Module created for EPLI Application Process

(Select 5-10 minutes to present for the application; you may expand information and use your own examples and pictures)

Autism 101

Latest CDC Report

If 1 in 88 children have an autism spectrum disorder…

The average elementary building will have 3-5 children with ASD

The average middle school building will have 7-9 students

The average high school will have about 14-15 students

Autism is no longer a low incidence disorder

We need to change how we educate students

Foundations of ASD

Autism identified in 1943 by Leo Kanner

Asperger Syndrome identifed in 1944 by Hans Asperger

What Is Autism?

1. Autism is a spectrum disorder.

2. Autism is a developmental disorder. As with any other child, children with autism will change and mature as he/she grows older.

3. Autism is a neurobiological disorder.

4. Many infants with autism may appear to be different from birth (avoid physical contact, become limp, passive/overly agitated, rock, bang heads on crib, can develop normally then regress). Retrospective diagnosis.

Autism: What do we know?

Autism occurs 4 times as often in males than in females

Differences in girls

Autism: What do we know?

Historically 70-75% were thought to have some degree of intellectual impairment; recent estimates closer to 40-50%

Testing of cognitive abilities continues to be a challenge

Socialization Skills and Development

Deficits in social communication and social interaction

1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity

2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction

3. Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic Criteria

Reciprocity◦ Back and forth sharing

Joint attention◦ Child does not show, bring, or point to items

of interest

Theory of Mind

Social-Emotional Reciprocity

Social Characteristics

Limited appropriate use of nonverbal behaviors in social situations (e.g., eye gaze, gestures, body language)

Difficulties recognizing and responding to subtle social nuances, cues, and unspoken messages Identifying and responding to people’s tone

of voice, facial expressions, posture, etc.

Nonverbal Communication

Students with ASD often have difficulties with the nonverbal communication in the classroom.

These students don’tunderstand “the look” that is given to them from a teacher.

Theory of Mind

Deficits involve difficulty…

understanding and appreciating the thoughts and feelings of others

understanding that others have beliefs, desires and intentions that are different from one's own

Theory of Mind

What I see is what others see. What I know is what others know.

What I feel is what others feel. What I believe is what others

believe.

Theory of Mind

Sally Anne Test Video

Communication Skills

Communication

Range of Communication challenges in students with ASD

Non-speaking (with or without the ability to speak)

Minimal speaking or echolalia

Highly verbal◦ Difficulty initiating and sustaining a conversation◦ Diffculty with pragamatics

Communication Facial expression doesn’t augment

communicative intent

Prosody tends to be flat or exaggerated and voice can be too loud or soft with rate of speech being too slow or too fast

Echolalia (processing the utterance as a whole “chunk”, not as individual words)

Language can be repetitive, overly formal, idiosyncratic

Communication Considerations

In ASD expressive language and receptive language are not equal

Communication-Stress & Anxiety

Understanding and communicative expression breaks down under stress-

Even if a student has verbal language, it may be difficult for him to communicate when upset

A student under stress needs more visual and less verbal input

“Children with delays in language development are at risk for using challenging behaviors as a way to

communicate their needs and wants”

Florida State University , 2005

Restricted and Repetitive Patterns of Behavior

Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities (at least 2)

1. Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech

2. Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns or verbal nonverbal behavior

3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus

4. Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the environment

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic Criteria

Cognitive Inflexibility Difficulty with change Insistence on sameness Rule-governed Routines/rituals Concrete thinking Difficulty letting go of thought and ideas Over-focus on details (weak central

coherence)

Cognitive Strengths Processing whole chunks of information

quickly Good rote memory Good long-term memory Process visual information meaningfully Understand and use context-free

information and rules

Other Characteristics

Hypersensitivity(too sensitive)

Sensitivity to bright light or the  flicker of fluorescent lights

Being fascinated with light and reflection

Intense perception of colors    

The smell or taste of any food is too strong

Intolerance of the texture of certain foods

Painful reaction to loud and / or high noises

Overreaction to hot/cold Intolerance of the feel of

clothes or shoes Extreme touch sensitivity

Hyposensitivity(minimally responsive)

Seems not to feel pain or temperature.

Prone to inadvertent self-injury

Seeks deep pressure (e.g. crawls under heavy carpets) and tight clothes

Appears not to hear certain sounds

The person might wave his/her hands around or rock back and forth or make strange noises in order to stimulate the senses

Signs of Sensory Difficulties

Putting hands over ears (sensitivity to noise), vocalizing to override the sound

Flicking fingers in front of eyes (visual sensitivity)

Having meltdowns at the cafeteria or at an assembly (sensory overload)

Not appearing to hear certain sounds or showing panic reactions to certain unexpected sounds (noise)

Rocking, pacing, fleeing

Autism Spectrum Disorders Sensory Characteristics

When I was a child, large noisy gatherings of relatives were overwhelming, and I would just lose control and throw temper tantrums.

Temple Grandin

Autism Spectrum Disorders Signs of Anxiety

Pacing, motor over-activity

Self-injurious behavior

Perseveration –preferred topics or activities,

questions asking

Increased self-talk

Increased self-stimulation (e.g. rocking,

flapping)

Autism Spectrum Disorders Signs of Anxiety

Social withdrawal/avoidance

Decreased attention span

Temper outbursts

Autism Spectrum Disorders Signs of Anxiety

Many of these behaviors will look like problem behaviors

Autism Spectrum Disorders Sources of Anxiety

Sensory under- or over-stimulation

Changes in schedule, routine

New people, events, environments

Unfamiliar task demands

Immersion in social settings

Teasing and bullying

Ultimate Goals for Students with ASD

General or special education classes in

the student’s home school district

Development of functional

communication system(s)

Peer relationships

Highest level of independence possible

Employment

IDEA ‘04

“Almost 30 years of research and experience had demonstrated that the education of students with disabilities can be made more effective by having high expectations for such children and ensuring their access to the general education curriculum in the regular classroom, to the maximum extent

possible”

The Universally Designed Classroom(2005)