session 1 what do i know about asds?. autistic disorder pdd-nos autism spectrum disorders rett...

Session 1

What do I know about ASDs?

Autistic Disorder PDD-NOS

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Rett SyndromeChildhood

DisintegrativeDisorder

Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Asperger Syndrome The term Autism Spectrum

Disorders is used synonymously with the term autism

non-verbal

The Diversity of Autism

SOCIAL INTERACTION

SENSORY

I.Q

COMMUNICATION

gifted

aloof

verbal

hyposensitive hypersensitive

passive

Repetitive behaviourRestricted interest

severe

active/odd

Learning styles mildmoderate

Social Interaction

Communication

Sensory

Intellectual Ability (IQ)

Learning Style strong visual spatial skills; visual learner; kinaesthetic; gestalt learner; poor executive functioning; detail-focused

mild marked

average

Activity 2.2What do you know about ASDs?

What do you see in your students?

• communication• social• repetitive behaviours and restricted

interests• sensory• information processing

Communication Social RI/RB Sensory Information processing

Characteristics

Implications

Strategies

What are the implications of ASDs on learning and participation?

Planning matrix

Development of communication skills and systems

• Communication impacts on most areas of development.• Impairments in receptive language. • Literal/concrete understanding in AS/HFA• echolalia (immediate, delayed, mitigated)• difficulties initiating and sustaining communicative interaction • differences between use of comments and requests (use

of language)• differences in eye gaze, body language and use of gesture to

communicate• unusual vocal quality and prosodic patterns

What are the key issues for students with an ASD?

Development of social connections• Social deficit the core feature of ASDs.

• Students typically have fewer friends and may prefer the company of older or younger students

• Some students may isolate themselves by choice.

• Others may be aware of friendships and want friends but be perceived as irritating or intrusive.

• May have very different interests and priorities to other students, causing further isolation.

• Social skills issues – greeting, turn-taking, appropriate use of language, empathy.

(Attwood, 2007)


Repetitive behaviour & restricted interests • adherence to routines• difficulty with change• anxiety in unfamiliar situations• interests or obsessions• need to maintain a particular interest or routine • behaviour • relationships• need for sameness• chunk learning style


Sensory-processing issues

• two broad categories of sensory-processing issues – over-sensitivity and under-sensitivity and each sense has a different threshold

• sensory-processing issues may impact significantly on behaviour

• may contribute to the development or maintenance of anxiety disorders

• may impact on the development of some communication skills

• sensory-processing disorders may play a role in social interaction difficulties

What are the key issues for students with ASDs?

Information processing

• attention to detail – failure to see the ‘big picture’

• generalising

• recognising relevant detail

• organisation and sequencing

• social relationships

• attention

What are the key issues for students with ASDs?

Planning matrix

Communication Social RI/RB Sensory Information processing

Characteristics

Implications

Strategies

What do we know works for students with ASDs?

• providing opportunities for communication

• encouraging and teaching initiation• providing communication supports

AND teaching how to use• supporting receptive language

visually

Communication


Communication supports for expressive communication

• known as Augmentative and Alternative

Communication (AAC)

• the use of other forms of communication (e.g. pictures,

gestures, signing or voice output) to support speech

• may be high tech or low tech, aided or unaided

• where available, can be supported by a

speech pathologist


Supporting language visually

Visual supports can be used to help a student:• understand an instruction• understand routines and structure• cope with transitions• learn how to play• cope with change• learn new skills• manage their behaviour and understand

what is expected of them


Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)

• an ‘A-B-C’ approach – finding out the function of the behaviour

• environmental changes – managing antecedents

• teaching replacement behaviours

• positive reinforcement


Reactive strategies

PBS will be covered in detail in module 3

Proactive strategies

Sensory Processing Issues

• sensory profiling• adapting the environment• addressing seeking behaviours• addressing avoidance behaviours


NB: addressing sensory processing issues is not the same as ‘sensory integration’

Friendships/making social connections

• social skills training is not the only answer

• not all students will desire social interaction

• need to accommodate all students

• consider the hidden curriculum


• limited research on effective strategies for students with ASDs

• team approach needed to define bullying and determine consequences

• broad definition of bullying needed – more than just physical injury

• whole school strategies include buddy systems and codes of conduct

• Attwood (2004) suggests students learn to avoid vulnerable situations

• students can learn and practise responses• consider Social Stories™ and cartoon conversations using

speech bubbles

Bullying


Dealing with anxiety/mental health issues

• limited research on treatment options,

mostly on medication and psycho-analysis

• cognitive behavioural therapy shown to be

effective

• environmental management and positive

behaviour supports may assist


What can be done at school?• utilise strengths and interests

• modify tasks if they are too difficult

• be aware of sensory stimuli and modify environment

• use visuals in the classroom to:

- help student prepare for changes

- help student learn the classroom routines

- help student understand classroom social skills (e.g. how to ask a question, how to join a group)

• education to help student recognise their ‘emotion warning signs’ and their ‘body clues’


Three types of adjustmentsAdjustment

s

CurriculumAdapt what is

taught

Instructional Adapt how it is taught and how

learning is demonstrated

Environmental Adapt the

setting – where, when, and with

whom

Florida’s PBS Project at USF website: http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu

Meaningful/Functional

Preference/Interest

Difficulty

InstructionalPresentation

Student Response

AlternationModality

Format/MaterialsTask Division

Choice

ModalityFormat/Material

Where When

Who

Adjustment matrix for the individual learner

Comm Social RI/RB Sensory Info proc

Curricula

Instructional

Environmental

Three types of adjustments

Adjustments


taught

Instructional

Adapt how it is taught and how


Environmental

Adapt the setting – where, when, and with whom


Curriculum and instruction

• curriculum provides a blueprint for

learning which teachers can follow

when designing instruction

• curriculum helps an educator meet

community, parental, and student

expectations for quality

in education

Adapted from Shaddock et al. (2007).

Curriculum and instructionHelpful teaching questions:• What do I want my students to learn?• Do i need to make any adjustments at all?• Would technology help at all?• Do some students need material presented

differently?• Should some students present their work differently?• Will all students be assessed in the same way?• Will some students need additional or different goals?

Which learning outcomes are you working

towards?

What does it look like?Break down sequence of

events.

Communication Supports(Level of prompting?)

What do you want your students to learn?

Receptive Expressive

Some****Most****All****

What are the indicators? Sensory supports Behaviour & Social supports

Environmental supports

Lesson GuideIdea for staff organisation: use highlighters to colour-code areas that each member of class staff will be focusing on


Adjustments


taught

Instructional



Environmental



Examples – refer to Manitoba Educational handout, Chapter 4 Teaching the student with ASD

Instructional strategies

• errorless learning

• concrete examples/hands-on activities

• generalisation training

• peer tutoring/guidance

• teacher assistants

Social Scripts

Am I in Control ?At school everybody has the right to feel safe.Teachers have the right to feel safe every day they come to school. Teachers prefer to work with students that respect themselves and each other and show that everyone has the right to feel safe.

I have the right to come to school everyday and feel safe, and that people are going to respect me.

Sometimes there are students that try to take away my right to be safe.These students tend to tease and bully other students. Some of these students are trying to tease and bully me into fighting with them.I have two choices; I can fight them or use my self control.If I fight them they will win, because I will get into trouble, and I will still be angry.

Self control is when I make the choices that keep me safe.Self control means telling myself that I am a stronger person.Stronger people can ignore bullying and teasing, leaving the other student standing looking silly.Self control means reacting calmly or not at all.

These students try to push my buttons and get me into trouble. If I can keep my self control and ignore them, I should avoid trouble.Taking deep breaths and keeping my ears closed, is a strong way to ignore others.

Avoiding trouble, remaining calm and being able to get back to work, shows the teachers and other students at school that I respect myself and others right to feel safe.

Literal interpretation of languageRaining cats and dogs

Cats and dogs coming down from the sky

Lots of rain

Language & communication supports

Maths Year 8 - Mr. Waters

8 x (3+2) = _____ 4 – (6 + 5) = ____

2 x (8 – 5) = _____ 9 ÷ (7 - 4) = _____

(2 + 4) x 8 = _____ (6 + 7) x 2 = _____

(6 – 3) x 4 = _____ 42 ÷ (9 – 3) = ____

56 ÷ (11 – 4) = ____ 25 x (5 – 2) = ____

(4 + 5) ÷ 3 = _____ 25 ÷ (7 – 2) = ____

7 x (25 – 13) = ____ 9 + 8 x 6 = ______

Maths Year 8 - Mr. Waters

8 x (3+2) = _____ 4 – (6 + 5) = ____

2 x (8 – 5) = _____ 9 ÷ (7 - 4) = _____

(2 + 4) x 8 = _____ (6 + 7) x 2 = _____

(6 – 3) x 4 = _____ 42 ÷ (9 – 3) = ____

56 ÷ (11 – 4) = ____ 25 x (5 – 2) = ____

(4 + 5) ÷ 3 = _____ 25 ÷ (7 – 2) = ____

7 x (25 – 13) = ____ 9 + 8 x 6 = ______

(2 + 4) x 8 = _____ (6 + 7) x 2 = _____

Activity: Instructional Strategies

Errorless Learning

Concrete examples/hands-on activities

Generalisation Training

Peer Tutoring/ Guidance

Teacher Assistants

Regular (Mainstream) Classroom

Special Education Classroom

Adjustments


taught

Instructional



Environmental




Environmental auditSome key points to consider:

1. the student’s expectations

2. the expectations of others in the setting

3. nature of the teaching materials, the activity, the type of instruction

4. length of task or activity, the nature of the activity just completed, the nature of the activity to follow

5. instructional style

6. opportunities for interaction with others

7. opportunities to engage in functional, chronologically- age-appropriate activities

Environmental audit (continued)8. person’s physiological status

9. number of persons, students, adults in the learning environment

10. environmental constraints including the number of staff, time available, number of tasks

11. behaviour of others, for example the modelling behaviour they engage in and the behaviour directed toward student

12. recent changes in environment, sudden changes in activity, schedule, etc

13. distribution of interactions and relative distribution of positive vs. negative interactions

Structuring the physical environment

• organise areas according to the activity/curriculum to be delivered

• a place for everything and everything in a place• mark out physical boundaries e.g. teacher’s area• communicate behavioural expectations (class rules)• review classroom stimuli that may have a distracting

effect (refer to profile)• review classroom set up; proximity of desks, visual

stimuli (posters, charts etc), pathways, mess and clutter factor

To conclude - key adjustments include:• structured, routine & predictable environments• visual supports, scripts, written directions, social

stories• task adaptation & modification of curriculum

where possible• adjust adult expectations• use specific explanations; leave nothing unsaid or

assumed• positive reinforcement• build on special interests, skills and abilities• environmental adjustments; reduce environmental

& social stressors, especially and sensory

What do you know about the Disability Standards for Education (2005)?

• Disability Standards for Education came into

effect in August 2005

• set out the rights of students with a disability

in the area of education

• set out the obligations for adult and

community education providers that develop

and accredit curricula and courses

Students with HFA/AS are likely to:

• have difficulty relating appropriately to others, forming and maintaining social relationships

• be verbal but present with a wide range of language and communication disorders and peculiarities

• have difficulty in successfully following and mastering interpersonal interaction and specific aspects of an unmodified curriculum

• be good at attending to detail and have difficulty understanding the “big picture”

Students with HFA/AS: (cont’d)

• have difficulty generalising information (consider across subjects)

• have difficulty organising and sequencing information

• have powerful interests in particular topics and desire for sameness

• have irregular educational and cognitive deficits which can include splinter skills

• be subject to bullying and mental health issues

Assets of AS/HFA

• memory• factual learning strengths• attention to detail• skills in maths, science, computing areas• specialised interests• indifference to peer pressure• rules-based • refreshingly frank and logical

Students with ASDs + ID may• be nonverbal or have little functional speech

• have very limited social communication skills (difficulty relating

to others)

• have an obsessive interest in environmental sameness

• demonstrate atypical and difficult to understand behaviour

including stereotypic, repetitive and self stimulatory behaviour

• have irregular educational and cognitive deficits which can include

splinter skills

• have difficulty generalising information (consider across contexts)

• have difficulty organising, sequencing of information,

understanding concepts

• have significant sensory issues

Focus points

• enrolment• participation• curriculum development,

accreditation and delivery• student support services• harassment and victimisation


What are these obligations?

• obligation to consult

• obligation to make reasonable adjustments

• obligation to eliminate harassment and victimisation


• ‘on the same basis’ means treating the student with a disability on the same basis as the student without a disability

• moderated by principle of ‘unjustifiable hardship’

• some students may require adjustments and accommodations


All staff need to have the skills,

knowledge and understanding to

implement curriculum in a way that will

be accessible to all students, including

students with a disability

Implications for educators and support staff


What does ‘evidence-based’ practice mean?

What does ‘evidence-based practice’ mean?

• Evidence-based practice involves the conscientious and explicit use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care, education and medical treatment of an individual. ‘Am I doing the right thing in the right way with the right person at the right time in the right place for the right result – and am I the right person to be doing it? …and, is it at the right cost?’ (Cusick 2001, p103).


• systematic review of all relevant randomised control trials

• randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

• cohort study

• multiple-case study

• single-case study

• expert opinion

• anecdotal/testimonial evidence

Levels of evidence Strongest

Weakest


Be cautious if:

– the research was done by the people

who have designed the treatment

approach

– the research is by people that stand to

profit from its success

– researchers claim they can cure autism

– the evidence relies heavily on anecdotal

information or testimonials


• be mindful of the quality of the facts and figures

• check what any statistics mean and if any changes

would be meaningful to a child with an ASD

• popularity of an approach does not indicate an

evidence base

• check who participated in the research and if your

child/student fits into this group (e.g. research into

Autistic Disorder may not be applicable to children with

Asperger syndrome)

Some tips:

What works? Empirical evidence

Recommended good practice in educational pedagogy for

students with an ASD includes:

• an individualised approach – developing a Learner Profile

• the provision of an autism-specific curriculum* (targets

characteristics of autism within the final curriculum)

• a highly supportive teaching environment and uses a range of

systematic teaching strategies

• using a functional communication and positive behavioural

approach to challenging behaviours

• collaborative team approach that involves families and other

professionalsRoberts & Prior (2006) Ivanhoe, Dunlap, Huber & Kincaid (2003), Howlin (1998).

What makes for a successful school placement?

A positive school climate:• shared responsibility by general and

special educators• school community ownership of the

included student(s) with autism• access to collaborative problem-solving

relationships, multidisciplinary teams• availability of appropriately trained

support personnel• low staff-student ratios

And …

• home-school collaboration

• the development of social skills for the student with autism in inclusive settings

• availability of specialist training for all staff• adequate teacher planning time• recurrent evaluation of inclusion practices

(Simpson et al., 2003)

ASPERGER SYNDROME WEB SITESWhat is the biology of Asperger’s Disorder?

http://www.unmed-edu/publo/ozbayrak/asperger.html

On-line Asperger’s Syndrome Information and Support – O.A.S.I.S.

http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/

ASPEN of America

http://www.asperger.org/

University Students with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome

http://www.users.dircon.co.uk./-cns/

Asperger’s Teenagers and Young Adults

http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/1864

Yale University

http://info.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/autism/page10.html

Asperger’s Syndrome Information Package

http://www.autism-society.org/packages/aspergers.html

Asperger’s Syndrome – educational management issues

http://www.ozemail.com.au/~prussia/asperger/teach.htrn

session 1 what do i know about asds?. autistic disorder pdd-nos autism spectrum disorders rett...

Documents

social skills issues

key issues

term autism slide

younger students

social relationships

planning matrix slide

implications of asds

term autism spectrum