The ABC’s of Autism

Vickie McLendon, BCABAElaineJohnson, BCABABay 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)

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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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