Chapter 11

Understanding Students with Autism

Autism Is…• a complex neurological, developmental disability• typically appears during the first three years of life• affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others• defined by a certain set of behaviors• a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to

varying degrees.

* There is no known single cause for Autism. *Children do not "outgrow" Autism.*Studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to

significantly improved outcomes.

Defining Autism

IDEA: Autism is a developmental disability that affects children prior to the age of three in three areas:

Verbal & nonverbal communicationSocial interactionAcademic performance

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)

Autistic disorder, Rett’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, Asperger’s disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified

Educators often use the term autism spectrum disorders when referring to some of all of these disorders

Prevalence of Autism

• 1 out of every 150 Fewer students with Asperger’s Syndrome Males outnumber females four to one Different theories for the increase in prevalence:

Greater public awareness More refined diagnostic procedures

Language Development Ranging from no verbal communication to complex

communication Delayed Language Echolalia

Social Development Delays in social interaction and social skills

Impaired use of nonverbal behavior Lack of peer relationships Failure to spontaneously share enjoyment, interests, and

achievements Lack of reciprocity

Characteristics of Autism

Repetitive behavior Obsessions, tics, and perseverations

Problem behavior Self-injurious behavior Aggression

Need for environmental predictability Sensory and movement disorders Intellectual functioning

Savant syndrome

Characteristics of Autism

Characteristics of Autism• Difficulty understanding social cues• Hard time starting and maintaining friendships,

withdrawn• Difficulty communicating • Repetition of movements, words, or phrases• Over or under sensitivity to their senses• Obsessions or narrowly focused topics of

interest• Poor problem solving skills• Poor organizational skills• Difficulty applying or generalizing learned skills

Daily Goals for AS• Strive for independence• Expand opportunities for students to RESPOND • Minimize & fade prompts (esp. verbal)• Increase engaged time• Minimize down time• Look for opportunities for peer coaching• Provide awareness ed. for typical peers

Determining the Causes Biomedical causes

Abnormalities in brain development Neurochemistry Genetic factors

Usually in early childhood Often uses some of the same tests given to students with

intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities Criteria may include:

Speech and language Academic achievement Cognitive functioning Medical physical status

Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised

Determining the Presence

Possible Behaviors• Flapping of hands/arms• Biting nails/fingers, picking at nose/skin• Pacing• Talking at inappropriate times• Crying/ Yelling (melt downs)• Covering ears/ headphones• Excessive talking about preferred topic• Not responding to directions/questions• Off topic/abrupt comments/questions• Direct sharing of thoughts/feelings (no regard)• Inappropriate touch of self or peers

(unintentional)

• Functional assessment — an ecological assessment1. Describe the nature of the behaviors2. Gather information from interested parties3. Determine why the student engages in problem

behavior4. Hypothesize relationship between behavior and events

before, during, and after the behavior5. Incorporate functional assessment information into the

IEP6. Help student develop alternative behaviors

Determining the Nature of Specially Designed Instruction and Services

Partnering for Special Education and Related Services

• Teams conduct functional behavioral assessments and develop positive behavioral support plans

• Teams usually have six members and should use these six features: – Procedures defined– Procedures taught– Procedures actively used– Budget and resources applied– Records kept – Leadership secured

Determining Supplementary Aids and Services

• Address the domains of access, classroom ecology, and task modifications

• Access involves modifications to the community, campus, building, or classroom to ensure physical and cognitive access– Also provide “behavioral access”– The lunchroom is a frequent environment in which

problem behaviors occur; consider modifications to seating

– Include accommodations for before and after school and in the hall between classes

• Some characteristics associated with autism spectrum disorders are potential areas of learning strengths and provide a basis for curriculum adaptation– Ability to focus attention on detailed information– May excel in areas of the curriculum that are not as

language-based, such as math or science• Mnemonic strategies

• Keyword• Pegword• Letter

Planning for Universal Design for Learning

• Provide students instructional supports that enable them to develop and maintain friendships

• Promoting friendships– Include students in all areas – Use peer buddy programs– Use person-centered planning models that involve

peers – Ensure peers learn about the goals of inclusion

Planning for Other Educational Needs

• Students’ IEPs should address the following instructional areas:– Trustworthiness and loyalty– Conflict resolution– General friendship skills– Positive interaction style– Taking the perspective of others

Planning for Other Educational Needs

Early Childhood Students

• Early intervention and preschool programs use different approaches, including the following:

– Applied behavior analytic techniques, such as discrete trial training

– Incidental teaching in natural environments– Communication, sensory processing, motor

planning, and shared affect with caregivers and peers

• Social stories address the “hidden curriculum”

Elementary and Middle School Students

• Schoolwide positive behavior supports– A systems-level and evidence-based method for

improving valued social and learning outcomes for all students

– Proactive, problem-solving, and data-based approach to improving appropriate behavior and achieving important academic, social, and communication outcomes

– Also seeks to rearrange school environments and change school systems to prevent students from engaging in problem behaviors

– Includes three components: universal support, group support, and individual support

• The techniques underlying positive behavior support emerged from a set of strategies referred to as applied behavior analysis (ABA)

• ABA uses the principles of operant psychology • Discrete trial training is based on the “three term

contingency” outlined by applied behavior analysis: – Presentation of the discriminative stimulus (cue)– Presentation of the prompting stimulus (if needed)– The response– The reinforcing stimulus

Secondary and Transition Students

Measuring Students’ Progress

• Autism Screening Instrument for Educational Planning (ASIEP-2)– Five components: Communication, social interactions, behavior,

academic content, other• Teacher also need to measure outcomes related to school-wide positive

behavior interventions and supports– Direct counts of problem behavior– Problem behavior reported by environment or time of day– Indirect indicators of success

• Data collection tools– School Wide Information System– School-Wide Evaluation Tool (SET) – School-wide Benchmarks of Quality (BoQ)

• Students with autism may perform better on standardized assessments when provided more frequent positive reinforcement

• They may also perform better when assessments are administered by a familiar person– Presence of the examiner minimizes the

students’ anxiety and stress associated with testing

Making Accommodations for Assessment

What might an AS student’s social skills look like?

• No desire to interact (shy)• Doesn’t know how to interact (abrupt,

inappropriate)• Not flexible to changes in routine (hostile)• No personal space awareness (grabby, too close)• Poor to no eye contact or facial expressions

(weird)• Difficulty interpreting non-verbal cues (dumb)• Struggles to maintain a “give & take”

conversation (rude)

What might an AS student’s social skills look like?

Continued…

• Sensitivity to lights, sounds, foods, touch, etc.• Few but dominative interests (age appropriate?)• May talk only about their own interests (1-sided)• Anxiety (interacting w/peers)• Low self-esteem, sits/works by self• Minimal initiation of conversation• Awkward/uncomfortable• Eager to please• Trouble sharing, taking turns, or consenting to

group choice

Social Skills Philosophy

• Students diagnosed on the autistic spectrum, (ASD), present unique challenges with social interaction, language, social cognition, and behavior. To best meet the needs of our students a strong social skills program is a key component in all AS classrooms. For the AS classroom, social goals are as important as academic and life skill goals.

Social Skills Continuum Scale• Self- Regulation

– Focus, task persistence, impulse control, sensory input, stress management • Knowledge of Conventions

– Routine, transition, rules• Social Interaction

– Teasing, group choice, sharing, play, rule following• Social Motivation

– Being social, self-advocacy, identify emotions in self • Communication

– Body language, function, non-verbal, sentence length, topic maintenance, exchanges, initiate/join

• Perspective Taking– Personal space, thoughts, identify emotions in others

*Melt Downs*• If you notice a student getting upset or “melting down”

for any reason…• Soothe them FIRST• Do not feed their anger/frustration• Remove them from the situation (temporarily)• Let them take a sensory break• Figure out WHY or WHAT caused them to get

upset & try to remedy• Return to class as quickly as possible, support, and

provide with positive reinforcement

• Preventing melt-downs is always best!

Top 5 Things That DO NOT HELP

1. Yelling/talking loudly at the student2. Embarrassing the student in front of peers3. Only negatively reinforcing inappropriate

social behaviors (need + reinforcement)4. Hovering over the student5. Over prompting the student

Top 5 Things That HELP

1. An obvious non-verbal cue2. A whispered re-direct3. Modeling for the student exactly how you

want them to interact4. Positive reinforcement for correct social

behaviors5. Ignoring inappropriate social behaviors

COMMUNICATION is KEY!

•Talk to the EA’s & PCA’s•Talk to the special education teacher/case manager•Talk to other general education teachers who are working with the student.•Talk to the student’s parents•Read the student’s IEP