Transcript The ABC`s of Autism Vickie McLendon, Elaine Johnson, BCABA

The ABC’s of Autism
Vickie McLendon, BCABA
ElaineJohnson, BCABA
Bay District Schools
Autism Team
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What is autism?
• Lifelong neurological disability
• Affects a person’s ability to:
communicate
understand language
play and socially interact with others
• Usually appears before age three
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Spectrum Disorder
• Affects individuals differently
• To varying degrees
• And is often found in combination
with other disorders
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Pervasive Developmental Disorder
(PDD)
• Group of disorders characterized
by delays in the development
of socialization and communication
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Autism Umbrella (ASD)
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Autistic Disorder
Asperger Syndrome
PDD Not Otherwise Specified (PDD/NOS)
Rett’s Syndrome
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
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Prevalency
• 2007 Center for Disease Control:
1 in 150 children in America have an autism
spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Autism Society of America:
1.5 million
Americans and their families are affected.
• Today at least 50 families in America will find out
that their child has autism. (ASA)
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Red Flags for ASD
(under 24 months)
• No big smiles or other warm, joyful
expressions by 6 months;
• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds,
smiles, or other facial expressions
by 9 months;
• No babbling by 12 months;
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• No responding to name by 12 months;
• No gesturing (pointing, waving bye-bye)
by 12 months;
• No single words by 16 months;
• No pretend use of objects by 18 months;
• No 2-word spontaneous (not just echolalic)
phrases by 24 months; and
• ANY loss of ANY language or social skills
at ANY age
(FIRST WORDS Project, the Early Social Interaction Project, and FSU CARD)
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Causes?
• Remains unknown
• Researchers believe there is a strong
genetic component with a range
of possible external or environmental
triggers
• Not caused by bad parenting
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How is autism diagnosed?
• Based on observation of: communication,
behavior, and developmental levels
• No medical tests
• Diagnostic criteria for autistic disorders
are defined by the DSM IV criteria
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Characteristics
• Autism is a spectrum disorder which incorporates
a number of shared characteristics:
• 1. Atypical social behaviors (lack of social
understanding, lack of interest in others)
• 2. Impairments in communication and language
• 3. Restricted repertoire of interests and activities
and problems developing imagination/play.
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Human Interest/Social Development
• Lack of social reciprocity, empathy,
awareness of the perspective of others
• Lack of development of peer relationships
• Lack of spontaneous seeking to share
enjoyment, interest, or achievement
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Communication:
• Lack of understanding of conversation
reciprocity
• Difficulty understanding and using non-verbal
cues
• Language sometimes may sound like gibberish
• Inability to understand concepts/abstract
language
• Very concrete or literal in interpretation
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Communication continued
• May not understand what language is used
for
• Difficulty in volume control, cadence,
intonation
• May use echolalia or repetitive use of
memorized phrases
• May have a large vocabulary but not used
functionally
• Difficulty answering questions
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Sensory: Taste/Smell
• May be very sensitive
• May eat restricted diet
• Unusually resistant to change, so may eat
same foods at same time and same meals
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Touch
• May not like light touch, certain clothing
• May seek deep pressure touch
• May have difficulty changing clothing with
the weather
• May be fascinated with touching certain
textures
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Vision
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May do odd things with their vision
May line things up
Light (fluorescent) may bother them
May be visually distracted
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Hearing
• We can filter noises, sometimes people
with autism can’t filter
• May focus on wrong piece of information
• Listening may be like all radio stations on
at once
• May hear selectively
• Sound may be distracting
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Need for sameness
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Unusually resistant to changes
Develop routines quickly
May need to repeat before moving on
May have very limited and/or one
area of special interest that is highly
developed
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Other characteristics
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Work is play and play is work
Problems with generalization
Compulsive behaviors
Uneven patterns of development
Difficulty with transitions
Difficulty with unstructured times
(TEACCH)
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Secondary Characteristics of ASD
May display one or more of these behaviors:
• Short attention/Hyperactive/Impulsive behaviors
• Aggressiveness
• Self-injurious behavior
• Temper tantrums
• Lack of fear of danger
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Learning barriers:
• Comprehension difficulties (masked by
advanced vocabulary).
• Organizing, planning, breaking down tasks.
• Knowing what to do, and how, when
and where to start and finish.
• Generalizing and applying skills to new
situations.
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Successful teaching:
• Organize/structure the classroom to increase
understanding of what is expected.
• Provide direct instruction to specifically
teach communication and social skills.
• Use visual supports such as daily schedules,
activity schedules, cue cards, social stories.
• Planned generalization of skills.
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Successful Teaching:
Classroom Design:
• TEACCH principles incorporating visual
structure and schedules
• Students’ needs determine classroom
organization
• Provide opportunities for 1:1 and small
group instruction
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Physical structure:
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Physical boundaries:
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Successful Teaching:
Tips for Teaching
• Explain and narrate activities and rules.
• Be simple, clear, and positive when presenting
instructions.
• High levels of specific praise/tangible
reinforcers for appropriate responding.
• Capture momentary motivations—follow
child’s lead.
• Reinforce spontaneity!
Solutions for Language Training by Dr. Partington
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Strategies to Support Behavior
• Take a proactive approach (don’t take it
personally)
• Make
certain
appropriate
visual,
environmental, social and communication
supports are in place.
• Use an interaction style that is calm,
predictable, yet flexible, compassionate
and patient.
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Key educational components
National Research Council (2001) :
• Intervention programs as soon as ASD is
diagnosed
• Active
engagement
in
intensive
instructional programming (full school
day, full year)
• Repeated teaching organized around short
intervals with 1:1 and very small group
instructions
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Key components cont.
• Inclusion of a family component
• Mechanisms for ongoing evaluation
of program and children’s progress,
with adjustments made accordingly
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More information?
• CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disabilities)
• Catherine Maurice’s book: Behavioral Intervention
For Young Children With Autism
• Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills
by Drs. Mark Sunberg and Jim Partington
• ABA program at FSU
• Autism Society of America
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Resources
• Autism Society of America
• Teaching Tools for Young Children www.challengingbehavior.org
• TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication
handicapped Children)
• How to Be a Para Pro- A Comprehensive Training Manual
for Paraprofessionals by Diane Twachtman-Cullen
• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition
(DSM IV)
by American Psychiatric Association
• Center for Autism and Related Disabilities
• Solutions for Language Training by Dr. James Partington
• First Words Project, the Early Social Interaction Project, and FSU CARD
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Kids are kids!
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