Transcript What Teachers Need To Know About Autism

What Teachers Need To Know
About Autism
Ilene Schwartz, Ph.D
Ivy Chung, M.Ed
[email protected]
[email protected]
University of Washington, Seattle
Autism Spectrum Disorders
(ASD)
• Also known as Pervasive Developmental
Disorders (PDD)
• Neurological and developmental disorder
• Include:
• Autism
• Asperger’s Syndrome
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise
Specified (PDD-NOS)
• Rett’s Syndrome
• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
What is Autism
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Qualitative impairment in social interaction,
communication, and
restricted/repetitive/stereotyped patterns of
behaviors, interests, and activities
Delays or abnormal functioning in at least
one of the following areas with an onset
prior to age 3 years:
1. Social interaction
2. Social communication
3. Symbolic or imaginative play
Social Interaction Deficits
• Lack of use of nonverbal behaviors
• Limited interest in social games
• Limited or lack of interest in engaging in
interaction with others
• Lack of joint attention
• Difficulty developing peer relationships
appropriate to developmental level
Communication Deficits
• Delay in, or total lack of language
development
• Lack of initiating, and difficulties sustaining
conversation with others
• Idiosyncratic language
• Echolalia
• Inappropriate display and lack of
understanding of body language
• Lack of imaginative play
Repetitive Behaviors
• Intense preoccupation with parts of
objects or certain activities
• Inflexibility to changes in routines
• Narrowed, restricted interests in certain
topics/activities
• Repetitive motor mannerisms
Other Related Symptoms
• Over-reactivity or Under-reactivity to
sensory inputs
• Difficulties in emotion regulation
• Hyperactivity
• Short attention span
• Motor problems
Autism
• Prevalence: 1 in 110 (Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 2009)
• 4x more likely in boys than in girls
• Genetic link
• Most children with ASD also has
Intellectual Disability
What is Asperger’s
Syndrome?
• No delay in cognitive development
• No significant delay in language development
• Qualitative impairment in social interactions
• Restricted/repetitive/stereotyped patterns of
behavior, interests and activities
Some Learning
Characteristics
Cognition
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Over-selectivity
Visual learner
Focused attention
Rote memory
Concrete processing
Language & Communication
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Long processing time
Perseverative interactions
Difficulty with social communication
Limited modes of communication
Inappropriate language pragmatic skill and
grammar
Social Interactions
• Some functional play
• Lack of imaginary or symbolic play
• Difficulty recognizing emotional states of
self and others
• Lack of spontaneity in social
interactions
• Passive
Autism is a collection of
overlapping groups of
symptoms that vary from child
to child
Siegel, 1996, p.301
Young children with autism:
• Are children first
• Have diverse strengths and needs
• Most often need explicit instruction
across curricular domains
• May be gifted academically or have
mental retardation
• Will need specialized instruction in
social skills and communication
Components of an
Effective Program
(Dawson & Osterling, 1997)
• Appropriate curriculum including attending, imitation,
communication, play, and social interaction.
• Highly supportive teaching environment and
generalization strategies.
• Predictability and routine.
• Functional approach to challenging behavior.
• Transition support
• Family involvement
Educating Children with
Autism
• National Research Council, 2001
• Report was developed at OSEP’s
request
Characteristics of Effective
Programs
• Entry into program as soon as ASD is
seriously considered
• Active programming 25 hours a week, year
round
• Small group and 1:1 programming
• Family component
• Low student/teacher ratios (no more than 2
children with ASD per adult in classroom
• Program evaluation and assessment
Content of Programs should
include
• Social skills
• Expressive, receptive, and non verbal
communication skills
• Functional communication system
• Engagement and flexibility in
developmentally appropriate activities
• Fine and gross motor skills
Content (continued)
• Cognitive skills, including play
• Replacement of problem behaviors with
socially acceptable alternatives
• Independent organizational skills and
other behaviors that support
participation in general education
settings
Structural Base to Effective
Programs
• Appropriate curriculum and learning
environments
• Frequent reinforcement and effective
motivational systems
• Functional communication systems
• Prevention-focused behavior intervention
system
Need to consider:
• What the activity is
• What your objective is -- that is what are
you trying to teach
• What you are teaching the child with
disabilities, may be different than what
you are expecting the rest of the class
to learn
Appropriate Curriculum
Content
• Age appropriate and developmentally
appropriate
• Important to family
• Addresses strengths and weaknesses
• Considers general education curriculum
• Scope and sequence across domains
Supportive teaching
environments
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Uses evidence-based instructional practices
Uses data-based decision making
Staff have appropriate training
Staff had adequate support and consultation
Instruction is explicit
Generalization is planned for facilitated
Predictability and Routine
• Uses schedules to help students be more
independent
• Teach students how to deal with changes to
schedules and routine
• Be careful not to make students more rigid
• Use visual supports to teach and facilitate
independence
• Use technology as appropriate
Functional Approach to
Behavior Problems
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PBS
FBA
Teach alternatives
Prevention is the best solution
Need to understand what is motivating
and maintaining the inappropriate
behavior
• Remember to consider context
Transition Support
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Sending programs
Receiving programs
Family
Student
Family Involvement
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Information
Communication
Support
Share the data
What common elements
exist?
• Individualization
• Sufficient intensity to result in meaningful outcomes
toward important outcomes.
• Data-based decision making
• Emphasis on functional skills (including social skills,
leisure, independence, and academics).
• Family involvement.
Use an Activity Matrix to:
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Plan for specialized instruction
Assess individual needs in classroom setting
Plan when data collection will occur
Plan activities and materials necessary for incidental
teaching or embedded instruction
Betty’s Activity Matrix
Class
Meeting
Social
Comm.
Follow the
action
Comment
Journal
Recall past
events
Reading
Cognitive
Write
sentences
Comprehens
ion ?
Math
Take turns
Recess
Join peer
group
Ask for help
Addition
How do we know if programs
work?
• Are the objectives clearly defined and
important?
• Are the procedures acceptable and well
defined?
• What data exist? What data are being
collected? Are they convincing?
• How does the intervention affect child,
family, classroom?
Celebrate Accomplishments
• Celebrate the accomplishments of the team, the
student, yourself
• Remember to let the family know the good bits
• When in doubt, teach. When the student is
successful, that is your cue to allow them to be more
independent
• Peers are often the best teachers and learn important
lessons