autism 101 for teachers_2

8/8/2019 Autism 101 for Teachers_2

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Autism:Solving the Puzzle

Presented by:

Katherine Woodhouse, MA, BCABA, ATC

Office of Special Education Services

Houston Independent School District


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History of Autism Autism was first described in literature by

Leo Kanner in 1943. He called the syndrome early infantile

autism.

Autism was also often misdiagnosed aschildhood schizophrenia. Early psychologists hypothesized that

children became autistic due to cold andunnurturing mothers. This theory wasproven false in 1979.


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What is Autism?Autism is a lifelong developmental disability

that begins at birth or during the firstthree years of life and is characterized bysevere problems in three main areas:

1. Communication

2. Behavior

3. Social Skills


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Common Characteristics ofAutism

Individuals with autism may display some or

all of the following characteristics tovarying degrees

Acts as deaf Lack of response to people

Repetitive or unusual solitary play

Hyperactivity or extreme lack of activity


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Common Characteristics ofAutism, Continued

Difficulty with change in routine or

environment Unusual responses to sensations

Tantrums

Aggressive or self-abusive

Avoids eye contact

Poor receptive and expressive skills May echo words (echolalic speech)


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Facts on Autism What WeKnow So Far

Autism

Occurs mostly in males. The ratio is about4:1.

Occurs in approximately 1 out of 166births and has a 10-17% annual growthrate.

Is found throughout the world in families ofall racial, ethnic, and social backgrounds.


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Treatments and EducationalStrategies

Autism is not a disease. There is not a

single treatment such as a drug or therapyprogram that will work for all individualswith autism.

Treatment often comes in the form ofindividualized plans designed to meet allareas of need.

No single program or service will fill theneeds of everyone with autism. Strategiesto help a person with autism should be

part of a comprehensive plan.


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Helpful Hints for Interactionswith Individuals with Autism

Use simple language; speak slowly and clearly.

Use concrete terms and ideas. Repeat simple questions, allowing time

(10-15 seconds) for a response.

Give lots of praise and encouragement. Pair verbal instructions with visual supports,such as pictures or gestures.

Break difficult tasks into simple steps and teach

each step one at a time.

Remember: each individual with autism is

unique and may act or react differently.


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Autism is a Spectrum Disorder

There is a wide range of ability levels and levels of

autism.

ClassicAutism

PDD - NOS(PervasiveDevelopmentalDisorder NotOtherwiseSpecified)

AspergersDisorder

(more severe)(Less severe or

high functioning)


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Some Movie Characters withAutism

Dustin Hoffmans character in Rain Man

Simon in the movie Mercury Rising with BruceWillis.

Note: although both of these characters were classic

autism, both were also savants meaning theyhad some innate gift. Sometimes people withautism may show this with math, art, or music, but

Savants are very rare. Up to 70% of individualsdiagnosed with autism are also diagnosed withmental retardation, although that may be due to the

nature of IQ test administration.


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Aspergers Disorder


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Aspergers DisorderAlso known as high functioning autism.

May include the following: Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate

to developmental level.

Impairment in the use of nonverbal behaviors. Lack of social or emotional reciprocity.

Restricted repetitive and stereotyped behaviors,

interests, and activities.


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Movie and T.V. Characters withAsperger

The character named Marvin in the

1980s movie War Games. It is a smallrole, but it is the scene where MatthewBrodericks character visits his friend whoworks for a computer company.

Jerry, one of the characters on the ABC

T.V. show Boston Legal was recentlydepicted as being diagnosed withAspergers disorder.


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Aspergers Disorder The disorder causes clinically significant

impairment in social, occupational or otherimportant areas of functioning.

There is no clinically significant general

delay in language. There is no clinically significant delay in

cognitive development or in the

development of age-appropriate self-helpskills, adaptive behavior (other thansocial), and curiosity about the

environment in childhood.


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Typical Learning Issues Causeand Effect Relationships

May have difficulty understanding how eventsand actions are related to one another.

May see the sequence of events or occurrencesas being separate instead of being connected orrelated.

Inferences and conclusions are sometimesnever understood. (Reason that why questionsare more difficult than who, where, and

when.) May appear socially rude or insensitive as may

not realize how own actions affect othersfeelings or actions.


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Typical Learning Issues Cause and Effect Relationships

Strategies

1. Do not assume that because a similar ormore complex task has beenaccomplished in the past that the student

will be able to figure out the new task.2. Provide visual sequence of events as

they will be expected to occur.

3. Provide many concrete examples of aconcept.


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Typical Learning Issues Causeand Effect Relationships

Strategies

4. Allow student opportunities to participatein reading activities by providing him/herthe concrete/factual information.

5. Use social stories and comic stripconversations to help visually explain the

relationship and effect that people canhave on one another.


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Typical Learning Issues-

Sequencing

Students may find it difficult to organize and

sequence information. May appear disorganized and messy, yet insist

on certain environmental situations.

May also find it difficult to know when or where tostart or finish a task or skill, despite having theability to perform the task or skill.

May find it extremely difficult to understand vaguetime concepts, such as later, meanwhile,sometime, after a bit, a long time, etc.


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Typical Learning Issues-

Sequencing

Strategies

1. Adhere to a set schedule. If changes need tooccur, give warnings and make changes assoon as it is apparent that the change needs tooccur.

2. Provide a schedule. This can be written, apicture, or a combination of the two. This willallow the student to understand what is to

occur and in what order.3. Provide visual reminders of what the next

step or the beginning and end should be.


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Typical Learning Issues -

SequencingStrategies:

4. Organizers or Day-Timers or lists can assist studentswith poor organizational skills to remember when to besome place, where to be, and what may be needed.

5. Timers, clocks and calendars can assist with the

concept of time. Visually representing the passage ofdays by marking off the calendar or a timer that countsdown will help a person accept waiting or limiting thetime with an activity.

6. In situations where a quick explanation of what ishappening is needed, a simple statement such as firstmath, then lunch can assist in refocusing the person tothe task at hand.


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Typical Learning Issues Focus

on Detail (Perseveration) May focus on the insignificant or unimportant

detail of a situation, task or event. May not beable to decide what is generally accepted as theimportant aspect of the situation or event.

This is more evident if the student has sensoryprocessing issues. These attractions may beseen as distractions by teachers.

Anxiety and stress will develop in these

challenging situations. Anxiety will often causethe student to become more distractible andperseveration to the desirable topic may alsoincrease.


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Typical Learning Issues

Focus on Detail (Perseveration)Strategies

1. Consider allowing sensory breaks or stress reliefbreaks during the day. These can consist of walking,running, listening to music, quiet time, etc. This canallow a proactive way to address potentially difficultsituations.

2. When appropriate, use the area or detail of interest toengage the student in a functional and productiveactivity, such as a report on how computers have

evolved (history), cost of computers (math), how toteach a peer to access the internet (social), etc.

3. If the interest is truly a skill or expertise, consider howthis can be used as a career or vocational choice.


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Typical Learning Issues Communication and Social

The nature of how we communicate reliesheavily on being able to interpretintonation, body language, expressions,

etc. Students with Aspergers havelanguage and communication issues thatstem from the concrete nature of their

interpretation of the world. Slower processing time of verbal

communication is common.


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Typical Learning Issues

Communication and Social

Strategies

1. Use clear, concrete language.2. When giving instructions, tell the student

what TO DO, instead of what NOT TO

DO.3. Limit sarcasm, idioms and inferences.

4. Pace your language so the student hastime to process one direction, instructionor piece of information before moving tothe next.


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Typical Learning Issues Communication and Social

Strategies

5. Provide visual/written supports of instructionsand information to assist the student inunderstanding.

6. Allow the student to answer what, where,and who questions rather than the why andhow.

7. Social stories and comic-strip conversationscan be used to assist in explaining socialcommunication and help the student createstrategies to respond in social situations.


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If I Teach General Education, Why do I

have to Learn about Autism?

The chances of having a student in your

classroom with some form of autism is greatconsidering the current rate of autism is 1 in 166births.

Students with high functioning autism are oftenplaced in general education classrooms as part oftheir Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

Students with more severe forms of autism are

encouraged to participate with their non-disabledpeers as much as possible, which may includelunch, recess, morning announcements, andancillary classes.


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Siblings of Children with AutismWith the cases of autism so prevalent, you may have a

sibling of a child with autism. These children sometimeshave special needs:

Parents attention and money are usually spent on thesibling with autism.

Siblings are often not able to participate in typicalchildhood activities such as sleepovers in their homes,family vacations, etc. due to the problematic behaviors oftheir sibling with autism.

Some siblings may be embarrassed by their sibling withautism and afraid to tell others about it. This may bereflected in their school work and/or social interactionwith other students.


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Well Known People with AutismWell-known people who have chosen to write or speak about their family

members with autism: William Christopher (Father Mulcahy on the TV show M*A*S*H) about his

son, Ned.

Paul Collins (writer) about his son. Audrey Flack (sculptor, photographer), mother of an adult with autism.

Doug Flutie (football player) about his son, Doug Jr. Stephen J. Gould (scientist/writer) about his son, Jesse. Joe Mantegna (actor), father of daughter with autism.

Dan Marino (football player) about his son. Wynton and Brandford Marsalis (jazz/classical musicians) about their

brother. Barbara Roberts (former Governor of Oregon), mother of adult with autism.

Tracy Rowlett (Dallas anchorperson) about his son.

Jonathan Shestak (movie producer) about his son, Dov. Sylvester Stallone (movie actor) about his son, Seargeoh.

David Tomlinson (the actor who starred in Mary Poppins, Bedknobs andBroomsticks, the Love Bug, etc) had an autistic son, whose diagnosis andeducation is mentioned in some detail in Mr. Tomlinson's autobiographyLuckier than Most.


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Well Known People with AutismIndividuals with autism who have become well-known through theirwriting and/or speaking on their experiences:

Donna Williams.

Temple Grandin. Thomas McKean.Occasionally there is speculation as to whether some particular well-

known person has autistism, e.g. an author, scientist, ormathematician known to be unsocial and very focused. Forexample, Einstein or Bill Gates.

However, despite such speculation, these people in general couldsocialize in ways far advanced of typical autistic behavior: eyecontact, etc. It is probable that nearly all famous people occasionallycited as being possibly autistic fall more naturally under such amilder classification.

One of the most convincing cases of a famous person with autistismwas in regards to Canadian pro golfer Moe Norman. There is abiography of him: The Feeling of Greatness, the Moe Norman Storyby Tim O'Connor.


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Resources www.autism-society.org

asperger.org

www.grandin.com

http://autism.esc4.net User name: esc4houston

Password: houston

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