Transcript Autism Spectrum Disorder By Tanu Shikha Day 3

AUTISM SPECTRUM
DISORDER
UDAI working together works
OBJECTIVES
 Participants will become familiar with the definition,
characteristics, and other related information
regarding autism spectrum disorder.
 Participants will be able to recognize evidence- based
practices in assessing students with ASD
 Participants will understand the importance of
effective collaboration, resources, and supports for
students with autism spectrum disorder.
DEFINATION
Autism means a developmental disability significantly
affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and
social interaction, generally evident before age three,
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.
AREAS
Areas of need:
 Academic achievement, functional performance,
learning characteristics
 Social development
 Physical development
 Management needs
Prevelance
 It estimates that 1 in 150 individuals have autism
spectrum disorder based on study.
 study expanded the definition of “autism” to include the
diagnosis of PDD-NOS and Asperger’s Syndrome
 Boys are 4 times more likely to be diagnosed but girls
are more severely affected.
When Does It Occur?
 Children are born with the disorder and never
“outgrow” or are “cured” of their autism
 Usually diagnosed in early childhood (18 months – 2
years) when a child fails to meet developmental
milestones
What Causes Autism?
Brain structure is
different
Cause of autism is
currently unknown
What Causes Autism?
Other Theories:
• Heavy metals
• Pollutants
• Toxins
• Vaccines
• Chemicals
• Pesticides
*none of these have been proven to cause autism*
SILENT FEATURES
Communication
 Delay in, or complete lack of, verbal communication
 Difficulty in initiating or sustaining conversations
 Stereotyped or idiosyncratic use of language
(echolalia, jargon)
 Inability to engage in spontaneous, make- believe, or
imitative play at the appropriate developmental level
DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA
Socialization
 Difficulty developing peer relationships appropriate to
developmental level
 Impaired use of nonverbal behaviors (e.g., eye
contact, facial expressions, and gestures)
 Lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment,
interests, or achievements with other people (joint
attention)
 Lack of social or emotional reciprocity
DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA
Behavior
 Preoccupation with an activity or interest that is
abnormal either in intensity or focus
 Inflexible adherence to nonfunctional routines or
rituals
 Repetitive or stereotyped movements (e.g., hand
flapping)
 Persistent preoccupation with parts of objects
TYPES OF ASD
Autism
 Retts Disorder
 CDD
 Asperger syndrome
 PDD Nos

Rett’s Disorder
 Early typical development followed by period of
stagnation or regression
 Motor and cognitive delays
 Loss of purposeful hand movements
 Rare: 1:10,000 females; not found in males
 Occurs around 6-18 months of age
 Genetically based
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
 A developmental disorder characterized by a
relatively longer period of typical development
(compared to Rett’s and Autism) followed by a
marked regression in communication, socialization,
and cognitive skills
 Around 1 in 1500 births - more common in boys
 Symptom onset between 2 to 4 years of age but
before 10 years of age
 Cause unknown
PDD-NOS
PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER – NOT OTHERWISE
SPECIFIED
Individual exhibits many of the behaviors and
characteristics of autism but not enough to meet the
full criteria of autism
 Not the same has “high functioning autism” or
Asperger’s Syndrome
 Individuals can range from high to low functioning

ASPERGER’S SYNDROME
Distinguished from Autism and PPD-NOS by the lack
of language delay
 Normal to above-average intelligence
 Social interest present but understanding and skills
are lacking
 Often verbose but may use language in different ways
and lack pragmatics
 Patterns of speech may be unusual
 Often motor skill delays and appear physically
awkward, clumsy

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM
COMMUNICATION

Wide range of communicative ability
 Non-verbal to verbose but lacking in pragmatics
 Often more behavioral communication than intentional,
social, or verbal communication
 Receptive language difficulties - expectations, directions,
comments need to be clear, concrete, simple, direct, and
visual
 Expressive language difficulties – even highly intelligent
students may struggle to speak up or become frustrated
trying to share thoughts, feelings, and ideas
 Written communication difficulties – from the mechanics of
writing to organizing thoughts and getting them to paper
RELATED CHARACTERISTICS
COGNITIVE ISSUES
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Difficulty drawing conclusions
Difficulty with incidental learning
Often excellent rote memory
Slower at retrieving information
Slower processing speed
Problems with working memory
Trouble predicting outcomes (e.g., people’s
reactions)
Often do not see cause-effect
RELATED CHARACTERISTICS
COGNITIVE ISSUES

Problems with executive function
 Issues with shift: moving freely from one
activity/situation to another, transitions, flexible
problem solving
 Issues with initiation; can’t begin tasks
 Issues with planning, organizing, sequencing,
setting goals/objectives
 Issues with seeing “big picture” or main idea
 Issues with evaluating activity; pace, completion,
 Issues with modulating emotional response
 Issues with controlling impulses
Continuous Assessment
Revise, Modify,
Enhance
Education Plan
Response to
Plan/Intervention
Initial/Continuous
Assessment and
Educational Plan
EFFECTIVE COMPONENTS FOR EDUCATIONAL
PRACTICES
Individualized supports and services
 Systematic instruction
 Comprehensible and structured learning
environments
 Specialized curriculum focus
 Functional approach to problem behavior
 Family involvement

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
Applied Behavior Analysis
 Not a specific intervention, but rather a theoretical
framework
 Based on work of behaviorists (Skinner, etc.)
 Desired behaviors are identified, taught, and
reinforced
 Programs are highly individualized
EFFECTIVE COMPONENTS FOR EDUCATIONAL
PRACTICES
Systematic Instruction
 Identification of valid educational goals
 Careful outlining of instructional procedures and
their implementation
 Evaluation of effectiveness
 Adjustment of instruction based on data
EFFECTIVE COMPONENTS FOR EDUCATIONAL
PRACTICES
Comprehensible/Structured Learning Environments
 Curriculum needs to be clear to both students and
educational personnel
 Allows student to predict what’s going to happen
next
 Provide a schedule of activities
 Plan and provide choice-making
 Provide behavior support
 Define areas of classroom and school
 Provide temporal relations
 Facilitate transitions, flexibility, change
THANK YOU