Learning module 1 spring

Characteristics of Individuals with Autism Spectrum

DisordersLearning Module 1

EDSP Stacey Callaway, M.Ed., ABD

Stacey Callaway, M.Ed., 2013©

Overview

Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Communication

Socialization

Interests & Activities

Caveat...The characteristics described in this powerpoint are ones that are typical for a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Not all children with ASD display all of these characteristics.

My favorite saying to teachers of children with ASD is “When you know one child with ASD, you know one child with ASD.” As I worked with these students, I’d find a strategy that worked and think I had it all figured out, only to find that the next student I worked with...it didn’t work! That is both the beauty and the frustration of working with these students! ~Stacey


Click picture to begin the video

Stacey Callaway, M.Ed., 2013©http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL5GHMEjzt8

Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Communication

Socialization

Interest & Activities

Triad of Core Deficits


Communication

Communication abilities among students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)vary from a total lack of spoken language or recognizable communication to highly sophisticated language (Lord & Paul, 1997).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLk3Quh99hk


Communication, cont.Immediate Echolalia - The repetition of something just heard. (What’s your name? - What’s your name?)

Stacey Callaway, M.Ed., 2013©http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxJvoeqpjQw

Communication, cont.Delayed Echolalia - the repetition of something heard after some amount of time has passed (e.g. reciting scripts from movies or TV shows).

Stacey Callaway, M.Ed., 2013©http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRCdTDr7xhY

Communication, cont.Echolalia can often lead to the common observed occurrence of pronoun reversals. (Kanner, 1943)

Example: When the child hears “Do you want a cookie?” and “Do you need a drink?” When language develops his response will likely be “You want a cookie?” The use of “You” for the actual pronoun “I” becomes a part of their language.


Communication, cont.Typical Speech/Language Errors

Cadence and intonation of the words spoken by persons with ASD may have unusual qualities (Lord et al., 2000; Young, Diehl, Morris, Hyman, & Bennetto, 2005).

Speech may sound robotic, have little inflection or animation, the pitch may be too high or every statement may sound like question (Shriberg, et al).


Communication, cont.

Individuals with ASD who acquire spoken language may have difficulties initiating or sustaining conversations with others (Ghaziuddin & Gerstein, 1996; Landa, 2000).

This is often an issue because of social differences and limited interests in toys and materials.


Communication, cont.Between 25% and 50% of individuals with ASD are nonverbal.

Individuals with ASD typically have difficulty with eye contact.

Nonverbal Individuals with ASD can learn to use Communication Devices to support communication and language.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8v5F7CoHeA

Communication SummaryDifferences in Communication may include:

Absent or delayed verbal language

Failure to use alternative forms of communication such as gestures.

Using others as “tools”

Echolalia

Pronoun reversal

Difficulty understanding nonliteral language.

Impairments in nonverbal communication Stacey Callaway, M.Ed., 2013©

Socialization

Impairments in language are often the root of the social impairments associated with ASD.

Children with ASD often do not respond to their names being called and parents tend to believe that their child may be deaf or hard of hearing. This is often where parents begin in their search for finding the reasons for their child’s differences.


In this video you will see an examples of the child not responding to his name and his deflection of eye contact. The Mom reports that while it does not appear he’s paying attention, he is able respond (with a delay) to her questions.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KE5qjB2GgE

Socialization, cont. Many individuals with ASD have difficulty making eye contact. Research indicates that a lack of eye contact directly affects an individuals ability to initiate and sustain social interactions.

Some adults with ASD will tell you that when speaking with them they can either listen to what you have to say or they can make eye contact with you. They can’t do both.


What are your thoughts on eye contact? Pay attention to yourself and the people around you and see how important eye

contact is to social communication.Stacey Callaway, M.Ed., 2013©

Socialization, cont.

Individuals with ASD are often not interested in being around other people and may lack an understanding of social conventions, such as making friends.

Their attempts at establishing rapport with peers is often overpowered by topics of interest to them, as opposed to the social implications of the interaction.


Socialization, cont.

Individuals with ASD have difficulty sharing “Joint Attention.”

Joint attention is a shared social experience between two people, such as pointing to an airplane in the sky to show someone else the airplane.


This clip is from the CBS TV show “The Big Bang Theory.” Sheldon is a character is who many characteristics of ASD, however, the show doesn’t identify him as a person with ASD. This particular clip is how Sheldon uses a visual to help him establish a friendship. You will be seeing a lot of Sheldon in this class!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfz0NKSCQqw

Socialization Summary

Being oblivious to the presence of others

Showing disregard for social conventions

Failing to orient to another’s voice

Lack of joint attention and social referencing

Preferring to share only facts about favorite topics with others

Having few reciprocal relationships


Interests & ActivitiesIndividuals with ASD may demonstrate a narrow range of interests, which may be a result of their interest in objects rather than people.

They often are more interested in parts of toys, rather than the whole toy.

For example, many children with ASD love trains! They may be able to tell you the details of the train and how trains work, however, they have no interest in rolling the train on the tracks to play with it!Stacey Callaway, M.Ed., 2013©

Interests & Activities, cont.

Most individuals with ASD perseverate on objects, words, etc.

Perseveration is persisting with an activity for an extended period of time, such as placing all of the Thomas the Train characters in a line, over and over again.


Interests & Activities, cont.

Individuals with ASD also have stereotypical or self-stimulatory behaviors.

These behaviors are typically repetitive and serve no identifiable purpose, such as rocking back and forth, flapping their hands, making facial grimaces, etc.

Often these behaviors serve to fulfill a sensory need for the child.


This video is of my 3 yr old son Anthony "stimming" with can goods and he loves the refrigerator light and the coldness....notice how he takes the can with the dent and moves it to the coffee table..

Below is the description of the video from this child’s Mom. She explains some of the

nuances of his stimming behaviors.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjGvMV9hl3o

Summary of Interests & Activities

Unusual interests that are few in number

Interest in parts of objects

Perseverative engagement in favorite activities

Insistence on sameness

Repetitive motor movements (self-stimulatory behaviors.)

Unusual responses to sensory stimuli


Summary

I hope you all enjoyed the video clips in the PowerPoint. Please feel free to let me know your thoughts via an email. I’d like to continue to use them, especially since I can’t share all my fun stories about children with ASD with you face to face!

As I stated before, the characteristics presented are general and do not apply to all individuals with ASD.

One last video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8iXFbSSg-Y

Health & Medicine

Learning module 1 spring