed movement, poor balance

SensorySensory Channels Channels cont…cont…

Poor sensory processing mayalso cause incoordination

• Uncertain Balance• Poor Gross Motor

skills• Fear of Movement • Fear of Heights• Poor Handwriting• Limited abilities

with toys and tools• Struggles with

Clothing fasteners

How can we help our students

with sensory processing?

You Are

KEY!!!!

UNDERSTANDING

THE MOST IMPORTANT KEY

If we understand that behavior can often be caused by problems in sensory responding……

we can support the person with autism more effectively

Sensory SupportsStrategies/tools which assist a student with autism to process their sensory world in a more effective way

Sensory Supports

• May make the difference between success or failure at school, home, or in the community

• Are reported to work from those who have written about their journey with Autism

• Are reported by parents, teachers, and therapists to work.

Examples of Sensory Supports

• Lap weights

• Seat cushions

• Hand fidgets

• Music

• Preferential seating or placement in line

• A quiet place

• Movement breaks

How to Use Sensory Supports

What do I want the student to do?

Sensory Supports/Diets

May have an accumulative effect when used on a continuous basis

May improve student’s ability to participate in class activities…..

Sensory Supports work most effectively when used with

a task which is :

• Well defined• Meaningful and

understood by the student

• Supported by visual aides

• Rewarding to the student

• Developmentally appropriate

Sensory Programs Alert/How Does

Your Engine Run

SticKids

Sensory Diet ScheduleSensory Diet Schedule7:50-8:10 ARRIVAL

- joint compressions 

9:20-10:20 WRITING

- do handwork exercises prior to writing

- sit on a movement cushion

- do joint compressions once during this time

- take a movement break

- a water bottle (the kind you suck from) would be good to have

- chewing gum might help during this activity

10:20-11:35 READING

- when being read to, allow fidgets

- take a movement break in the middle of reading

11:35-12:10 LUNCH & RECESS

- joint compressions after recess

12:40- 1:40 MATH

- do hand work exercises with theraputty

- heavy work activity

- gum

- movement seat

1:50 SPECIALS

- use fidgets in library during for the story 

Please remember this is a working document. I would like staff feedback so we can make it the most effective for John Doe. He may not need as much intervention this year. Please let me know.

Remember You are Key

Understanding is key to helping a student with ASD

Sensory supports and diets may help the student with ASD perform better on tasks in the class room

Ask your school’s occupational therapist for more information about how to use sensory supports and diets safely and effectively.

• Creating a sensory diet is a “fluid” process requiring changes from time to time

• Some supports may be too intense and have side effects

• Some supports may not work in the same way for all students

• Some may cease to work at any time

• Should be initiated and monitored in a collaborative process usually including the school occupational therapist

SensorySensory Supports

Will notWill not “curecure”

a student witha student with

ASDASD

However.…..

We can Understand