Transcript Autism - Special education

Autism
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
TEACHERS
Autism in IDEA


Autism is defined under IDEA as
a developmental disability significantly affecting
verbal and nonverbal communication and social
interaction, usually evident before age 3 that
adversely affects a child’s educational
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.”
Autism in DSM IV-TR
In
the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual used by
mental health professionals,
Autism falls under the
category called Pervasive
Developmental Disorders
(PDD)
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Sometimes
in the
literature you will see
the PDD disorders
categorized under
Autism Spectrum
Disorders ASD
Autism Spectrum Disorders
an
increasingly popular term
that refers to a broad
definition of autism including
the classical form of the
disorder as well as closely
related disabilities that share
many of the core
characteristics.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
ASD
includes the
following diagnoses
and classifications:
Autism Spectrum Disorders
 (1)Autistic
Disorder also referred to
as Classic Autism
 (2) Pervasive Developmental
Disorder—Not Otherwise
Specified (PDD-NOS), which
refers to a collection of features
that resemble autism but may
not be as severe or extensive;
Autism Spectrum Disorders
 (3)
Rett's syndrome, which
affects girls and is a genetic
disorder with hard neurological
signs, including seizures, that
become more apparent with age;
Autism Spectrum Disorders
 (4)
Asperger syndrome, which
refers to individuals with autistic
characteristics but relatively
intact language abilities,
Autism Spectrum Disorders
 (5)
Childhood Disintegrative
Disorder, which refers to children
whose development appears
normal for the first few years,
but then regresses with the loss
of speech and other skills until
the characteristics of autism are
conspicuous
Autism Spectrum Disorders
 Although
the classical form of
autism can be readily
distinguished from other forms
of ASD, the terms autism and
ASD are often used
interchangeably.
Incidence


10 years ago Autism and PDD occured in
approximately 5 to 15 per 10,000 births.
These disorders were four times more
common in boys than girls.
Today, the Centers for Disease Control
believe that the incidence may be as great
as 1 in 166 for those diagnosed with autism,
Asperger’s syndrome, and other pervasive
developmental disorders.
Incidence
 In
the past 10 years, California
has had a 273% increase in the
number of children with autism
who enter the developmental
services system---1,685 new
cases last year alone"
Incidence
Rise in incidence from Change in
Criteria
 "It would be very surprising indeed if
the broadening of the criteria for
autism weren't the major part of the
explanation," says Michael Rutter of
the Institute of Psychiatry in London.
Incidence
 Increased
public recognition of the
disorder is also likely to have
contributed to the apparent
epidemic. As parents and doctors
have become more familiar with the
disease, the chances that they will
identify potential cases and refer
them to psychiatrists have increased.
Causes
 Medical
researchers are exploring
different explanations for the various
forms of autism. Although a single
specific cause of autism is not
known, current research links autism
to biological or neurological
differences in the brain
Causes
 In
1998, Andrew Wakefield, a
gastroenterologist at University
College London, proposed a novel
and terrifying connection between
autism and the combination
measles–mumps–rubella (MMR)
vaccine.
Causes
 He
described the cases of 12 children
who appeared to be developing
normally until they received their
MMR shot between the ages of 15
and 18 months. Soon after, the
children developed a kind of
inflammatory bowel disease, began
losing basic speech and social skills,
and were subsequently diagnosed
with autism.
Causes
 Subsequent
studies have failed to
find a link between MMR and
autism12-14. On closer analysis, the
data from several parts of the world
show that the rise in autism actually
started before MMR, Rutter explains.
Causes

But just as the MMR controversy is dying
down, another potential vaccine-related
cause for autism has been highlighted.
Many vaccines use a mercury-containing
preservative called thiomersal. Fears that
vaccinations may be exposing children to
dangerous levels of mercury have led the
US Institute of Medicine to schedule a
meeting for next month to discuss
possible links between thiomersal and
autism.
Causes
 Despite
lingering fears over the
safety of vaccines, many researchers
believe that the real key to
understanding autism lies in
sufferers' genes.
Causes
 One
study found that if one identical
twin has autism, the other twin has a
60% chance of developing the
condition, and a 92% chance of
having a condition within the DSM's
spectrum of related disorders.
Causes
 But
the fact that the identical twin of
a child with autism may not develop
the condition suggests that
environmental factors are also
involved. Mutations to one or more
autism genes may, for instance,
increase a child's vulnerability to an
unknown environmental trigger
encountered during early infancy or
in the womb.
General Characteristics
Communication
problems
(e.g., using and
understanding language);
Difficulty in relating to
people, objects, and
events;
General Characteristics
 Unusual
play with toys and
other objects;
 Difficulty with changes in
routine or familiar
surroundings;
 Repetitive body movements
or behavior patterns.
General Characteristics
Children
with autism or
PDD vary widely in
abilities, intelligence,
and behaviors.
General Characteristics
Some
children do not
speak; others have limited
language that often
includes repeated phrases
or conversations.
General Characteristics
People
with more
advanced language skills
tend to use a small
range of topics and have
difficulty with abstract
concepts.
General Characteristics
Repetitive
play skills, a
limited range of
interests, and impaired
social skills are generally
evident as well.
General Characteristics
Unusual
responses to
sensory information -for example, loud noises,
lights, certain textures
of food or fabrics -- are
also common.
Asperger's Syndrome
Asperger
Syndrome (AS) is
a neurobiological disorder,
which most researchers
feel falls at the "high-end"
of the Autistic Spectrum.
Asperger’s Syndrome
AS
is a relatively new
term in the United
States, having only
recently being officially
recognized as a
diagnosis by the medical
community
Asperger’s Syndrome
Because
of their high
degree of functionality
and their naivete, those
with AS are often
viewed by their peers as
odd, and are frequently
a target for bullying.
Asperger’s Syndrome
 socially
awkward and clumsy in
relations with other children
and/or adults
 naive and gullible
 often unaware of others' feelings
Asperger’s Syndrome
 unable
to carry on a "give and
take" conversation
 easily upset by changes in
routines and transitions
 literal in speech and
understanding
Asperger’s Syndrome
overly
sensitive to loud
sounds, lights or odors
fixated on one subject
or object
physically awkward in
sports
Asperger’s Syndrome
unusually accurate memory for
details
 sleeping or eating problems
 trouble understanding things they
have heard or read
 inappropriate body language or facial
expression
 unusual speech patterns (repetitive
and/or irrelevant remarks)

Asperger’s Syndrome
 stilted,
formal manner of
speaking
 unusually loud, high or
monotonous voice
 tendency to rock, fidget or pace
while concentrating
Rett Syndrome
a
neurological disorder
seen almost exclusively in
females
found in a variety of racial
and ethnic groups
worldwide
Rett Syndrome
 The
child with RS usually shows:
 an early period of apparently
normal or near normal
development until 6-18 months
of life
Rett Syndrome
A
period of temporary
stagnation or
regression follows
during which the child
loses communication
skills and purposeful
use of the hands.
Rett Syndrome
Soon,
problems with
hand movements, gait
disturbances, and
slowing of the rate of
head growth become
apparent.
Rett Syndrome
 The
characteristic hand
movements begin to emerge
during this stage and often
include wringing, washing,
clapping, or tapping, as well as
repeatedly moving the hands to
the mouth.
Rett Syndrome
Hands
are sometimes
clasped behind the back or
held at the sides, with
random touching,
grasping, and releasing.
Rett Syndrome
Some
girls also display
autistic-like symptoms
such as loss of social
interaction and
communication.
Rett Syndrome
 Rett
syndrome is caused by
mutations (structural
alterations or defects) in the
MECP2 (pronounced meckpea-two) gene, which is
found on the X chromosome
CHILDHOOD DISINTEGRATIVE
DISORDER
Childhood
Disintegrative
Disorder (also known as
Heller's Syndrome) is a
condition in which a child
develops normally for 2
years, then begins to lose
ground.
CHILDHOOD DISINTEGRATIVE
DISORDER
Previous
gains in language
and social skills, motor
abilities, play, and even in
continence are eroded.
Classic Autism
 Classic
autism is the best known
subtype of this disorder (PDD) and
involves severe qualitative deficits in
social interaction, language
communication and play and is
associated with stereotypic and
perseverative behavior.
High Functioning Autism


Symptoms include delayed or absence of speech,
the inability to appropriately relate to others,
repetitive movements, such as hand flapping,
and an insistence of a routine.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Not
otherwise specified - (commonly referred to as
atypical autism) a diagnosis of PDD-NOS may be
made when a child does not meet the criteria for
a specific diagnosis, but there is severe and
pervasive impairment in specified behaviors.