Providing access for students on the autism spectrum

Benedictine College2011-2012

O If you have known one individual with autism….you have known one person with autism.

A few facts about autism

O Persuasive developmental disorderO Impacts

O Communication skillsO Information processingO Fine and gross motor skillsO Intellectual skills

O Autism is a spectrum disorder—level of impact varies depending on degree of severity.

PrevalenceO 1 in 150 AmericansO Widely debated, some say 1 in 60

Types of AutismO Asperger’s Disorder—impaired social

interactions with no significant language delays. Tested in the average intellectual range.

O Autistic Disorder—impaired social interactions, imagination and communication skills with average-to-low levels of intelligence

Continued…O Pervasive Developmental Disorder

NOS—person does not meet the criteria for a specific diagnosis, but exhibits severe and pervasive impairment.

CharacteristicsO LanguageO Social InteractionO Behavior

LanguageO Limited eye contact; may look down

or away when spoken toO Unexplained laughing or cryingO Difficulty learning through

conventional teaching methodsO Interprets information literally;

difficult grasping the abstract; preoccupied with ideas and may need redirected back to topic

Social InteractionsO Difficulty mixing with peers; reduced

ability to collaborate with othersO Less responsive to social cues;

inability to understand others feelings/views

O Prefers being alone; may appear withdrawn

BehaviorO Inflexible; resistant to change in

ritual or routineO Impulsive; no real fear of dangerO Sustained odd behaviorO Over-sensitivity to stimuliO Marked physical over-activity;

repetitive body movementsO Marked passivity

How do we provide access?

O Provide a clear syllabusO Announces changes in advance in

multiple formsO Rules and academic expectations

should be written in the syllabus, not just spoken

O If possible, break assignments into shorter more manageable units

O Maintain a consistent, well-structured environment

Continued…O Allow students to sit in the same seat

each session.O Reduce distractions as much as

possible.O Use visual aids like Power Point, charts

and graphs as much as possible.O Students may use ear plugs to decrease

distractionsO Utilize an outline to help the student

understand the purpose of the discussion and your expected outcomes.

Continued…O Do not internalize negative

comments, can be students way of dealing with frustrations

O Students can be very bluntO Notify Student Success if attending

becomes irregular